IDEATECH Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Tomoo Ishikawa), which provides "Repopy®️," a one-stop solution for report marketing, has released the perfect guide "Learn Thought Leadership from the US," which controls the "decision criteria" for B2B purchasing, for free.

▼ Download "Learn Thought Leadership from the US"

URL: https://ideatech.jp/download/365/?utm_source=pr_260707

3 Key Points of This Guide

While awareness of "thought leadership" remains low at 10% in Japan, 64% of buyers in the US already decide on their suppliers by trusting "the company's way of thinking" over product catalogs.

Thought leadership is no longer just an awareness-building measure; it has become established as a "vendor evaluation material" – a decision criterion for purchasing. It explains a mechanism that influences "hidden decision-makers" that sales representatives cannot meet.

Japanese companies can provide "solutions," but they are weak in communicating the "basis for proposals (market outlook)" that underlies them. IDEATECH's original research shows the current situation with numbers.

"Learn Thought Leadership from the US": Overview

"Our products are good, but we always end up in a price war" – the weapon to break through such B2B business stagnation is "thought leadership (activities where a company presents its unique perspective and the basis for it)." While this concept is known to only 1 in 10 companies in Japan (10% awareness), 64% of buyers in the US already decide on their suppliers by trusting "the company's way of thinking" over product catalogs.

This guide explains everything from the definition of thought leadership, the latest situation in the US where 96% of B2B marketers practice it, the mechanism to influence "hidden decision-makers" that sales representatives cannot directly meet, to the current situation in Japan where companies "can offer solutions but cannot provide the basis for them," based on the latest survey data from Japan and the US.

"Japan's Current Situation" Revealed by IDEATECH's Original Survey

This guide includes the results of IDEATECH's original survey "Survey on the Actual Situation of Companies Interested in Thought Leadership" (n=327) conducted among B2B marketing professionals. The "strengths" and "weaknesses" of Japanese companies are visualized with numbers.

【Survey Result 1】The top implemented measure is "Proposing solutions to customer issues" at 54.4%. On the other hand, "Communicating the company's views" is 22.0%.

The most emphasized measure currently is "Proposing solutions to customer issues" at 54.4%. On the other hand, "Communicating the company's views on industry issues and future prospects," which is the premise for that, is only 22.0%, and "Providing analysis of market data and industry trends" is 16.2%. This reveals a situation where companies can provide "answers" but are weak in communicating "the basis for those answers."

【Survey Result 2】62.7% of the field is positive about "awareness and understanding," and 74.1% are positive about "establishment within their own company."

While the general awareness of the term is only 10% nationwide (IISE survey), 62.7% of B2B marketing professionals show a certain level of awareness and understanding, and 74.1% are positive about establishing it within their own companies. Without waiting for broader societal acceptance, strong interest is already emerging in the field as a "method for building competitive advantage."

<What you can learn from this material>

The definition of thought leadership and the shift from "What to sell" to "Why propose"

The latest situation in the US, where 96% of B2B marketers practice it, and concrete buyer behavior data

Japan's current situation where companies "can offer solutions but cannot provide the basis for them," and the next steps to take

<Recommended for>

Marketing and PR managers in B2B companies who want to escape price and spec competition

CEOs and business leaders who feel the challenge of "our products are good, but we lose on price in the end"

Those who want to learn the framework (thought leadership) for information dissemination that leads to mid-to-long-term trust building and differentiation

Table of Contents of the Explanatory Guide

01 Definition of Thought Leadership – Selling the "Reason for the Proposal"

1-1. Buyers are looking at the company's "thinking ability," not the "catalog."

1-2. From "What to sell" to "Why propose"

02 The Situation in the US – It Has Already Become the "Decision Criterion" for B2B Purchasing

2-1. 96% of B2B Marketers Already Practice It

2-2. Used as "Vendor Evaluation Material," Not Just Reading Material

2-3. Buyers are Looking for the "Basis of the Proposal" Rather Than "Product Specs."

03 Why Does Thought Leadership Work in the US?

3-1. Influences "Hidden Decision-Makers" (Finance, Legal, etc.) That Sales Cannot Directly Meet

3-2. Customers Use It as "Material for Internal Approval" to Pass Through Their Own Companies

3-3. What is Asked Is Not the Amount of Information, but "How Deeply the Company Understands Their Issues."

Summary: Reasons for "Being Chosen" Work Autonomously Even Without Sales Presence

04 Japan's Current Situation – "Solutions" Can Be Offered, But "Their Basis" Cannot Be Shown

4-1. Awareness of the Term is Low, But Marketers in the Field Are Starting to Realize Its "Necessity."

4-2. Weakness is the Lack of Premise: "How to Read the Market and Why This Proposal is Made."

4-3. What the Field Needs is Not Short-Term Leads, But "Mid-to-Long-Term Trust and Differentiation."

Summary: Now is the Time to Shift from "Proposal Content" to "Basis of Proposal."

Thought Leadership Support for Creating "Basis of Proposals" Provided by IDEATECH

▼ Download "Learn Thought Leadership from the US"

URL: https://ideatech.jp/download/365/?utm_source=pr_260707

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About This Guide

We have compiled frequently asked questions from those interested in themes such as "What is thought leadership," "B2B marketing differentiation," and "Escaping price competition."

Q. What is thought leadership? A. It is an activity where a company presents "its unique perspective and the basis for it" in response to industry changes and customer issues. While product promotion conveys "what can be done with our products (What)," thought leadership presents the logic of "Why is this solution necessary now? (Why)."

Q. Why is thought leadership necessary for Japanese companies now? A. While Japanese companies are progressing in communicating "answers," such as "Proposing solutions to customer issues" (54.4%), they are weak in communicating the premise, such as "market outlook and basis for proposals," at around 22.0%. To escape price competition and gain trust as a partner, verbalizing the basis is a challenge.

Q. How widespread is it in the US? A. According to a 2026 forecast survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 96% of B2B marketers are already operating their own thought leadership content. It has become established as a "decision criterion" for purchasing, with 64% of buyers trusting "the company's way of thinking" over product catalogs.

Q. How can I start specifically? A. The steps involved are diverse, including theme design, original research, white paper creation, article writing, and deployment in sales materials. The latter half of this guide introduces IDEATECH's support menu, including an introductory plan to start with one piece, a consolidation plan to establish a communication axis in six months, and a program for continuous annual development.

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Company Profile

Company Name: IDEATECH Inc.

Representative: Tomoo Ishikawa, President and CEO

Location: 3F, Daiichi Hoki Bldg., 2-11-17 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0062

Establishment Date: February 2010

Business Activities: 1 IDEA Content Business

・Research Marketing "Risa-P®︎" Service

・Report Marketing "Repopy®︎" Service

・Anniversary Marketing "Ani-P®︎" Service

・Q&A Marketing "X-Questions®︎" Service

2 IDEA Marketing Business

3 IDEA Design Business

4 IDEA Sales Business

5 PR Strategy Consulting Service

URL: https://ideatech.jp

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: PR
  • Organizations: Content Marketing Institute