When world-renowned economist, Joel Kurtzman, first coined the term ‘thought leadership’ in the early ‘90s, he described a thought leader as someone who possesses “a distinctively original idea, unique point of view or an unprecedented insight into their industry.”
Yet, most of what gets passed off as thought leadership today fails to meet any of these standards.
Too often, thought pieces are just thinly veiled product stories, dressed up in jargon, peppered with buzzwords and (if we’re lucky) the occasional industry trend. Given that 60% of business leaders will pay more to work with a company that clearly proves the quality of its thinking and expertise of its people, failing to grasp this distinction is an expensive mistake to make.
Especially for Adtech leaders.
At a time when media buyers are actively seeking guidance to navigate what is a rapidly changing industry, there’s a clear opportunity for Adtech leaders to raise the bar and create thought leadership that drives continued growth.
But to do so, they should first understand what the industry is getting wrong.
Key takeaways:
- True thought leadership in Adtech is built on originality and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
- Fear of being wrong or criticized leads Adtech leaders to avoid bold predictions or contrarian views, but real influence comes from challenging the status quo.
- Generative AI has lowered barriers to writing, but also exposed who truly has original opinions versus those echoing common narratives.
- Thought leadership is a skill that requires deliberate practice, feedback, and consistent effort.
- Collaboration with skilled PR and communications partners helps refine messaging and angles.
1. Confusing product marketing with thought leadership
Adtech is an inherently complex sector. It’s full of intricacies and technicalities that the everyday reader isn’t immersed enough to understand. For buyers, this makes distinguishing the small differences between various DSP providers, for instance, nearly impossible.
That’s why thought leadership is so important. It gives Adtech execs the opportunity to build trust and differentiate their company from the sea of competitors. However, this doesn’t work if what they’re punting as thought leadership isn’t thought leadership at all.
Product launches. Feature updates. Platform enhancements. Partnership announcement. These are all important stories - and a key component of any marketing and comms strategy. But they’re not thought leadership!
Yes, Adtech is an inherently product-heavy sector, but thought leadership is about asking how to make the ecosystem better for partners and buyers. Sometimes a product is part of the answer. Sometimes it’s not. For Adtech leaders, the real skill is understanding this difference.
At the end of the day, thought leadership should always feel insightful, not self-serving. The best way to do this? Start with the consumer's problems, not your company’s product update.
2. Refusing to think outside the box
If you spend some time reading Adtech thought leadership, you’ll notice that everyone’s discussing a handful of topics - AI, retail media, signal loss, and CTV. That’s not an issue in itself; these are relevant industry trends. The trouble comes in when angles are almost identical, and the pieces all seem to echo the same points and opinions.
One side of this problem can be attributed to generative AI. When everyone starts with similar inputs, they’re left with nearly identical outputs. Because of this, many people are ready to point the finger and say that AI’s ruined thought leadership.
I’d beg to differ, AI has exposed who the real thought leaders are.
There’s no denying that LLMs have democratized writing, lowered the barrier to entry and, admittedly, resulted in an enormous amount of AI slop. However, true thought leaders hold unique insights and perspectives. They may use AI to help with execution, but their opinions and thoughts start with their personal experience and expertise.
3. Fear of getting it wrong
At the same time, Adtech leaders get trapped sharing the same old views on the same old topics because they’re afraid of being proven wrong. Many leaders avoid making bold predictions or taking strong positions. Not because they don’t believe in them, but because they’re concerned about criticism.
But no great idea comes from playing it safe. The most influential voices in any industry aren’t remembered because they echo existing opinions. They’re remembered because they challenge them.
Apple, for example, wouldn’t be the world’s first trillion dollar company ( or the second five trillion dollar company) if Steve Jobs hadn’t pushed the boundaries of what the market considered sensible at the time - bringing the world the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
For Adtech leaders to create thought leadership that drives growth, they need to be bold enough to step outside of their comfort zone, to share a contrarian point of view, to break the status quo. Occasionally, that may mean being wrong. But every leader worth their salt knows that trial and error spurs breakthroughs, and failure is when you learn the most.
4. Not investing in thought leadership
No one is born a thought leader. Like any other skill, it has to be honed over time. Experience doesn’t automatically translate into the ability to create amazing thought leadership content.
Let’s look at it through a sports analogy. Usain Bolt (AKA the world’s fastest man) is an unmatched sprinter, but that doesn’t mean he’d be the best long distance athlete. It requires different training and a completely different skill set.
The same is true of thought leadership. To become really good at it, Adtech execs need to realize that it’s a muscle that needs to be exercised. How they exercise this muscle will differ from person to person.
For some, it’s about blocking out an hour to sit down at the keyboard. For others, it’s about getting the team together to spitball ideas and see what sticks. It could even be inviting feedback from someone you know will challenge and poke holes in your ideas. Whatever it looks like, it takes practice.
It also takes repetition.
It would be naive to believe you could build a reputation as a thought leader off of one strong piece that was published five years ago. To gain visibility in the Adtech industry, you have to participate with some degree of consistency, because consistency builds credibility.
5. Failing to back opinions with evidence
Too often, execs rely purely on their own instincts and understanding of industry trends without grounding their views in data. But a relevant data point is what turns an average story into an outstanding one.
This is even more pronounced for Adtech because it’s an industry that’s sitting on a mountain of data. Between consumer behavior, media consumption, and campaign performance, the possibilities are endless. Adtech leaders should rise to the opportunity and use proprietary data (bearing in mind privacy regulations and best practices) to explain the current state of the industry and point to where it’s headed.
What’s more, many readers (and, by extension, buyers) don’t just look to leaders to share data. They look to them to interpret it. Without industry insight or context, it can be difficult to understand the significance of results and research, Adtech leaders are in the perfect position to use thought leadership content to connect the dots.
6. Not relying on PR and comms partners
Many AdTech companies underutilize one of their most valuable resources: their communications and PR partners.
PR teams spend every day immersed in industry news and conversations. They understand what journalists are looking for, what audiences care about, and which stories have already been told hundreds of times before.
This perspective means they know when an angle is fresh and when it’s drifting into echo chamber territory. As a result, they’re able to guide execs towards topics that are more original or provocative.
Shifting Adtech’s perception problem
Thought leadership is an incredibly powerful tool for Adtech companies. But that’s only if execs don’t lose sight of what it is. Thought leadership is supposed to rub against the grain of what everyone else is saying. It’s supposed to be provocative. It’s supposed to inspire.
If thought leaders recognize this, then they’re one step closer to Kurtzman’s original definition.
If you need some guidance on how to choose a PR agency for your AdTech company make sure to read our guide or get in touch.
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