3 Strategies to Amplify Your Supply Chain Thought Leadership

Last weekend during my local Little League’s opening day, the president directly called out the supply chain in his kickoff speech – suffice to say the supply chain has ‘entered the chat.’ If you told us several years ago that the supply chain would be a household (or Little League field) discussion topic, we would have thought you were crazy. The last three years have proven otherwise.

Corporate Ink has been working with supply chain clients for more than twenty years. Over the past two decades the industry has changed drastically, and so have the strategies marketers use to break through the noise. Our recent report on the supply chain tech boom dives into ten tried and true strategies for marketing success. One of the most important aspects of a thorough media strategy is establishing thought leadership. However, becoming a thought leader in your industry doesn’t happen overnight –  so, where do you begin?

1. Lead with value in thought leadership.

First and foremost, ask yourself what your organization does better than its competitors. Once you’ve identified the differentiators, it’s time to capitalize on your specific expertise. As an expert in your specific niche of the supply chain you are presented with the opportunity to provide thought leadership with valuable insight on current events relevant to your brand and your audience. The key is to find the perfect middle ground between your expertise, target publications’ editorial coverage, your prospects’ priorities, your technology and what’s happening in the world. 

Take the SEC’s latest proposal as an example. With new climate-related regulations seemingly around the corner, supply chain companies dealing in sustainability can share insight on the implications from their perspective with the publications their prospects turn to for information.

2. Friendly relationships with reporters are invaluable.

Establishing credibility with your target demographic can start by establishing relationships with reporters. Reporters’ inboxes are jam-packed, so when they respond to a pitch you know you’ve successfully broken through the noise – the first step in building a relationship. When your company is mentioned in the press, whether business or trade, it’s presented as a trusted industry source. Simply stated, reporters don’t take the time to speak with sources that can’t provide valuable thought leadership. 

The Marketing Rule of 7 tells us that, on average, a prospect needs to hear an advertiser’s message at least seven times before taking serious action. A friendly relationship with a reporter in your space can lead to coverage in more than one of their stories. Who knows? Maybe the seventh time a prospect hears your company name is while reading an article, by a ‘friendly’ reporter, that features your company as a trusted thought leader.

3. Don’t underestimate the influence of trade publications.

Everyone wants to be featured in the Wall Street Journal or New York Times, but what about Supply Chain Dive or FreightWaves? Think about it this way, if you’re in the market for a new car you might find some helpful information in the automobiles section of the Washington Post, but you’ll likely have better luck turning to a publication that’s sole focus is cars. The same stands true for supply chain trade media. You want your thought leadership in the publications your target demographic turns to for information specific to your industry. Trade publications are the platform your business should use to provide insight on industry priorities, trends and opportunities, rather than simply pitching general company news.

Interested in taking your media strategy to the next level? Our full report on supply chain marketing during today’s technology boom shares more actionable insight that can help set your brand apart.

Ready to take the next step? Request a complimentary marketing consult today.