Supercharging C-Suite Sales with B2B Thought Leadership

Nearly two decades ago, I established Man Bites Dog to pioneer a new category of strategic marketing as the world’s first specialist thought leadership consultancy. To mark this milestone, we’ve produced some big thinking of our own to examine the state of thought leadership today and how you can use it to supercharge your brand and sales.

Our Thought Makers study is based on comprehensive transatlantic research to understand how C-suite executives in multi-billion-dollar companies across the UK and the US engage with thought leadership and how it influences their buying decisions. 

Man Bites Dog’s research reveals the critical role of thought leadership as a bridge from brand to sales and highlights the growing importance of B2B brand content in business decision-making.

B2B brands have become a key source of truth for business leaders.

94% of C-suite leaders consume thought leadership content created by business brands every week – with 55% engaging daily. Business leaders trust content from business brands more than content from the media, government or public institutions, conferring huge pressure on business brands to produce responsible content, and providing an unprecedented opportunity for businesses to lead change agendas.

C-suite leaders rely on their strategic suppliers for innovation and insights.

CMOs and business leaders often wonder if they have the authority to be a thought leader, and if there is demand from clients and customers to hear their thinking. The answer is an emphatic “Yes”! More than three-quarters (77%) of C-suite leaders expect their strategic suppliers to challenge them on emerging trends and issues. They are increasingly reliant on their strategic suppliers for innovation, insights into where the market is going and to build business-cases for transformation and investment. There is huge customer demand for business insight - so make sure the ideas they are consuming are yours!

Thought leadership is driving sales.

Thought-leading B2B content is not just attracting attention and building trust – it’s driving sales. 74% of C-suite leaders always consider a strategic supplier’s thought leadership when making a buying decision. These hard-to-reach C-suite buyers see thought leadership as the most effective way to build brand and reputation, and the best way to support profitable conversations with clients and prospects.

In addition, business leaders are also more likely to buy from a supplier if they see them as a thought leader. It also makes relationships stickier. Two-thirds of business leaders are more likely to continue a relationship with a supplier if they consider them to be a thought leader.  

Business leaders see thought leadership as the most effective way to build brand and reputation.

When it comes to their own growth strategy, business leaders see thought leadership as the most effective way to build brand and reputation and the best way to support profitable conversations with clients and prospects.

And they see the thought leadership content they share is part of the value they deliver to their clients and wider society: 77% of business leaders believe their company has a responsibility to create content that will help their customers and wider society advance change.

If you’d like to learn more about our findings and how thought leadership can help to supercharge your brand and sales, download the full report here.

Supercharging C-Suite Sales
with B2B Thought Leadership

Download the Report