T2B Tag: awards

A couple other common components of thought leadership programs are awards and speaking opportunities, which both provide outside validation of the brand at hand.

To win an award, a person or company presumably meets certain qualifications and either attains a high score of some kind or beats out other candidates. Think about it, there’s a reason why Nobel Prizes are understood to be prestigious, or another example, if you see one of those best place to work logos for a company you’re applying to, that little badge tells you a whole lot because it’s an endorsement of the workplace by a vast majority of employees.

Now, when we say speaking opportunities, in this context we don’t mean podium presentations at academic meetings. Instead, we’re talking about invited keynotes or panel participation. There’s a difference between being a headliner at a highly regarded medical meeting or summit sponsored by a known news outlet, and giving a talk at the first annual symposium of … fill in the blank here.

Of course, be wary of so-called “pay-for-play opportunities.” There’s nothing inherently wrong with these, as long as you know what you’re getting into and understand that these are usually, essentially advertisements or sponsored placements.

Tell us, do you include award applications or speaking opportunities in your thought leadership plans?

What are your winning strategies for landing an award, a spot on a coveted list, or an invitation to a star-studded event?

Come back next week as we continue our journey exploring the ins and outs of thought leadership.