CONNECTING THROUGH
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
TAKING THE HIGH ROAD TO MARKET LEADERSHIP
Silicon Valley AMA – December 11, 2008

After-Event Slides & Resources
 The slides and resource links are available
electronically after the event:
www.marketingsavant.com/svama

The Five Key Topics We’ll Explore:
1 | Defining Thought Leadership & Its Growth in Marketing
Thought leadership is fast becoming the most widely used and desired B2B marketing practice...
2 | Attaining Thought Leader Status – The Thought Leader’s Mindset
Thought leaders set themselves apart using eight mandatory attributes.
3 | Thought Leadership Cases & Companies
Who’s using thought leadership marketing and how.
4 | The Thought Leadership Marketing Toolkit
The tools of the trade for thought leadership marketers.
5 | Building & Measuring the Thought Leadership Marketing Plan
How to, pitfalls and how to know if you’re succeeding with thought leadership marketing.

Who are Thought Leadership Marketers?
 Thought leadership marketers focus on earning trust
and establishing credibility.
 Thought leaders get noticed by offering something
useful and different—information, insights, and
ideas, for instance.
 Thought leadership marketers earn the position of
industry authority, resource and trusted advisor.
 They establishing their reputation as a generous
contributor to the industry.
 Thought Leaders Attain – Not Claim

Benefits of Thought Leadership
Marketing
 Prospects put themselves further into the sales cycle
 Shorten the sales cycle
 Change the pattern & terms of how people buy
from you
 Diminish price resistance
 Prospects experience your value before buying
 Buyers invested in you before purchasing
 Growth in media placements & requests
 Search Marketing find-ability
 Great content is good for search engines and customers

TLM Tops B2B Marketers Lists
“Traditional approaches to B2B
marketing are losing their impact.
Today, B2B marketers are turning
towards thought leadership as a
way to differentiate their products
and services in an increasingly
competitive market.”
Economist Intelligence Unit, 2008

Thought Leadership Marketing –
Your Priorities Need to Align with Customers’

Thought Leadership Marketing –
Priorities in all Times (not just tough times)
Also Seeking:
 Trust(worthiness)
 Assuage Fears
 “Feel Good”
about decisions
 Positive
Messages
 HELP!

Thought Leadership Marketer
Cisco
 Entire senior management team is organized around the goal
of promoting Cisco as a thought leader in the technology field
 Earning credibility by creating information that places
company objectives second to the goal of educating
prospects
 Every Cisco executive must establish and nurture his or her
own reputation for thought leadership, through blogging,
public speaking, and writing articles
“When you look at thought leadership you can break it out into a
number of different areas. It must be visionary. It looks at the future.
It must be provocative, and it must put the our customer’s needs
first.” Mark Peshoff, Senior Director of Cisco‟s Executive Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership Marketer
Cisco

Thought Leadership Marketer
Cisco
“Once thought leadership is established, the rest of the
industry, the media, academia, government policymakers
and the broader business community turn to that company
for ideas and for insights into where things are going.”
“The credibility we gain through thought leadership
contributes to a sustainable market leadership position.
“Cisco’s status in the technology field, and the business
world, and its dedication to thought leadership are
inseparable.” Mark Peshoff, Senior Director of Cisco‟s Executive Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership Marketer
Crest Toothpaste
In the 1950s, the Holy Grail of toothpaste was to
create a product with therapeutic as well as
cosmetic benefits. Crest got there first—and
dominated for decades.
 1960 recognition by the American
Dental Assoc.
 Set the conversation for the entire
toothpaste industry
 The Crest Dental Plan (Club Crest)
 “Health Expressions” newsletter
 Online resources for both dentists
and consumers (lessons, talking
points, chat)
 Best-selling toothpaste in America
for more than three decades.

Thought Leadership Marketer
Breakthrough Management Group, Inc.
Leader in Six Sigma consulting, training,
and software support tools
 Media Availability & Expert
Commentary (hundreds of
column inches worth of
helpful press)
 Keynote speakers, industry
event chairs
 Cause Alignment
 CEO Blog
 Newsletters
 Free Webinars

Thought Leadership Marketer
Breakthrough Management Group, Inc.
“Our thought leadership efforts
have become the flagship for
BMG’s reputation, which has
helped our global expansion
tremendously,” says Silverstein.
“It has been especially helpful in
Asia and Latin America, where
name recognition goes a long
way. My industry reputation has
helped BMG’s sales team get
their foot in the door in key
overseas markets.”
David Silverstein, CEO, BMGI

Thought Leadership is a Way of Being
“It’s not about trying to pontificate on how great you
are, or just trying to edify yourself. In a lot of ways,
it’s truly a way of being. It’s something you can’t say
about yourself… it’s really what others say about
you.”
Brian Carroll

Mapping the Thought Leadership Marketing Toolkit

Building Blocks of Thought Leadership Marketing
Lead
Capture &
Nurturing
Media &
Outreach
Delivery Schedule
Content/Intellectual Capital
Industry Dialogue
Passion / Mindset / Commitment

Recognizing A Thought Leadership
Marketing Opportunity
 Significant shifts or changes in your industry or field
 Recognition that getting your ideas out ahead of
your competitors is critical to success
 A mentor leads you to the opportunity
 No one‟s having the conversation you want to have
in the industry or local area
 Facing a business crisis
 The desire to „attract‟ more of the right clients than
to „hunt‟ the “right now” clients

Are You Ready for Thought Leadership?
1) Do you love what you do?
1) Passionate enough to push TL
2) Sustain interest in years to come
2) Are you willing to teach?
1) “Educate the market” mentality
2) Do you “enjoy helping your customers & prospects”?
3) Are you comfortable with “reaching outside”?
1) Expand beyond your existing network
4) Are you will to take a stand with your message?
1) Do you have a unique position on industry issues?
2) Can you frame & express those views?
3) Can you get people to notice?

Are You Ready for Thought Leadership?
5) Are you a “confident learner”?
1) Balance your positions with listening
2) Ears to the ground for trend shifts & opportunities
6) Do you have a “long-term” perspective?
1) Spend time today for reward tomorrow
2) “Faith in the future”
7) Are you comfortable with “no end point” to TL?
1) Willing to work a long time toward this goal
2) Stay motivated!

Five Keys to Successful TLM
 Be Generous With Your Knowledge
 Share beyond the marketing speak
 Be Consistent
 Calendar your activities – daily, weekly, monthly
routine
 Always Deliver Value
 Listen, think, revise, teach, repeat
 Take A Stand
 Take your strong positions to market
 Focus On The Long-term Benefits
 Track your results in months & years

Altruism Before Capitalism
“In short, this is simply an organization putting the
needs of its constituents ahead of its own needs. Or,
aligning itself with advancing the welfare of its
customers before (and while) advancing its own. “
Dana VanDen Heuvel

Thought Leadership Marketing
Thank You!
Need help after the presentation? Email dana@marketingsavant.com

Panel Discussion:
Getting the Most Out Of Your Marketing Budget
 Mark Stiving, Ph.D.,  Joe Giglierano,
 Value-based Pricing  Marketing
Leader, National Department Chair,
Semiconductor Inc. SJSU
 Bill Flitter,  Karen Warner
Nelson,
 CEO/Co-founder
Pheedo Inc.  President/CEO,
Pacific Media