Thought Leadership Research Wins Deals with the buyers You don’t See

I was reading the 2025 Edelman LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report last week and it confirmed something many of us in B2B have known for a while: most deals do not fall over because of product or price. They fall over because someone influential was not convinced. 

According to the report, more than 40% of B2B deals stall because of internal misalignment. The issue is hidden buyers. These are stakeholders behind the scenes who shape decisions, influence perceptions, and often have the power to say no even if they are not signing the contract. 

They do not take sales calls. They are not in your CRM. But they do read. And what makes the difference is not a pitch or a slide deck. It is credible, well-crafted thought leadership. 

A case in point is that at Fifth Quadrant we do not distribute our content only to insights professionals. We make sure it reaches marketers, strategy leads, procurement teams and senior executives. This is the broader set of influencers who shape outcomes. 

Many of you reading this would fall into that group. You may not run the brief, but you help shape it, question it or champion it. 

If your content is only reaching the obvious buyer, you are missing the ones who quietly move decisions forward or stop them. 

According to the Edelman LinkedIn report: 

• 64% of hidden buyers spend over an hour per week engaging with thought leadership
• 55% use it to assess potential vendors
• 95% say strong thought leadership makes them more open to outreach

Buyers want brands with perspective

The report also shows that decision makers want to work with brands that have a clear point of view. It is not enough to describe what you do. They want to understand how you think. 

• 86% of hidden buyers want content that challenges their assumptions 
• 73% use thought leadership to assess the thinking a company would bring to a project 
• 79% are more likely to support a vendor if they have seen high quality thought leadership

They are drawn to brands that are distinctive, informed and confident in their perspective. 

Reaching the right people with the right ideas

Great thought leadership is not just about having something to say. It is about making sure the right people see it. That means combining original insight with intentional distribution. When content speaks to both decision makers and the hidden influencers around them, it earns attention, builds credibility and creates real momentum. 

What great looks like

The 2025 Edelman LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report is a strong example of what great looks like. It combines original data, timely insights and clear, professional execution. 

While we weren’t involved in this program, we regularly partner with Edelman as well as numerous other clients and agencies to deliver the research behind content like this. Whether the goal is to lead a category, shape policy or build trust, we help turn perspective into evidence and evidence into influence. 

See why the 2025 Edelman LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Report sets the bar. Want to reach hidden B2B influencers and win more deals? Contact us to power your strategy with proven thought leadership research.