Masterclass Series: Essentials of thought leadership (Please select your sessions below)

Thought leadership is one of the most powerful tools in today’s B2B marketing mix — yet few brands know how to create content that genuinely influences decision-makers.

This four-part masterclass series is designed to give you the clarity, strategy and practical frameworks needed to build high-impact thought leadership that drives real commercial results.

Whether you're new to thought leadership or want a refresher on the fundamentals, these sessions will equip you with the knowledge you need to elevate your organisation’s thinking and stand out in a crowded market.

What is thought leadership? (29 January)

It takes more than a strong idea to create thought leadership that elevates a brand’s profile. In this session, you’ll learn how to move from ideation to implementation using a structured framework that helps you inspire audiences and earn influence.

You’ll learn how to:

1. Understand your audience and what they value
2. Analyse your market context and pinpoint your opportunity
3. Craft a compelling narrative
4. Design a winning campaign plan and choose the right measures of success

How to build a thought leadership strategy (12 February)

Great thought leadership requires structure, insight and strategy. This session shows you how to create a strategic foundation that not only defines what you want to say — but ensures it resonates with the people who matter most.

You’ll learn how to:

1. Appreciate the fundamentals of effective thought leadership
2. Transform insights into commercially relevant points of view
3. Build consistency across channels and audiences
4. Develop a strategy that aligns to organisational objectives

Commercial impact of thought leadership (26 February)

Thought leadership has the power to shape decisions and influence investment — but only if executed with intent. This session explores how thought leadership can drive commercial outcomes in a complex B2B buying environment.

You’ll learn how to:

1. Build thought leadership that supports commercial conversations
2. Shape the debate and strengthen advocacy
3. Raise brand awareness and long-term value
4. Align marketing and sales for success

How to measure campaign effectiveness (12 March)

To prove the value of thought leadership, brands must move beyond vanity metrics and show meaningful impact. This session helps you build robust measurement frameworks that demonstrate ROI and guide long-term optimisation.

You’ll learn how to:

1. Align metrics to clear outcomes
2. Tailor activation plans for priority channels
3. Set long-term goals and optimise as you go
4. Measure both influence and impact

Why attend?

Across this series, you’ll gain a complete end-to-end understanding of what makes thought leadership genuinely powerful — from defining a strong narrative, to building a strategic framework, to proving commercial value. You’ll leave with the tools to create campaigns that cut through the noise, influence stakeholders, and drive measurable business impact.

HOSTED BY

Sean Kearns

Strategy and Innovation Director
FT Longitude

Sean is responsible for spearheading the growth, quality and relevance of FT Longitude’s products and services. His underlying goal is always the same: to increase the value to clients and their most important audiences by ensuring that every campaign is guided by intelligent planning and creative clarity.

Megan Wright

Content Director and Head of Audio
FT Longitude

Megan brings together a passion for storytelling and global experience in thought leadership to craft meaningful content that resonates. She also utilises her skills in strategy, production and editorial to support the development of a growing portfolio of audio and video content.