Today, public relations (PR) professionals are witnessing a significant shift from traditional news dissemination to cultivating thought leadership. Building a positive and memorable image in the news is less tied to company announcements, new product launches, significant business developments and executive appointments. Instead, a new position has stepped in, “The Expert.”  Company executives are starting to discuss topics across trusted news outlets that allow them to share their depth, perspective and credibility.  These figures embody what it means to be a “thought leader,” offering insights that resonate with audiences and elevate the conversation. This shift is rewriting the script.

As PR professionals, we help clients transition from blending in with the competition to standing out as a trusted, sought-after voice in their industry. In an era that demands authenticity, thought leadership offers a new way to communicate that authenticity to customers while shaping the industry and establishing lasting authority.

The Decline of Traditional Media Consumption

Newspapers and television have experienced notable declines in audience engagement, especially among younger generations. The Pew Research Center found that the circulation of newspapers dropped by 10% in only two years, while online subscribers increased by 12%. Additionally, the global advertising industry is projected to surpass $1 trillion in revenue, with digital platforms capturing a significant share, indicating a shift away from traditional media channels, such as newspapers towards online engagement.

The transition has changed the news industry drastically, as seen in the normalization of 24-hour news channels and the skyrocketing growth of social media. These two examples and incredible technological innovations have changed how customers obtain news and how the news holds their attention. It’s more challenging than ever to sustain customers’ attention. Today, the average attention span is around 8 minutes. Those who multi-task see a 40% reduction in attention span. Thought leadership has emerged as a new, engaging, and, most importantly, memorable way to reconnect with customers. 

Why Use Thought Leadership in PR

• Build Authority and Credibility

Organizations that consistently share insights and expertise position themselves as industry leaders. According to a LinkedIn study, 89% of decision-makers said thought leadership builds trust, and 61% were more willing to pay a premium for services offered by thought leaders.

• Deepen Audience Engagement

Traditional PR often focuses on achieving media coverage. Thought leadership goes further by creating meaningful, long-term relationships. After engaging with thought leadership content, 55% of decision-makers experienced increased respect for the author’s organization.

• Support Brand Differentiation

In crowded industries, thought leadership in marketing helps set a brand apart. Organizations can differentiate themselves and resonate more effectively with their target audience by providing unique perspectives and solutions to challenges.

• Drive Business Revenue

Thought leadership is not just about visibility; it directly impacts the bottom line. One poll found that Fortune 100 executives estimate their thought leadership return on investment (ROI) was around $3.6 million annually.

Elements of a Successful Thought Leadership Marketing and PR Campaign

To navigate the shift to thought leadership, PR professionals should focus on three main elements in their campaign: identifying unique perspectives from experts, creating value and building a multi-channel distribution strategy.

Identifying Unique Perspectives and Expertise

Thought leadership only works if organizations leverage unique insights and prove industry expertise; otherwise, the new content will not resonate with the target audience. PR professionals should work with various teams to identify areas where they can offer thought-provoking perspectives that differentiate them from competitors. At Avista, we positioned our customer, Netwrix, as a cybersecurity industry leader. With the help of their internal survey, we carved new angles and insights to achieve more than 281 dedicated articles in one year, driving more than 1,180 social media shares for a total reading audience of 3.69 billion and climbing. 

Creating Valuable, Actionable, and Shareable Content

Addressing the needs and interests of the audience with high-quality content is crucial. Quality content offers actionable insights and encourages sharing, further amplifying your voice. These assets could include articles, whitepapers, surveys, webinars or supporting social posts.  With Eagle Telemedicine, we continue to drive this strategy. By leveling up the brand and producing evergreen content, we made Eagle Telemedicine a leader in the industry, delivering a 75% greater prospect engagement rate and contributing to a 125% larger sales pipeline than the previous year. 

Building a Multi-Channel Distribution Strategy

Utilizing a variety of channels ensures content reaches a broad audience. This strategy should encompass owned media (e.g., company blogs), earned media (e.g., guest articles) and shared media (e.g., social platforms) to maximize impact. For one client, IGEL, we aligned a comprehensive approach to deliver media coverage, thought leadership content, awards, blogs, analyst engagement and social media using a consistent and metrics-driven approach across key international regions. The result, an image transformation from traditional hardware to a major industry software player. Avista successfully established IGEL as a leading end-user computing software industry player.

Blending News and Thought Leadership

While the focus is shifting towards thought leadership, traditional news channels are still relevant. PR professionals should integrate both approaches, using news to inform and thought leadership to provide context and expert analysis.

The transition from traditional news to thought leadership in PR reflects the continuous change in media consumption and consumer expectations. By incorporating thought leadership, organizations can use the growing avenue to build credibility and set themselves apart in competitive markets, but the time to make the shift is now. With the competitive nature of almost every industry, companies are all vying for the same spot at the top. PR professionals must help their organizations remain influential and relevant by integrating thought leadership into their campaigns in the coming year if they haven’t already. If you want to step up your thought leadership but don’t know where to start, give Avista a call. We can help your organization rise above the competition by developing thought leadership content that sets you apart and brings the industry and potential buyers to you for advice. 

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