Latest campaigns and real thought leadership examples: Summer 2022

What’s new in B2B thought leadership? Here’s your round up of thought leadership examples that launched between April to June, which we hope provides you with the inspiration you need to get your next thought leadership campaign off the ground.

If you’d like more information on any of the latest campaign examples featured, please get in touch — we’d be delighted to tell you more about them and help find ways you too can innovate with your next campaign.

Professional Services perspectives

Women @ Work
Deloitte
Hannah Freegard, Managing Editor

Now in its second year, Deloitte’s groundbreaking Women @ Work campaign aims to better understand how women’s experiences in the workplace impact their engagement and career progression. Building on its first  award-winning 2021 campaign, this year’s insights cover alarming levels of burnout and stress, the switch to hybrid working, and the continued rise of harassment and microaggression.

Working with Deloitte, we surveyed 5,000 women across 10 countries worldwide to get their first-hand views. The research shows the companies that create a respectful and inclusive culture see higher levels of employee motivation, productivity, and retention. But not all organisations take notice.

ACTIVATION: The campaign features a detailed global report highlighting the key findings, an insight-rich landing page, and its very own podcast episode featuring the firm’s global inclusion leader Emma Codd and FT Longitude’s managing editor, Hannah Freegard. The campaign continues to gain media attention, with high-profile features in the Financial Times, Forbes and The World Economic Forum to date. 

 

Quantum Readiness Survey 2022
EY
James Watson, Chief Operating Officer

EY’s brand new report, produced in partnership with FT Longitude,  finds that UK businesses are split in the emerging and potentially disruptive technology of quantum computing. But its transformative potential suggests that businesses have no time to lose in preparing for it.

We surveyed over 500 UK-based executives, with proof of their knowledge of quantum computing, for their views on the opportunities and challenges, and how, if at all, their organisations are adapting for it. As well as the quantitative survey, we interviewed seven experts from the corporate world, from firms including HSBC, Riverlane and BP.

ACTIVATION: A flagship report, presented in both online and traditional PDF form, presents the key insights and takeaways, whilst the qualitative interviews contributed to a podcast-style audio panel, featuring EY’s Philip Intallura and Mira Pijselman, as well as Riverlane CEO and founder, Steve Brierley. The campaign has been featured in tier one media such as the Financial Times, as well as cyber-security trade media and financial services trade media.

 

Global Corporate Sustainability Survey 2022
L.E.K. Consulting
Peter Elkins, Group Editor

For L.E.K. Consulting, we surveyed 400 C-suite and senior executives from around the world, across sectors and business types, to poll their attitudes and ambitions around ESG. The survey found that companies are taking a proactive approach to sustainability, but stakeholder alignment is holding back progress. The survey was supplemented by thought-provoking interviews from companies such as Crocs, National Express and Rolls Royce.

ACTIVATION: For this campaign, an in-depth report, a data-rich infographic and skimmable short-form articles were created to ensure the research would appeal to different audience preferences, and a press release, highlighting the key findings, helped the campaign be picked up by various trade media outlets globally, ensuring the success of the campaign from multiple perspectives.

 

The New Age of Tech Talent
Experis
Sean Kearns, Editor-in-Chief

It is widely accepted that the demand for talent in the IT sector currently outstrips supply. To investigate this further, and create a thought leadership campaign to build brand awareness in the tech sector, recruitment consultant Experis partnered with FT Longitude to find out how tech talent leaders are innovating and responding to the biggest challenges.

We surveyed over 40,000 hiring decision-makers in 40 countries worldwide, making this one of the largest surveys of its kind. Our editors’ expertise in data analysis was key to unlocking the potential of the research: we uncovered that finding the right blend of people, processes and technology is top of mind for tech leaders globally, and companies now need to be bolder and more deliberate in their workforce strategies.

ACTIVATION: Building on the rich editorial insight developed by our team of SME editors, a series of detailed core campaign assets were designed to communicate the research findings, data analysis and action points effectively. Social media graphics were also produced to profile the campaign on the company’s social channels and ultimately generate traffic to the website.

 

Single Family Office Study
EY
Thomas Sturge, Group Editor

The EY Single Family Office (SFO) study was commissioned to get to the heart of how SFOs perceive their own capabilities, where they see growth opportunities or market challenges and how they learn from best practices.

We worked in partnership with EY to survey and analyse more than 250 of the world’s leading SFOs with the aim to gather and share deeper insights into priorities in today’s high-pressure and fast changing environment, covering topics from digital transformation to risk and regulation.

ACTIVATION: The chapterised, digital-first report was published on EY.com, highlighting the most important research findings, together with practical advice for how SFOs can transform their ways of working. Related articles and a discreet CTA ensure this thought leadership insight takes a distinctly editorial and value-adding approach to its presentation.

 

Fresh insights from Financial Services

European Payments Report 2022
Intrum
Piers Tomlinson, Editorial Director

Intrum’s European Payment Report 2022 is a great example of a campaign designed to reestablish and reinforce a company’s brand image as a trusted strategic partner, rather than a fundamental service provider.

Building on an annual programme of dedicated thought leadership insight, this year’s research findings add yet more deep insight into Intrum’s publications in the payments space, illustrating how companies are reacting to uncertainty, managing growth plans and striving for ESG compliance.

To ensure impact and wide-reaching appeal, we surveyed over 11,000 companies across 29 European countries and 15 industry sectors –  the biggest survey sample and most comprehensive research study of its kind – to uncover the unease caused by the prospect of stagflation and how prompt payments are proving key to ESG.

ACTIVATION: In addition to the central research report, we produced a variety of written content and social media graphics to ensure Intrum’s marketing and client-facing teams were armed with a range of assets that would suit every customer and use-case scenario. The campaign also generated enviable media coverage for the firm, solidifying its position as a high-profile market leader.

 

European ESG ETF Barometer
BNP Paribas
Joe Dalton, Group Editor

FT Longitude and BNP Paribas collaborated on a new biannual business barometer to demonstrate the firm’s unrivalled expertise on ESG Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The thought leadership piece monitors how European investors’ sustainable investment outlook and practices are changing over time and polls 250 investment executives at insurers, pension funds, asset managers and wealth managers in Europe to assess their perspectives on the evolving ETF and ESG landscape.

The report found that ​​investors were particularly optimistic about the outlook for ESG ETFs, and the asset managers’ ESG credentials were a primary consideration when deciding who to invest with. The findings also track popular ESG themes, such as the circular economy, that are likely to become more popular over the coming years.

ACTIVATION: The campaign and related content has been used by BNP Paribas’ client-facing teams as a tool for engaging key contacts and accounts, forming part of their always-on content programme.

 

Thought-leading in Pharma

Government and Biopharma: The Dawn of a New Era
Cytiva
Hannah Freegard, Managing Editor

The second instalment of Cytiva’s Global Biopharma Resilience Index, produced in partnership with the Financial Times and FT Longitude, focused exclusively on one of the index pillars from 2021 – Government Policy and Regulation. A survey of 500 senior biopharma executives revealed how greater government involvement in the industry during Covid-19 has affected the industry.

In a series of articles, videos and podcasts, the insights provide both government and the biopharma industry ways to further strengthen their relationship and safeguard public health in any future crisis.

ACTIVATION: Produced in partnership with the Financial Times, the insights are hosted on a dedicated partner content page on FT.com, providing Cytiva with the platform to reach the FT’s global senior business audience. FT Longitude’s expert editorial and research team were paramount in extracting the most exciting findings, whilst our design and audio teams created highly-engaging written, visual and audio content to ensure maximum impact.

 

Trending in Tech and Cyber-Security

The Cyber Priority
DNV
Piers Tomlinson, Editorial Director

The Cyber Priority is DNV’s latest research on the state of cyber security in the energy industry and builds on a series of thought leadership publications the company has released over the past several years to help build its profile in the industry.

Created to build its credentials in an entirely new space, the report draws on a survey of more than 940 energy professionals and a series of in-depth interviews with industry leaders and security experts to investigate the understanding of the increasingly common, complex and creative cyber threats facing the sector, and their strategies for managing emerging threats.

ACTIVATION: Built around a central report, combining headline findings, detailed research data and  critical takeaways, the campaign was designed to get media attention, build social awareness and generate web traffic, in addition to lead generation.

 

How to Win in Today’s Data Economy
Snowflake
Emma Powys Maurice, Content Writer and Editor

Snowflake, a world-beating cloud computing–based data warehousing company with one of the largest software IPOs in history, needed a different strategy in making its brand the go-to partner for their clients. To do this, they commissioned us to investigate the skyrocketing value of data, data applications, and data services in a thought leadership campaign designed to boost their brand awareness worldwide.

A global survey of over 1000 senior business and tech executives revealed that just 6% said their company has the ability to fully leverage data. By cleverly using this data, our research experts were able to identify “Data Economy Leaders”; a group of data-forward companies whose employees can access, share, use, and gain insights from internal and external data. The resulting report identifies who companies can become a ‘leader’, with actionable insights and key milestones detailed throughout.

