How to Demonstrate Thought Leadership Through Regulatory Insight

There is no such thing as an unregulated industry. Each one is bound by a unique combination of tax laws, labor laws, privacy laws, advertising laws, trade laws, and many, many more, forming a complex and ever-shifting legislative landscape where noncompliance—intentional or not—is both costly and dangerous. Managing these rules and their consequences represents a constant challenge for most businesses. For thought-leaders, however, it is an opportunity to stand out among their peers.

Offering commentary on policy has three primary benefits. First, it conveys authority. Navigating a variable legal framework is challenging, and those who are able to provide policy projections to vertical partners and prospects suggest that they have a firm and nuanced understanding of their industry’s toughest issues. Second, it generates goodwill. Other businesses look kindly on truly helpful insights and are often inclined to return the favor. And, finally, it builds trust. Discussing relevant policy implies that the company is compliant in its own business, presenting an image of diligence and reliability.

There are many angles from which to approach policy discussion, though, and not all will yield the desired outcome. Even accurate insights can be pointless if they are not immediately relevant and valuable to the audience. Below is an overview of four effective angles a company can take to demonstrate thought leadership by commentating commentary.

1. Anticipate and Assess New Policies

The most immediate compliance concern for any industry is approved legislation that is soon to take effect. New policies require everyone to evaluate their current practices and, usually, to make appropriate changes. It is a universally urgent problem. Anticipating and assessing the effects of new policies is, as a result, one of the most effective ways to generate an audience within the industry.

This is done by monitoring the relevant legislatures—both local and federal—to get the latest news on the development of significant bills. Marketing teams should consult internal experts and decisionmakers to analyze the impacts of these bills and gain insight into how the company will respond. If it looks as though a bill will pass in the near future, marketers may compile these insights into articles, blogs, and canned-quotes ahead of time so that they can release the content as soon as the policy becomes official. That is also the time to offer company experts for interviews with news agencies and podcast hosts.

2. Weigh the Impacts of Proposed Policies

Just as significant—if slightly less urgent—is the uncertainty surrounding newly proposed bills that may or may not eventually pass into law. These questions draw special attention because companies cannot confidently prepare for one specific outcome the way they can for legislation that has already been approved. Content that can reduce or simplify the uncertainty will thus be duly rewarded.

Just as marketing teams must monitor bills at the end of the legislative process, they must also monitor fresh bills that have the potential to impact the industry in significant ways down the road. They should compare different versions of the proposed policies and assess the effects each possible outcome will have on the company level. The team can then regularly publish updates and advice as the earmarked bills progress through the legislative process.

3. Retrospectively Analyze Existing Policies

New policies are not the only laws that matter to businesses. Policies from the previous year or even the previous decade may not be breaking news, but they continue to have an impact on day-to-day operations—and, perhaps more crucially, they can inform future decisions. If they choose their subjects wisely, a company that presents “lessons learned” from past legislation is likely to find a grateful audience.

Marketing teams should be very selective about which policies draw up out of the past. Commenting on an insignificant law from decades ago will make the company seem desperate or out-of-touch. A truly industry-shifting law, however, may warrant a review after one, five, or even 10 years. The team should combine reputable statistics and real case studies to illustrate the effects that such policies have had on the industry and the lessons that businesses can learn from those who failed to adapt.

4. Point Out Regulatory Trends

Even businesses that monitor and plan for upcoming policies can end up missing the bigger picture. Individual policies are almost always part of an overarching regulatory trend, and those who fail to recognize it could eventually find themselves misaligned with the law, the market, and even with society as a whole. Thought leaders can therefore provide much-needed foresight by stepping back and discerning the long-term trajectory that today’s policies indicate.

Marketing teams must compile a list of industry-relevant policies that have been passed over the past five years or that will take effect in the near future, complete with any notable context. They can then begin identifying issues that are addressed by more than one policy to extrapolate the trends that link them. A series of policies regulating data usage, automatic profiling, and digital outreach may, for instance, indicate a growing concern for consumer privacy. The company can make these insights public and advise other businesses to align themselves for the future while they have the chance.

Bottom Line

Giving valuable commentary on relevant regulatory issues is a sure way for thought leaders to establish authority, goodwill, and trust within their industry. It can just as easily, however, be a mere waste of resources if the insights that a company puts forward are irrelevant or incorrect. It will ultimately be the thought leaders who are selective with their topics and their timing—and who follow the guidelines offered above—who will find businesses coming to them for much more than regulatory insight.

Enjoy this blog on regulatory insight? Be sure to check out our other blogs on useful and interesting public relations topics, like how to ideate persuasive content.

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