What is Creative Thought Leadership?

As a marketer, it makes sense that you’d want to stay on top of industry trends and see how you can take advantage of the latest buzzwords. It’s actually pretty easy to make it your business knowing what others are doing in their business, and then figuring out how to cash in on emerging themes and consumer habits.

But, what’s not so simple is positioning yourself to be at the forefront of our current marketing trends. Creative thought leadership is a marketing term that’s been flung around for a while now and there are scores of companies jumping on the bandwagon touting their expertise. By this concept’s very nature, however, it requires a brand to be a distinctive leader and not a follower.

Consequently, creative thought leadership is not enough. You have to actually create something. Something interesting that stands out. Your thoughts must be the ones paving the way for your industry to experience positive change and growth.

Creative Thought Leaders are Recognized Specialists with In-Demand Expertise

Simply calling oneself a thought leader doesn’t make one a thought leader. True thought leaders are highly specialized individuals or firms that are widely recognized as innovators and creators – with innovation and creation applied toward making real changes that benefit real people and businesses.

Others not only recognize the special innovative and creative skills of true thought leaders, they seek these individuals and firms out – and they reward them in some way, usually monetarily but often with substantial opportunities.

Thought Leaders Benefit by Being Authentic and Standing Out

People get a sense of the authenticity of others right away, whether through a meeting that happens in person, on a website or blog post, on social media channels or via any other method of information transfer. True thought leaders in any industry are authentic and their branding reflects this. They stand out because they have a unique ability to convey their genuine messages in a manner that engages others, and adds value to the lives of others.

Creative campaigns built around thought leadership must have the essence of authenticity built in before there’s any talk of attracting the consumer through design. Authenticity and a drive to share an important message that provides value must be the basis of all efforts to position oneself as a thought leader. A note about authenticity: this means in part that you know your stuff and you’re not trying to put one over on your target audience.

Companies Searching for Future Success Must Become Thought Leaders

With so many changes we can sense in store for our future, automation of scores of industries being one of them, it’s essential that professionals looking to build future success become thought leaders. The difference between struggling, merely getting by and building your brand so that others can’t live without it is the difference between simply being technically proficient in your field and being a thought leader.

The elite in any industry are thought leaders. They’re not just competent and capable. They’re go-to providers of the products and services they offer, and they have become the experts that others in the industry turn to for advice, guidance and trends.

Where do you see yourself within your industry? Are you struggling or merely getting by? Do you know you have the potential to be a thought leader but lack the marketing expertise to make it happen? What could your future look like if you stopped jumping on trends and became the one creating them?

Contact Dystrick Design

Call dystrick at 408.578.8849 or email info@dystrick.com today to see how you can emerge from your industry as the creative thought leader others look to.

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