Ide@s From Launch International

Best Practices in Managing Thought Leadership Assets

When we ask our clients who is responsible for Thought Leadership, few can identify an individual person or group. Most start naming several people who have “some level of responsibility, in addition to other things.” But the fact is, TL assets deserve high-level attention, because they can help companies build differentiation in a crowded market.

Here’s why companies need to take control of their Thought Leadership programs:

To know the extent of their TL assets and to categorize these assets.
To add complementary assets that round out a complete TL initiative. For example, if a white paper exists, it may make sense to build the corresponding executive brief, magazine articles, and information targeted to salespeople.
To keep TL assets current, to determine their shelf life, and to know when they need to be retired.

In your own company, do you know…

Who owns or sets the strategic direction for your company’s thought leadership program?
How the elements of your program are defined?
How TL assets are developed? And/or if they are built into marketing or launch plans—or tacked on as an after thought “if someone has time”?
Whether or not these assets are developed as part of a cohesive campaign with multiple elements to support a complete sales cycle?
If your company has corresponding sales tools to ensure salespeople know how and when to leverage these assets in their sales cycles?
How many TL assets your company has and where are they located?
Whether anyone is managing the lifecycle of these assets?

Test yourself. Take a half hour and pull the TL assets associated with a specific solution or market area. Identify the types of assets that exist and how they are used. Check to see:

If you have multiple assets on a topic, each targeted to a different prospect layer (C-level, director level, manager level, etc.).
How the pieces are used. (Were they created for a specific campaign or event and are they now collecting cyberdust? Can they be renovated for use in new areas? Are they still current?)
If you provided information to salespeople on how to leverage these assets into their selling processes.

An effective TL management plan should include C-level visibility and commitment, coupled with a clear understanding of what the company wants to accomplish from its thought leadership program. It's important to define a baseline level of assets for each initiative— balancing “visionary” and “technical” aspects—mapped to the appropriate internal and external audiences. We recommend assigning a program “champion”, often within Marketing with strong ties to Engineering and Business Strategy, and establishing a mechanism to generate and maintain quality content. Finally, initial and ongoing audits are needed to support effective asset lifecycle management.

More points to ponder: M&A, new products, latest strategy

If your company has undergone merger and acquisitions activity, do you know the status of all the acquired TL pieces? Could they be brought under the fold and made useful quickly? Do you need to assess similar pieces and integrate them into one cohesive, powerful asset?

Has your company developed a new product or marketing strategy? Are your thought leadership pieces following last year’s strategy? Should they be re-issued to support the new strategy—or is it time for an overhaul?

In the warp-speed world of technology, today’s hot product can become yesterday’s news in a nanosecond. Do your thought leadership pieces address your latest and greatest offerings?

If you’ve been asking these questions, contact Launch International at 215-230-4340 or info@launchintl.com. We’re experts at taking your old assets and fine-tuning them to satisfy current market demands.