The team at TopRank Marketing and our research partner Ascend2 are happy to announce the release of a new research report. Answer Engine: The State of B2B Thought Leadership in 2026.
B2B marketers are feeling the pressure to perform during a time of uncertainty and AI-powered disruption. Thought leadership has risen as a key strategy for brands to differentiate, create trust and fuel an engine of full funnel content across traditional search and social media, generative search and industry media.
While the notion of thought leadership is familiar to most B2B marketers, many view the discipline through a limited lens without clarity around tactics or measurement.
Why did we undertake new research into thought leadership? We’ve worked with our research partner Ascend2 on numerous original research projects for clients over the years. Our B2B marketing agency has itself published reports, blog posts, videos and articles, engaged in media interviews and presented at marketing conferences in multiple markets in North America and Western Europe based on insights from our own original research.
We’ve seen firsthand the difference in performance between status quo research reports and what we call “best answer” content. There’s a notable difference between content that involves influencers vs. not, and when that content is dynamic and experiential vs. when it is not. We’ve also seen what happens when thought leadership visibility is limited to brand channels and ads vs. being visible everywhere the audience can be influenced. Last, we have seen the challenges many B2B brands experience trying to pull together disparate data sources to effectively measure multi-channel thought leadership content.
Top performers’ use of thought leadership as an engine of content have been particularly effective during times of uncertainty as competition for attention increases and interest in the most trustworthy sources and solutions accelerates.
Attention is harder than ever, but it’s no longer enough. Trust and belief are what serve the expectations of more disciplined buyers.
Most B2B marketers have seen firsthand the growing importance of thought leadership for credibility with LLMs and Google as well as with industry media, influencers and B2B audiences. To better understand that importance, we partnered with Ascend2 to further investigate the intersection of how B2B marketers are using original research to fuel their thought leadership and the intersection with influence and content.
We surveyed just under 800 B2B marketers in the U.S. and U.K. where 81% were in senior marketing leadership roles. B2B industries represented include technology and software, manufacturing, professional services, financial services, construction and real estate, healthcare and marketing / advertising. We discovered that the value and perception of thought leadership is very high and yet significant gaps exist between top performers and all others.
Key findings from The State of B2B Thought Leadership in 2026:
97% of B2B marketers say thought leadership is critical to full-funnel success, and yet only 43% extend it beyond acquisition to engage and retain customers post-sale.
93% of B2B marketers using original research based content feel that it is effective at driving engagement and leads. 48% feel it is very effective. Original research is an essential part of effective content for marketing that builds trust across the buyer journey.
74% who frequently collaborate with influencers report their research-based content as very effective vs. just 29% of everyone else. Partnering with industry experts adds credibility and distribution to thought leadership content and doing so on an ongoing basis can compound the impact.
78% of B2B marketers surveyed say interactive and experiential content increases repeat engagement, but only 33% regularly build it into their campaigns. This disconnect between belief and action creates an opportunity for B2B brands to elevate reach, engagement and impact with content as an experience, not just information.
32% of professionals now discover thought leadership through GenAI tools. Discovery habits are adapting to new technologies, and AI search is reshaping how buyers find and engage with expertise.
While there are gaps, there are also opportunities for B2B marketers to view original research as an engine or a platform for content that is optimized for trust with industry experts and optimized for experience through formats buyers are more likely to consume. The result? highly differentiated, visible and trusted thought leadership content that decision makers are looking for.
You can view the entire Answer Engine: State of B2B Thought Leadership in 2026 report below:
This 31 page report is rich with insights and out of our analysis of the data, the notion of an engine emerged as the perfect metaphor to introduce the six drivers of thought leadership content success: the Answer Engine.
These drivers of the Answer Engine of most impactful thought leadership content are: Data Informed, Integrated Strategy, Trust System, Experiential Content, Multi-Channel Visibility, and Full Funnel Analytics.
On top of the research findings, the report also features insights from eight B2B marketing leaders who have deep expertise in the area of thought leadership. Their contributions provide context and validation of the findings around successful thought leadership content. From the importance of data to the value of multi-channel and experiential content to unified measurement – each contribution highlights firsthand experience that can fuel your understanding of the Answer Engine.
Insights on Full Funnel Thought Leadership Content from Top B2B Marketers:
“Thought leadership requires data. It requires research. Some sort of independent or second or third-party research forms the basis of the perspective. That research gives you the evidence for your point of view and ensures it’s relevant to your audience. Without that foundation, you’re just publishing opinion.
Effective thought leadership combines credible data, analytical insight, and subject matter expertise to help decision-makers make better choices. If we can help executives make a better business decision using the data and insight while being independent of a product or service, that generates trust, authority and credibility, which lends itself to a future sale.”
Cindy Anderson
CMO, IBM Institute for Business Value
Co-author of The ROI of Thought Leadership
“In B2B, you’re building credibility with audiences who need evidence to make decisions. That’s why data matters. It grounds your perspective in reality and gives your insights weight. But data alone isn’t enough. The real skill is taking complex research and distilling it into frameworks people can actually use. When you combine evidence with clear, memorable ideas, you create thought leadership that doesn’t just get noticed, it gets applied. That’s how you build authority that lasts.”
Ty Heath
Director, Market Engagement, at The B2B Institute,
LinkedIn
“With increased competition and pressure to do more with less, many marketing teams are chasing outputs hoping that greater volume will yield greater outcomes. But quantity without alignment can dilute impact. The most effective leaders connect the dots to align brand strategy, buyer intelligence, and channel execution around a unified narrative. When thought leadership becomes the platform that ties it all together, every asset works harder. My advice: integrate. Plan content initiatives that deliver consistent experiences across the customer journey. Do that-and you’ll see stronger engagement, performance, and better use of every marketing dollar.”
