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B2B research excellence: How to raise the bar on insight
How can you create thought leadership that truly matters to your audience?
Hannah Freegard, Managing editor
View Hannah’s profile
The content deluge is real, but the bar for genuine insight has never been higher.
To become real thought leaders, brands should combine B2B research methods that embrace both creativity and rigour. This means blending human perspectives with high-quality third-party data to produce valuable insights that are compelling and actionable.
Here are examples of approaches that can boost B2B research ROI and elevate your marketing strategy.
Predictive analysis
Pinpointing what works
Econometric modelling
Proving your impact
Composite indexes
Getting audiences talking
Composite indexes score countries, companies or sectors across multiple indicators – measuring performance and tracking it over time. As a result, these frameworks can help organisations own a narrative, report on industry trends, and generate media-friendly rankings like ‘top 10 countries for DEI excellence’ or ‘retail’s most resilient supply chains’.
The most credible indexes combine proprietary survey data with external benchmarks to offer a 360-degree view. One example of this is Cytiva’s Global Biopharma Index, which blends third-party data from five industry sources, with proprietary survey data, to assess where the industry is strongest, and where the greatest opportunities for improvement lie.
Focusing on a very different topic, Santander’s Global Wellbeing Index scores 15 countries worldwide on three critical aspects of wellbeing: quality of life, people and community, and education and employment. Aimed at consumers and government officials, the index makes a complex issue more accessible, and through this uncovers new routes to enhance global wellbeing.
Open-ended feedback
Finding meaning
Free-text survey responses are often overlooked, but with AI and natural language processing, it’s now possible to analyse open-ended data at scale and depth. This includes surfacing themes, identifying sentiment, and measuring which ideas and viewpoints correlate with positive or negative outcomes.
It’s a powerful way to bring your audience’s authentic voice into the heart of your story. For instance, EY illustrate the benefits of open-ended survey responses in their State of Consumer Products 2025 report, which uses direct quotes from executives to contextualise the survey data
AI tools
Discovering external signals
Building campaigns with the depth and impact of those mentioned above is becoming easier and faster. Using AI tools to support data gathering and analysis, we can draw on thousands of data points to better understand critical business issues – from talent availability to economic trends.
But the rise of AI has also fuelled a wave of recycled content, often lacking meaningful insight. For thought leadership to resonate, AI should support rigorous B2B research, not replace it. That said, when used well, it can sharpen analysis and uncover fresh perspectives. When used carelessly, however, it risks weakening the quality of discussion.
In short, audiences don’t need more content, they need content that sees what’s coming next. So, by using better data, asking sharper questions, and daring to go deeper, marketers can raise the standard – and make every piece of thought leadership count.
The bar is higher than ever. But so is the opportunity.
How we help
At FT Longitude, our innovative research techniques help us gather fresh insights that support your positioning, produce strong PR outcomes and engage audiences with thought-provoking findings.
We can help you gain a competitive advantage by uncovering emerging industry trends, turning complex data into stories that influence strategic decisions.
If you’re looking to create thought leadership that truly connects with your target audience and reaches key decision makers, strong research is your best asset.
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