Each year, I look forward to Opticon, where our global community of customers, partners, industry experts, academia, media, and digital leaders come together to explore the latest in digital.

This year, we brought everyone together in San Diego, in person for the first time since 2019. Over  three dynamic days, we enjoyed countless conversations envisioning a future of digital where experiences are created and optimized at the same time. 

Plenty of valuable learnings were shared, but I’ve highlighted my top three takeaways below.

1. Change has become uncertain; we must be adaptive.

The world is moving faster than ever, and change is constant and chaotic. Today’s digital leaders must navigate uncertainty on nearly every level: economic upheaval, rapid cultural change, ever-escalating customer expectations, and a tight talent market. Digital leaders face challenges that make it difficult for consumers and brands to react and connect. 

But another element of change has profoundly changed over the past three years: change has become unpredictable, dramatically increasing the difficulty of creating the end-user experience. To not only stay the course but to grow in this unpredictable environment, you must put your organization on “adaptive footing” to account for quick changes. 

That’s why Optimizely is increasing digital team agility through automation and AI and building simpler, reliable systems of records. Think customizable AI workflow for content creation and approval processes, automation to sync updates across all destinations, and approved templates that can be integrated seamlessly for marketers to speed up production while maintaining governance. 

Keeping pace with the digital elite requires frictionless collaboration across teams, and there is no time to waste on clunky, inefficient workflows.

2. A great customer experience requires a great practitioner experience. ​

Simplifying “work about work” helps teams not only ride the wave of change but prioritize their well-being. 

So many marketers feel overwhelmed by complexity, which is a real problem for creativity. You wouldn’t want your sports team playing exhausted or demoralized before the big game; the same goes for your team at work. 

When we surveyed global marketers, the top creative roadblocks included employee burnout and high turnover. Our research also revealed that 92% of global marketers believe dispersed teams caused by remote or hybrid work impacted their ability to develop ideas and execute campaigns, and 93% say their creative ideas were better before the pandemic. 

If the practitioner experience is suffering, your can bet that the customer experience is also suffering. We must ensure our teams are up for the challenge of keeping pace. 

Teams need a platform where they can effectively collaborate and communicate across internal silos inclusively, and where workflows are purpose-built to the needs across the content lifecycle. With this reality in mind, we built Optimizely’s Ddigital Eexperience Pplatform (DXP) — because inclusive, well-orchestrated collaboration leads to better outcomes for all.

3. Marketers, developers, and product leaders have become part of the same digital team. 

Today’s customers are digitally adept and confident, and their brand expectations — and the stakes of meeting those expectations — are rising faster than ever before. 

According to recent research on customer expectations, 80% of customers now consider the experience a company provides to be as important as its products and services, and 71% say they’ve made a purchase decision based on experience quality.

Being customer-centric is at the heart of any great digital experience. That’s why the digital team — comprised of marketers, developers, and product teams in our modern digital landscape — must work together to meet customer expectations and deliver optimized experiences. 

Consider marketers. With access to a slew of customer touchpoints and experimentation data, the marketing team is a critical resource for understanding customers’ wants and needs. Developers, product teams, and beyond should absolutely utilize this data to remove the guesswork and inform strategies, priorities, roadmaps, and decisions. 

By working together to inject data across silos, teams can have the insight needed to make the right decisions and create with confidence. 

Thank you to all who kindly shared their wisdom during this year’s Opticon. Stay tuned for information about next’s year Opticon, taking place October 10-12, 2023 back in San Diego!

There is no way around it. It is a new age, and the time of fossil fuels is fading. New technologies have come to light that is environmentally sustainable and economical.

That being said, renewable energy is approached by many with a measure of skepticism. How can it derive energy from the sun, wind, or waves without adding expense to our lives?

The answer is that renewable energy has become a better option financially, environmentally, and economically. But still, for some, this ongoing question remains: how does solar panel technology work?

Renewable energy does indeed arrive at a cost premium. But it will quickly pay for itself in saved energy costs and lower carbon dioxide emissions.

To learn more about how solar panels work, continue reading.

The Basics of Solar Panel Science

Using photovoltaic cells, solar panel technology is an energy conversion system that turns sunlight into electricity. Photovoltaic cells are made from a semiconductor material, like silicon. This substance takes energy from the sun’s rays and turns it into electricity.

The electricity that is made is then used to power homes, businesses, and other buildings that are not connected to the traditional electric grid. In the past few years, solar panel technology has grown by leaps and bounds as people have become more aware of the need to stop using energy sources that aren’t sustainable.

Types of Solar Panels

Solar panel options are monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and thin film. Monocrystalline solar panels are constructed from cells cut from a single pure silicon crystal and are known for their black appearance.

Polycrystalline, or multi-crystalline, solar panels are created by melting various pieces of pure silicon. Their mottled blue hue distinguishes them.

Thin-film solar panels are made through vacuum deposition methods, where thin layers of photovoltaic material are put one at a time onto a substrate. This type of solar panel is known for its flexibility and typically has a brown or purple hue.

