The ROI of Thought Leadership

The power of corporate thought leadership, finally quantified through expansive rigorous empirical research

The Thought Leadership Advantage: Competing in the Marketplace of Ideas reveals the findings of rigorious research conducted by authors Anthony Marshall and Cindy Anderson, leaders at IBM's Institute for Business Value (IBV), where they surveyed more than 4,000 C-level executives--half CEOs, half CFOs, CSCOs, CTOs and CIOs--to ask about their consumption of thought leadership content and the influence it has on their business purchase decisions and investments, as well as the use of generative AI in the production and consumption of thought leadership. The book also includes tools such as an "value calculator" that empowers every reader to assess the potential return for their specific organization.

This book reveals the surprising findings of the research, such as:

• 96% of those surveyed consume thought leadership materials to help them make better business decisions
• 88% of CEOs and 87% of all executives said they have made a purchase decision in the last 90 days based on the thought leadership they consume
• Upwards of $100billion in annual corporate spending is driven by thought leadership that includes original research, rigorous analysis, and subject matter expertise
• Organizations that produce thought leadership materials are perceived as more trustworthy and are rewarded with 164% more of overall spend

The Thought Leadership Advantage: Competing in the Marketplace of Ideas is an essential read for all business leaders seeking to finally understand the true business value of thought leadership initiatives.