ACTIVATION: In a true end-to-end thought leadership programme, we helped Snowflake to research, analyse, design and execute the campaign from start to finish. Our expert editorial team tackled the findings and our design team set to work creating a custom microsite to host the findings in the most effective and engaging way possible.

 

Closing the Acceleration Gap
Workday
Megan Wright, Senior Editor and Head of Audio

For Workday’s latest thought leadership campaign, the tech firm chose to shine a light on how organisations have managed digital transformation over the last two years amid unprecedented levels of uncertainty.

Workday commissioned us to conduct a study of 1150 business leaders to establish the current sentiment toward digital acceleration, and how organisations can use five best practices to overcome common capabilities gaps, and crucially, how to kick-start digital transformation in the post-Covid era.

ACTIVATION: In addition to the release of its flagship digital report, the research findings were also highlighted in an audio interview, produced specifically for the Workday Podcast series. This engaging take was packaged in a way that guaranteed Workday would reach their well-established podcast audience, and sets the course for future audio thought leadership.

 

Five Habits of Cyber Secure Manufacturers
ACP
Hannah Stubbings, Senior Editor

New research from cyber-security company ACP shows that in 2022 manufacturing became the most attacked industry by cyber criminals, outpacing finance and insurance for the first time. Manufacturers have no option but to take action on cyber security.

To strengthen its position as a leader in its field, ACP wanted to find out how digitisation can be protected with the right security measures, and help companies to better understand what these look like in practice.

FT Longitude talked to 350 manufacturing business leaders about their cyber-security strategies to formulate a multi-strand content programme, spanning events, advertising and sponsored articles to ensure this campaign got the attention it called for.

ACTIVATION: Launched in partnership with the Financial Times, the campaign presents critical insights in the form of an FT Longitude co-branded digital report, partner content, a feature on an FT Special Report launched on FT.com and print, as well as headline sponsorship at the FT’s Cyber Resilience Summit later in 2022.

 

Visionary thinking in Industrials

Moving to a Digital Future
WSP
Megan Wright, Senior Editor and Head of Audio

The UK Government estimates that the coming two decades will see transport technology change faster than at any time since the Victorian period. To better understand the scale and challenges of this unprecedented opportunity, WSP engaged us to create a thought leadership campaign focused on unlocking more insight into this digital future.

Using insights from external desk research and editorial-led interviews with experts such as Davin Crowley-Sweet, chief data officer at National Highways, and Louise Lawrence, WSP’s head of intelligent transport services, wewere able to create an impactful, chapterised, digital-first content campaign positioning WSP as a go-to knowledge partner on transport technology.

ACTIVATION:  A slick, pared-back microsite hosts the extensive research findings, editorial content and expert interviews, providing WSP with a single resource with which to direct traffic. And, crucially, with its campaign content all in one place, it makes the firm’s multi-channel activation programme simple to track and demonstrate effectiveness back to the business.

 

Creating Prosperous Energy Economies
WSP
Sonja Caymaz, Group Editor

Are a net-zero economy and ‘levelling up’ mutually exclusive? Is reducing economic disparities compatible with decarbonising the economy? Together with WSP, we brought together leading voices from local government and the energy sector to examine the opportunities and challenges of the energy transition, in a thought leadership campaign placing WSP at the centre of the net-zero debate.

Interviews with the leading voices in the industry, including Clare Mack, CEO of Scottish Renewables, and David Parkin, project director at HyNet, provide expert insight that adds credibility and gravitas to the content.

ACTIVATION: The key to success was the diversity of content in which the key findings and soundbites are housed. Our editorial, content and design teams worked on a variety of content assets, including Q&A articles, an audio podcast, an impactful infographic and traffic-building social media graphics.

 

Architecture & Engineering Industry Study
Deltek
Laura Adcock, Group Editor

In 2022, Deltek launched its 43rd annual Deltek Clarity Architecture and Engineering Industry Study for the US and Canada and 3rd for Europe and Asia Pacific; the longest-running and most comprehensive report of its kind. For this year’s insight programme, Deltek engaged us to create a differentiated campaign that re-captured the imagination of its audience and moved the conversation forward.

This annual report delivers actionable benchmark data, drawing insight from more than 1100 firms of all sizes and complexities across 10 countries which architects and engineers can use to measure themselves against their peers and see how their business stacks up against the best firms in the industry.

ACTIVATION: For this campaign, we worked closely with Deltek to produce a data-led digital report with an eye-catching design and extensive data viz throughout. We developed regional versions of the report using geographic cuts of the data to enable more customised content for local markets, all co-branded with FT Longitude as research and content partner to leverage its powerful association with the Financial Times.

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Looking for more inspiration? Check out last quarter’s campaign launches here.