When I was an editor, PRs used to pitch thought leadership pieces to me a lot. 

Comms teams and their clients value them because they build credibility, demonstrate authority, and attract attention organically. Journalists – at least ones like me on small editorial teams – like good thought leadership pieces because they add value and don’t eat into the precious editorial budget. 

The kinds of people I would look to for thought leadership were the same kinds of people I’d want to interview anyway. And a well-pitched note from a PR who understood the publication usually got the ball rolling. 

The problem I often had was that either the PR or the client tried to use the opportunity to shoehorn in brand mentions and messages, rather than offer genuine insight and expertise. 

For some, the idea of talking about the wider industry or sharing expertise on a topic must have seemed like a waste of time. So, I’d receive what could only be described as advertorials. I didn’t run them – I forwarded them to the commercial team to follow up with prices. And honestly, I felt a bit annoyed that my request for genuine insight and a clear “please not a thinly veiled advertorial” had gone unheard. 

For example, you could probably summarise it as: “Alcohol-free beer brand says alcohol-free beer is the future. Here’s why our brand is so great and will lead the category.” Completely useless to the wider trade. 

So, what’s the point of doing thought leadership pieces if publications don’t want you to shout about your brand? 

Well, showing yourself to be an expert in your field builds authority. Offering advice based on your own learnings shows you’re part of the industry and builds trust. Sharing knowledge – including the times you’ve made mistakes – shows you’re willing to help, and that you’re human. 

And all that must be good for your brand. 

By Rachel Taylor, managing director 

Did you know that in a single week, high quality CEO thought leadership can drive an average of $367 million in shareholder value? 

Me neither. But according to this article by Axois, the American news website and media company, real money and real momentum is there for the taking – if you do it well. 

Why this stat matters to me as a comms specialist (and why it should matter to you, too) 

Thought leadership is more than just op-eds and LinkedIn posts. It’s a strategic lever to fuel business growth.  

When a leader says something clear, useful and human, it changes how customers, investors, partners and employees behave. That ripple turns into meetings, sales, deals, hires, and yes, market value. 

What good thought leadership actually looks like: 

• A sharp point of view. Not safe. Not vague. Something people can repeat. 

• Plain language. No jargon. Real sentences that sound like a human. 

• A useful takeaway. People should leave knowing what to do next. 

• Perfect timing. The same idea can flop or fly depending on when and where it lands. 

How we help leaders turn thoughts and ideas into business impact 

We treat thought leadership as a strategic engine that delivers real commercial results. We advise and guide, prototype, test and measure.  

Here’s the short version of how we do it: 

• Find the signal. We dig until we find the gold – that one idea that only you, or your CEO, can own. 

• Make it sing. We shape that idea into a crisp, repeatable message that energises and inspires your stakeholders.  

• Launch it smart. We create targeted amplification strategies that demand attention and reach all the right audience groups with laser-like precision. 

• Measure the right things. We’re not about vanity metrics here at William Murray.  Quality, sentiment, inbound conversations, sales leads and business signals matter to us. 

Let’s make your voice heard

If you want your ideas – or your leader’s ideas – to open doors, change minds, influence customers and drive business growth, we can help you find the signal and make the market listen.  

No fluff.  

Just ideas that move people – and numbers.