B2B International’s Superpowers Index research, an annual study into the dynamics of B2B buying behavior, has revealed a significant trend: the growing importance of active thought leadership.
Each year, the study examines 30 decision drivers, covering both professional and personal factors, to uncover what truly differentiates winning brands from their competitors. In 2024, “being an active thought leader in the category/sector” jumped from 20th to 3rd place globally, a clear sign of its growing relevance as a key tool in the B2B marketer’s toolbox.
For Gen Z and Millennial B2B buyers, thought leadership holds even greater weight, ranking as the #2 decision driver. This signals a generational shift in expectations and priorities for B2B brands.
Top Decision Drivers in 2024
The top factors that set winning brands apart:
- I feel safe signing a contract with them
- Is known as being a good employer
- Active thought leaders in their category/sector
- Comply with regulations, law, industry standards & ethical practices
- Takes care of its suppliers, business partners, and communities
A Gap in Thought Leadership Performance
Despite its growing importance, few B2B brands are excelling at thought leadership. Only 25% of B2B buyers believe the brands they engage with are doing it well—a statistic showing no signs of improvement from 2023.
Encouragingly, B2B marketers recognize this gap, with just 30% rating their brand’s content creation efforts as strong. This presents an opportunity for B2B brands to meet the demand for compelling thought leadership. However, to create compelling content, brands must understand what makes effective thought leadership.
What Makes Effective B2B Thought Leadership?
Our research identified areas where B2B brands are succeeding and falling short when it comes to thought leadership:
The Basics – Doing Well
These are the foundations, where brands are performing effectively:
- Identifying topics that your target audience needs to know in response to trends
- Keeping your audience up to date on trending topics
Neglected Areas – Room for Improvement
These are the areas critical to buyers but where brands are underperforming:
- Communicating on industry-specific topics and trends
- Exploring unique angles on topics others overlook
- Conducting original research on trending issues
- Offering an interesting point of view on trends
Low-Impact Areas – Deprioritize
These are less important to buyers and therefore may not be worth the focus:
- Being the first to talk about topics later adopted by others
- Communicating on trends specific to individual job roles
Summary
Interestingly, the focus is on the quality of content that adds value to the buyer, rather than being the first to discuss a topic. As thought leadership grows in importance, B2B marketers need to ask:
- Are we focusing on what really matters to our audience?
- Are we offering unique insights and perspectives?
By addressing neglected areas and elevating the quality of their content, B2B brands can position themselves as trusted thought leaders, ultimately building greater trust in their brand overall.
At B2B International, we conduct primary research that empowers brands to create impactful, evidence-based content. As part of dentsu B2B, our team of copywriters, creatives, and strategists is here to help you make the most of your unique insights. Learn more about our thought leadership research.
To discuss how our tailored insights programs can help solve your specific business challenges, get in touch and one of the team will be happy to help.