Who we areWe are the UK’s only content marketing agency dedicated to business and finance. We deliver deeper customer engagement through compelling content.

In the past 15 years, we’ve successfully delivered over 250 content projects for leading global finance brands.

Our team include ex-FT journalists, best selling business authors, BAFTA-winning TV directors, award-winning designers, digital developers and content strategists.

What we doContent strategy• Integrated

campaign planning• Content strategy• Content audits• Tone of voice

Content creation• Web writing • Video • Thought leadership• Publications • Social media

content• Ezines • Content for tablet

and mobile

Training• Bespoke

workshops• Presentations

FINALISTAWARDS 2011

B2B content strategy

Contents

case 4: Thought leadership

www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

the challengeAlthough the phrase is much derided, scaling the heady heights of ‘Thought Leadership’ is the goal of many B2B marketers. According to Sourceforconsulting.com, the number of reports put out by the €26bn B2B consultancy market has increased five fold since 2004. Producing them is estimated to cost 5% of firms’ gross revenue. As quoted in the Economist, Lenny Mendonca, McKinsey’s Head of Knowledge Development, says, “We only worry if we’re spending enough.”

From a marketing perspective, the ambitions are laudable. These reports engage the cynical C-Suite with relevant insight, build brand consideration, get picked up in the media and provide the front line with collateral.

Our beef, from a content marketing standpoint, is that the delivery is so often misbegotten.

‘ Thought leadership’ where original thinking goes to die*

(*and why sticking it on iPad is not the answer).

Our thinking

www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

“Engage the cynical C-Suite with relevant insight.”

So often the serried ranks of these reports stare forlornly from a reception magazine rack. Or are hidden in a box the frontline have not bothered to mail out to their clients. And let’s just imagine the dismay on a client’s face as the 60-page report thwacks onto their desk.

Return on Investment (RoI) is often solely measured in PR column inches, and the glow of self-satisfaction of the senior execs when they find themselves quoted in their favourite industry titles and papers.

But there is another way...

our thinking

1 Start at the end: The greatest RoI often comes not from headlines,

but how the front line can use the insight as a conversation aid. Interrogate them and understand the meeting process, and then develop the most natural format for delivery, whether it’s on an iPad or a simple infographic. And the report shouldn’t sit on its own, but be an integral part of your overall content marketing strategy (see our model overleaf).

2 don’t get heavy on your firSt date: Engagement works in a

pyramid. The initial content chunk should be as little as four points in 25 seconds. Then stagger your content engagement in two-minute chunks, and only use video at the end.

3 interact: Your audience don’t want to be passive recipients.

Give them the chance to interact with your data or thinking through benchmarkers and tools.

4 Marry the qual and quant: The best approaches blend the heavy

data with pithy nuggets of insight from CEOs. It’s what they can relate to.

5 eMbody your brand: Take the front page off most thought

leadership reports and you’d struggle to know who produced it. Differentiate yours in the way you curate the thinking, down to the tone of voice and photography of your thinkers. Most B2B services are purchased on relationships, and yet the reports are dressed up in sterile Sunday best.

6 avoid Shiny-kit SyndroMe: Whatever tech hucksters

might tell you, the medium is not the message. If your content is not compelling, it won’t matter if you deliver in a 3D holograph like Obi Wan Kenobi. Make it flexible across all the platforms. New publishing software now makes it easy to reformat content across multiple devices.

Contents

in Practice

www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

Contents

in practice

Global ThouGhT leadership CampaiGnOur client wanted to build a thought leadership position around its global business strengths.

While current trade data is readily available, there is more value in looking at future possible trade flows, and research was commissioned on this basis.

The results have been worked into an interactive tool that clients and prospects can

interrogate based on their needs, which was in turn supported by a digital advertising campaign.

We interviewed global CEOs and leaders around these topics to build qualitative insight to support the data. This was then activated online, in video and through existing print channels.

Finally, we turned the content into an infographic and conversation tool for the front line to engage clients and prospects.

“Editions’ understanding is second to none. Their input to our strategic objective is invaluable, and they are a delight to work with.”markeTinG manaGer, Global finanCe brand

seCTor ThouGhT leadershipOur client wanted to demonstrate it’s pre-eminence in a specific sector.

We devised a thought-leadership approach which collated insight from leaders in the sector. We married this with opinions and conversations from the client’s sector team.

The output format was structured in a way that best supported Relationship Manager (RM) conversations with clients.

This was then activated through seminars and conferences, along with a phased prospect mailing campaign with RM follow-up.

$1.1m PR value

2.14%incReased digital click-thRough Rate following ReseaRch

$12.9mnew Revenue bRought in fRom fRont line diRect engagement

results snapshot

97%of ReadeRs would like to continue to Receive the title

93.8%say the title has made them moRe likely to seek guidance fRom the client’s sPecialists

12.5%of Polled ReadeRs have Requested a meeting

results snapshot

1 to few

1 to many

1 to 1

ready tO engage

only got 2 minutes?Order other reports in the series:

got another 30 minutes?

www.editionsfinancial.co.uk

Are you interested in discussing thought leadership and your content strategy? In a 30-minute session, our Chief Content Strategist, Caspian, can present:

● A more detailed explanation of our thinking.● Examples of best practice in your sector. ● How a content strategy can improve your ROI.

our content strategy modelFaced with increased noise, B2B marketers are ramping up content offerings to engage customers and prospects.

However, much of this content is produced in silos across marketing, digital and social media teams.

The Content Engagement Funnel is a strategic way of approaching content.

● Taking an integrated approach across all channels and media.

● Driving deeper engagement at each stage. ● Making the most cost-efficient use of each channel.

1 content stRategy2 atl: content adveRtising3 thought leadeRshiP

hook

4 micRosites5 ezines6 videos

engage

7 social media8 events9 Rm tools

interact

ConTenT sTraTeGisT: Caspian Woods Caspian has produced content strategies for a number of global

financial organisations. He is Editor-at-large at Argent, the journal of the Financial Services Forum, and has written two worldwide

business best-sellers for Financial Times Prentice Hall.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/caspianwoods

• Is prInt dead?• VIdeo: the comeback kId• naVIgatIng the socIal medIa maze• arm your front lIne• content strategy – cuttIng through the noIse• b2b eVents – Increase roI

Email tony@editionsfinancial.co.uk to get a copy.

Call: Tony Dickson Tel: 020 3170 6277 Email: tony@editionsfinancial.co.uk