What are the top PR agencies doing right in thought leadership?

The landscape of thought leadership is changing. Fast. LinkedIn “thought leaders” in the UK rose from around 1.1 million in 2020 to 1.6 million today, a 45% increase in five years, evidence that demand is accelerating for real insights from real people. But what is the role of PR and how can we ensure that thought leadership is impactful and meaningful?

As AI-generated content floods every feed and platform, the question isn’t how much content we can push out, but who has something truly worth saying. In this new landscape, genuine human insight is more valuable than ever. Top PR agencies know that the old playbook, press releases, boilerplate op-eds, and safe corporate messaging isn’t enough anymore.

Instead, the best in the business are rethinking what thought leadership actually means, and how to build it for the long term. Here's what they're doing right.

1. Doubling down on human opinion in an AI world

With AI making it easy to churn out copy, the standout thought leaders are those offering judgement, perspective, and provocation. According to the Financial Times, thought leadership ROI is reported to be 156% higher than traditional marketing, but generative AI is flooding the market with average, undifferentiated content, thereby increasing the need for authentic human insight. PR teams should be actively encouraging their clients to share lived experience, contrarian or timely viewpoints, sharp analysis and synthesis, not just information.

True thought leadership doesn’t sit on the fence. It sparks debate, adds value, and positions the client as the go-to voice in their sector. People aren’t looking for more content, they want trusted interpretation in a noisy world.

2. Reassuring clients that thought leadership still works

The media might be more selective than ever, but they’re also more open to genuine experts. The bar has risen, not closed. That’s why credibility assets like books, podcasts, long-form interviews are still so powerful. Top agencies understand that thought leadership isn’t an ego play. It’s a strategic communications tool that builds long-term brand equity, earns media trust and, attracts real commercial opportunities. 

An Edelman LinkedIn B2B thought leadership report last year found that 73% consider thought leadership more trustworthy than traditional marketing materials.

3. Only work with clients who are ready to collaborate

This seems obvious but is often the difference between a killer campaign and one that fizzles. To do high impact thought leadership, PR professionals need access to the client’s time (even briefly but regularly); their willingness to discuss and refine ideas, not just approve them and clarity on what they won’t comment on.

It’s impossible to position someone as a thought leader if they’re only available once a month or hesitant to share views. Speed and candour matter. So does mutual trust.

4. Making thought leadership measurable and aligned

A thought leadership strategy should never be purely opportunistic. It should always tie back to the client’s business goals.

Before speaking to the media or posting content, define your positioning pillars, what you want the PR to say and do and what success looks like.

Top agencies are rigorous here. They don’t chase headlines for vanity, instead, they secure visibility that drives the right kind of leads, clients, or conversations. And they know when to say “no” to media coverage that doesn’t serve the bigger picture.

5. Mastering the power of books in thought leadership

A well-positioned book is an effective tool for establishing thought leadership, building credibility, and opening high-level doors.

Forward-thinking agencies now understand that the publishing landscape – traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing – can help shape client book proposals, working with experienced ghostwriters and editors, and treating the book not as a product launch, but as a core strategic asset within a wider campaign.

Most books won’t generate meaningful income through sales alone but the return on investment comes from what the book enables: visibility, influence, new clients, and media interest. 

A book doesn’t have to be long, expensive, or slow to publish. I’ve recently been helping develop the ideas of a “Pitch Book”, a compact, high-quality publication that can be produced in 90 days and used to land speaking engagements, podcast features, and PR coverage.

6. Hijacking the news … but only with purpose

Reactive PR news hijacking, expert comment and, trending responses still have a place. But the best agencies are selective. They only put clients forward when it aligns with their thought leadership strategy; it reinforces the client's credibility in their target space; the client has something valuable to add, not just a quote to insert. 

Relevance beats reactivity every time.

7. Going deep, not wide

In today’s media landscape, being a generalist gets you nowhere. Top agencies help clients own a niche: be the expert on one thing, build consistency across all platforms and become known for a distinctive point of view.

That’s how journalists start calling you. That’s how speaking invitations land. That’s how authority becomes reputation.

Thought leadership is evolving and so must PR

The agencies doing thought leadership best aren’t pushing out generic content or following old formulas. They’re operating at the intersection of content, influence, and credibility. They understand that real thought leadership takes strategy, bravery, and collaboration and they know that a book, a strong opinion, or a single smart comment can do more than a dozen press releases ever could.

Above all, they’re not trying to do everything. They’re helping clients say something that matters and say it well. 

Six takeaways to make thought leadership more thoughtful:

1. Prioritise client-centric, expertise-based thinking, not content churn.
2. Help clients develop original viewpoints, not generic commentary.
3. Implement measurement and alignment frameworks before pitching or publishing.
4. Take a hands-on role in book and podcast initiatives, recognising these as credibility anchors.
5. Use AI strategically, as a tool to scale insight, not to replace it.
6. Target specialist verticals and media channels, not just mass social platforms.

Ella Davidson is the founder and director of The Book Publicist, authority building PR for founders, experts and non-fiction authors.