“Thought Leadership” programmes are all the rage in the B2B space. But in a crowded marketplace, it’s getting harder to generate breakthrough “leading” ideas. In an era characterised by mass collaboration — wikis, blogs, social networks to name but a few — a Thought Leadership programme can no longer be a one-way street. Perhaps a new and more appropriate paradigm for the content creating Gen Y, internet-enabled age would be a Thought Meritocracy.
Drew has a think on The end of Thought Leadership
With due deference to many of our illustrious clients I have always had a bit of an issue with Thought Leadership Programmes.
The objective amongst technology marketers has always been to create a vehicle whereby (with a mixture of Gartner magic quadrant, CIO futurology, and talk of leading edge products), the vendor can persuade everyone that it has the vision and product set.
If said vendor has all the ingredients and a near-monopoly on new thinking, then thought leadership may be an appropriate title, but most companies can’t boast that all the time so they are coaxed into developing a programme (‘because the competitors and other big tech brands are doing it’). As a result, they can all too easily end up as a ‘thought follower’ programme – the box is ticked but it isn’t really delivering what it promises.
And arguably, ‘thought leadership’ that does not deliver what it promises actually does more harm than good.
We have always asked the question ‘What leading edge thinking do you want to start your Thought Leadership programme with?’ If the initiative starts with some real nuggets, then you’re in a good place – but often it is not the case.
Where has this got us to? Well, we don’t think there are many people out there now that actually BELIEVE public websites can offer them leading-edge, competitive-edge, hitherto undiscovered thinking. They believe they are merely getting the vendor’s best stab at what is coming down the pipe.
All the above has been the case for some while. As time has moved on, so has the world (I first heard Sun talking about Thought Leadership last century, so maybe it is time we moved on anyway) but what strikes us now is that it is not only the under-delivery of many Thought Leader programmes, it is (delete now) also the actual premise on which they are constructed.
In an era of social and web collaboration, I think there needs to be a new way to up-end the old-way. Agencies and clients are talking about two-way dialogue in many areas of marcomms with customers, partners, consultants and analysts, but the vast majority of such Thought Leader programmes are a one-way street – and it is time for that to stop.
Maybe there is a new angle on all this – Thought Meritocracy Programmes. (Meritocracy – [mer-i-tok-ruh-see] – a group of people whose progress is based on ability and talent ……) Surely this is the new paradigm for the Gen Y internet age? It’s time technology marketers did some listening as well as broadcasting. It’s time to set up meritocracies based on dialogue between all the above groups rather than vendors believing they are still the only ones with unique intellectual capital.
Look what gsk achieved through giving scientists outside their employ the opportunity to develop new R&D ideas – far greater intellectual capital. Look what GoldCorp did to incentivise geologists (http://microengagement.blogspot.com/) around the world to find new reserves in places they had not thought of and transform their business at the same time*.
Mass collaboration allows everyone with ability and talent to contribute to work and life. Let’s open up all those ‘send mode’ programmes and create some dialogue rather than monologue. Invite others to contribute and welcome their thoughts. Users bring experiences that vendors never have; analysts can learn more about you as part of a conversation and partners can be reassured that you have the right direction because a conversation is much richer than a presentation.
In the 21st Century, Thought Leadership programmes should be supplanted, Thought Meritocracy is the new way and in parallel with this we have a naturally evolved method of facilitating it.
It is no surprise that a mass collaboration of thoughts is the next step when we have already seen cloud computing and adaptations like SAP’s EcoHub (https://ecohub.sdn.sap.com/) or social media sites like Facebook and Twitter actively encouraging, ‘mashing’ and publicising the fruits of these mass-contributed labours.
Social media networks provide a new level of free speech, so why shouldn’t we borrow from this evolving model and apply it to the creation of a ‘Thought arena’? The world has become a big coffee house, free to recline, dispense opinion and comment where people can and will listen. If people listen they are interested and if they opine then what they have to say should be in some way valid. So from the basis of grid computing, cloud computing and microblogging, we arrive at our very own B2B intellectual ‘mash-up’ – a Thought Meritocracy.
Ultimately, the paradox is that only by moving away from a typical thought leadership programme, can you really become a thought leader.
If you're happy to browse, please carry on. If you want something fast, maybe we can help.
Don't be out of our loop - sign up for dnxtra and we'll pop a freshly-minted e-newsletter into your inbox at regular intervals.
For our latest career opportunities, please click here or email careers@dnxmarketing.com with your CV and contact details.
Copyright © dnx Ltd 2010. All rights reserved. dnx is a limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number 3954948.
Registered office: Unit E3 The Premier Centre Abbey Park Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DG
To access the Clients Only section of our website, please log in.