To create sophisticated, high-impact thought leadership you need a team of experts with the right blend of economics and industry knowledge and editorial and communication skills - a team that will work in close partnership with your own marketing and subject matter experts.
As a collaborative enterprise, ThoughtLab has built an in-house brain trust and elaborate external network of top economic, geopolitical, industry, and management experts around the world, from the UK’s National Institute of Economic and Social Research and the Penn Institute for Urban Research to Oxford Analytica and the Smart Cities Council.
For each engagement, we pull together the best team and the right analytical tools to create evidence-based thought leadership that will set your organization apart. For each research project, we use a well-defined, collaborative process:
Identify key issues, hypotheses, and perspectives that will resonate with your audience and differentiate you from competitors.
Conduct the research with right blend of qualitative and quantitative analysis, including global surveys, executive interviews, empirical data, economic analysis, advisory panels, and secondary research.
Analyze the findings in conjunction with your team to validate your views and provide actionable insights that can be woven into an engaging narrative and valuable decision support.
Communicate the analysis through a rich blend of formats, including white papers, think pieces, eBooks, infographics, analytical tools, web and social media.
Engage executives through cross-media marketing that integrates content, events, and brand affiliations with social media, webinars and other digital initiatives.
Build on results by helping clients turn the research into an ongoing thought leadership program or service that generates tangible business.
A Fresh Approach
It is no surprise that companies are now questioning the value of their thought leadership programs and working with us to develop new ways to drive ROI. Our formula is based on what our management team has learned after years of experience running sponsored publishing at top firms, such as the Economist Intelligence Unit and Oxford Economics.
Start with assessing your clients' unmet information needs
What analysis are they seeking that is not already offered by your competitors? Conducting secondary research, speaking with subject matter experts, and organizing advisory boards can help guide the research.
Build a truly compelling hypothesis and storyline
Effective thought leadership does not rehash conventional ideas, but instead provides true ahead-of-the-curve thinking. That is where input from a multi-disciplinary group of experts and economists can help.
Validate and enrich that hypothesis through rigorous analysis
Opinion-based surveys and interviews are not enough. To provide actionable insights, you need to use diagnostic surveys and secondary sources that can generate higher value benchmarking, performance, and forecasting data. Turning that data into customer-facing decision-support tools can be a powerful way to drive client engagement.
Deliver that analysis through compelling executive formats
White papers, case studies, and infographics are just the beginning. To boost ROI, you should consider ranking indices, data navigators, 5-minute briefings, performance benchmarking tools, alternative scenarios, and decision-support microsites.
Our Partners
In addition to our in-house analytical expertise and proprietary econometric models, when required, we work through our partner network to gain access to advanced analytical tools, subject matter expertise, and wide media outreach. Our partners include prominent figures in the world of economics, research, academia and media.
These include: