From expert to thought leader: how PR builds industry credibility
In today's fast-paced and highly competitive landscape, expertise alone isn’t enough to set a brand or individual apart. Going further, individuals and brands need to be positioned as thought leaders and recognised experts in their field - shaping the industry narrative, influencing perspectives, and becoming widely recognised and respected for their insights.
But what exactly is thought leadership and why does it matter? Here, we explore how it can form a valuable part of a wider communications strategy, and how an experienced PR agency, like Rewired, can help to maximise opportunities within your industry.
What is thought leadership?
Thought leadership is the art of sharing valuable insights, unique perspectives and forward-thinking ideas, to position a brand or individual as a credible voice and trusted expert. It supports the elevation of profiles, by leveraging spokesperson experiences and expertise to offer trusted, authoritative insights that can help to solve industry challenges, shape trends and influence directions.
This has long been a key pillar of PR strategies, helping to drive business credibility and influence among decision makers. However, in recent years, it has become less of a “nice to have” and more of a business necessity.
In today’s digital landscape - where markets are saturated, information overload is constant, and attention spans are shrinking - expertise has become a powerful differentiator. If you’re struggling to make your content stand out, the support of a experienced PR agency can help you to cut through the noise with impactful, on-brand messaging and copywriting, while also ensuring your brand has a strong presence in online search engine rankings and AI-driven responses.
Consumer expectations have evolved too. Today’s buyers don’t just purchase products or services - they invest in ideas, values, and experience. Providing in-depth, authoritative expertise through a targeted PR strategy enables businesses to connect with customers on a deeper, more meaningful level.
Beyond engagement, expert insights help to give brands a competitive edge. By consistently demonstrating knowledge and offering valuable commentary, businesses and their leaders can establish themselves as an authoritative and respected voice - an essential factor in fostering trust and building credibility among customers, stakeholders, and industry peers.
Best practice for effective thought leadership
Successful thought leadership goes beyond just sharing an opinion. Authenticity is key; maintaining a genuine voice ensures that your brand is seen as a credible authority. With the right PR agency support, it’s possible to deliver a highly impactful strategy that both inspires and influences. Here’s how:
Personal perspective: Firstly, it’s essential to clarify your distinct point of view. This is what sets true thought leaders apart from their peers. Think about the key trends, challenges, or innovations in your industry that you are passionate about. This should help you to develop a unique perspective and consistent message that highlights expertise and insight.
Robust research: Research can be a powerful tool for thought leadership - it backs up insights with evidence, and helps differentiate opinions from fact-based analysis. This could include data, surveys or statistics - either owned, commissioned or from a credible third-party source. This is especially useful in helping to pass the credibility test with high-level industry publications, providing tangible and reputable evidence to support argument or ideas.
Skilful storytelling: This is crucial in helping to break down complex insights in an easy-to-digest manner. To enhance the relatability of your narrative, case studies and real-world examples are a great way of bringing theories and perspectives to life in a way that resonates with your audiences. Expert copywriting will then ensure your messaging lands in a compelling and engaging way.
Future focus: True thought leaders don’t just react to the present - they anticipate and shape the future. They challenge the status quo, seek new opportunities for innovation, and inspire action towards a better industry landscape. Focusing on emerging issues and trends that are currently under the radar will ensure you stay ahead of the curve and maintain relevance as an industry leader.
Thought leadership highlights
At Rewired, we are experts in crafting compelling and creative thought leadership campaigns. We understand what journalists are looking for and we know how to produce content that is engaging, impactful, and aligned with your business objectives.
Here are a few recent examples of our work:
Switch Management
Having supported Switch’s continued business growth in the hospitality industry, as its retained PR agency, one focus was to enhance its visibility in the housing sector. This opportunity arose following the launch of Switch’s initiative aimed at providing safe and secure housing for vulnerable families across the UK.
The goal? To expand Switch’s property portfolio by engaging landlords nationwide and building credibility amongst local authorities to promote the benefits of Switch’s partnership approach. This required a considered thought leadership plan that highlighted the UK’s escalating housing crisis, the challenges of affordable housing, and the crucial role that private landlords can play in helping vulnerable families in need.
Through expertly crafted content and targeted PR activity, we successfully secured in-depth feature and comment pieces in top-tier industry publications including Inside Housing, Property Wire and Property Reporter, as well as interview opportunities for Switch’s managing director on industry podcasts such as ‘Truth About Local Government’. This has helped Switch to position itself as a leader and credible commentator in this crucial sector.
Fieldfisher
Working with Fieldfisher, a leading European law firm based in Birmingham, we are committed to raising the firm’s profile in the regional market, through a comprehensive content strategy centred around long-form feature placement, expert commentary, and high-value media opportunities.
From responding to general election results to offering sector insights on UK immigration and the growth of foreign direct investment into the region, in a competitive legal and business market, we have landed 132 pieces of coverage across print, broadcast and online, with a total reach of over 211m, in a two-year period.
This includes 17 thought leadership pieces in key regional titles, featuring nine associates and partners from the Fieldfisher Birmingham team. By amplifying its media cut-through and showcasing the scope of its expertise, we helped to establish the firm’s regional voice and support Fieldfisher’s wider business aims.
Your thought leadership strategy starts here
If you’re ready to establish yourself as an industry authority, influence conversations, and elevate your voice, get in touch to see how we can help.