Janine Wegner
Global Integrated Thought Leadership Strategist,
Dell Technologies
“People can tell when content was written by a person who cares versus content that was engineered to rank. People can also tell when people give their voice to AI. We’re surrounded by sameness right now, so when a real human voice comes through, when there’s empathy, curiosity, even vulnerability, that’s what cuts through. Thought leadership isn’t just data or expertise; it’s emotion with integrity attached to vision and direction. It’s showing people there’s a human on the other side who actually gives a damn.”
Brian Solis
Head of Global Innovation,
ServiceNow
“The most trusted thought leadership comes from people and brands that show up consistently with fact-based insights that help readers think differently. Rather than being focused on a single post or campaign, it’s about a steady relationship built over time. When a brand or leader communicates regularly, stands behind their content, and focuses on educating rather than selling, that earns trust. Executives like myself value proof, perspective, and consistency and I try to bring that same mindset to my own work: transparency first, education always, backed by research from credible sources.”
Jeanne Hopkins
Vice President, Marketing
XTIUM
“It’s telling that nearly half of marketers cite video, events, and interactive formats as the most effective vehicles for thought leadership. Experiential content brings ideas to life in a way that written formats alone cannot. It engages multiple senses, creates emotional connection, and drives stronger recall. Whether it’s a short video, an interactive data story, or a live event, experiential content builds trust and credibility in ways that a whitepaper never could. It’s what turns insight into influence.”
Tequia Burt
Founder,
The Influence Lab
“Unique thought leadership demands significant time, budget, and resources. At Intuit Mailchimp we’re redefining our brand as an expert in advanced marketing strategies. To do that, we anchor our activation around a core report, then build a vast content ecosystem to drive traffic and showcase insights. This demands a coordinated push across owned, earned, paid, and sales channels to maximize our investment, encompassing everything from zero-click social content to webinars, podcasts, executive bylines, and outbound sales plays. Strong thought leadership provides an insight-driven framework that fuels channels well beyond launch.”
Jillian Ryan
Senior Manager, Content Marketing Strategy,
Intuit Mailchimp
“Measuring the influence of thought leadership on marketing outcomes means understanding how it advances buyers through the journey and impacts the KPIs that track their progression. The most mature thought leadership strategies are integrated and multichannel, reaching audiences through original research, collaborative videos, roundtables and interviews, media coverage, digital and in-person interactions. Each format and channel produces data points framed around metrics that each tell part of the larger story.
To prove the value of thought leadership and to surface insights for optimizations, two things are crucial: unified analytics and a measurement model that translates multiple signals into a cohesive view.”
Jane Bartel
Director, Search & Content Marketing,
TopRank Marketing
We sincerely appreciate these B2B marketing leaders for sharing their perspectives on thought leadership and the drivers that make up the Answer Engine.
If you’re still wondering about the report, here are some of the most pressing questions about B2B thought leadership that are answered:
How can B2B marketers make their thought leadership visible and credible in an AI-driven search world?
Marketers are seeing AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity change how buyers discover expertise. The research reveals how to make thought leadership content discoverable and trusted within generative AI results – through credible data, expert voices, and optimized multi-channel distribution.
What do top-performing B2B thought leadership programs do differently from everyone else?
The highest-ROI teams use original research across every stage of the funnel and collaborate frequently with influencers to amplify credibility. Their strategies are integrated, data-informed, and designed to drive measurable business outcomes, not just engagement.
How should marketers balance AI-generated content with original research to build trust and authority?
While AI improves efficiency, 67% of marketers say original research remains more valuable for trust and credibility. The report outlines how to use AI for scale – without losing the authenticity and authority that human-led, research-backed insights deliver.
Why is it so hard to prove the ROI of content and thought leadership – and how can we fix it?
Marketers cite measurement gaps, resource constraints, and weak cross-team collaboration as top causes of underperformance. The report shows how unified analytics and integrated planning turn fragmented data into clarity about what’s working and where to invest.
How can B2B brands stand out and build trust in an oversaturated content market?
With 71% saying engagement is harder than ever, most marketers know they need stronger differentiation but few are investing in the experiences that earn attention. The study highlights how trust, originality, and experiential content cut through the noise.
How can thought leadership drive results beyond awareness through the full customer journey?
Most marketers stop at top-of-funnel content, but top performers use thought leadership to support consideration, conversion, and post-sale loyalty. The research shows how applying research and influencer credibility at every stage improves retention and ROI.
Which content formats and channels still work for B2B engagement and which ones are fading away?
Email and SEO are losing traction as audiences shift to interactive, video, and live formats. The report uncovers where B2B buyers actually consume thought leadership today and how marketers can realign channels for maximum visibility and trust.
I invite you to read the fully available and un-gated report embedded above.
If you’d like to download a PDF version of the Answer Engine Thought Leadership report, you can get that here. Along with the PDF edition of Answer Engine, we’ll also follow up with a copy of our new Best Answer Marketing playbook (in PDF format) that pulls together the 6 drivers of the Answer Engine and provides a blueprint for putting them into action.
A HUGE THANKS to our research partner Ascend2 for their work in helping design and field the survey as well as the initial analysis. And another HUGE THANKS to Jake and Theresa from the TopRank Marketing team for their amazing work on making this report and playbook come to life.