Components of Solar Panels and Their Purposes

Solar panels are composed of various parts that work together to generate electricity. These parts include:

Solar Cells

Solar Cells are made up of positive and negative layers of semi-conductive material, typically silicon, separated by a small gap. When the sun’s rays strike a solar cell, the electrons are freed from their atomic bonds and flow from the negative layer to the positive layer, creating an electric current.

The electricity a solar cell can generate is directly proportional to the sunlight hitting it, so the more sun a solar panel gets, the more energy it can produce. Solar cells will use sunlight for most of their life cycles. However, they rely on other materials, such as silver, to transport the electricity from the source to the final destination.

Encapsulant

Encapsulant is an essential component of a solar panel. Its job is to keep water, dust, and other outside things from getting into the cells.

Encapsulant also helps to improve how well the panel works. It keeps the solar cells in place so that sunlight can be turned into electricity.

Encapsulants should be made of a solid material to protect the cells from moisture and physical shock. It must also be able to handle high and low temperatures. Because of this, high-grade ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is the most common material used in the industry for encapsulants.

Glass Cover

A glass cover is responsible for protecting the interior parts of the board, which are incredibly delicate. Made of tempered glass, the glass cover stands firm against the external environment and is shatterproof and weather resistant.

It also serves as a long-term insulation system that ensures the solar cells remain in top shape. Besides this, the glass cover is also strongly reflective and efficiently reflects any sunlight that comes in contact with it. As a result, it boosts the energy output of solar panels.

Frame

A frame is used to keep the solar cells from moving around. This structure also helps keep the whole structure stable and ensures it can handle mechanical loads.

In addition, the frame also makes it easy to put the edge in the right place. The shape and size of the frame are important because it needs to fit nicely on the top.

Most frames are made of aluminum or steel, but some have also been made of carbon fiber and fiberglass. The frame has many uses, but it is essential because it protects fragile solar cells and ensures the system works at its best.

Backsheet

A solar panel’s back sheet is another important part. It is the layer that is right behind the cells that turn sunlight into electricity.

If the solar panel didn’t have a back sheet, the cells would be exposed to the elements, which could cause corrosion, temperature changes, and other problems. The back sheet also acts as a barrier to electrical current so that it doesn’t flow across the solar panel and cause possible harm.

Back sheets are usually made of a thin PET and fluoropolymer film. They also have UV protectants to keep the cells from getting old or breaking down. Backsheets can sometimes be of different colors to protect the panel from lousy lighting.

Bus Bars

Bus bars help link the cells together. Most of the time, they are made of aluminum and move electricity from the solar cells to the inverters and other load centers.

Bus bars handle high voltages and currents, so they are insulated. Solid electrical connections are made by soldering and crimping the cells, bus bars, and inverters. The large, thick bars have a lot of surface area, which helps the connection points get rid of heat.

Junction Box

A junction box connects the solar panel, the inverter, and any other electrical systems. Junction boxes protect the solar panel system’s wiring and circuits by putting them in a waterproof and weatherproof box. This makes it less likely that water or other outside factors will cause short circuits or other problems.

They also make it easy to put together and keep up the solar panel system. The junction box also makes it easy to check on and change the output of the solar panel system. By putting sensors and metering units on the system, you can track how much energy it makes.

Inverter

Inverters take the electricity made by solar panels and change it from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), the kind of electricity we use in our homes and businesses. This change makes it easier to store and use the electricity that comes from solar panels.

Without an inverter, we can’t use the DC electricity from solar panels. Instead, we’d have to use more expensive and complicated systems to convert it.

The Benefits of Solar Panels

Solar panel technology offers many environmental and economic advantages.

Clean Energy

Clean energy is a source of electricity that is good for the environment and rarely runs out. It is mainly made from renewable sources like wind, sun, biomass, and geothermal energy. Solar panel technology has some benefits, and clean energy is one of them.

Solar energy is free, can be used repeatedly, doesn’t pollute or make harmful byproducts, and can be used even when other sources aren’t available. The light from the sun is turned into photovoltaic energy and then into electricity by solar panels.

This solar energy is very efficient, saves money, and doesn’t cause any pollution. As energy prices keep rising, clean energy from solar panels looks more and more appealing.

Reduced Energy Costs

Since solar energy is free and can be used repeatedly, using solar panels to make electricity helps lower energy costs. Solar energy can be used to power lights, appliances, and other electronic devices, among other things.

Replacing traditional power sources with solar panels can significantly reduce energy costs.

Improved Energy Independence

Solar panels are a reliable, renewable energy source. It gives you more energy and independence. Solar panels can make electricity in many places, even when there isn’t much light. This makes it easier for people to switch to this clean and cheap energy source.

Energy users can stop relying on traditional energy sources if they use solar energy. This makes energy independence a real possibility. As more and more people switch to solar energy, it becomes more and more possible to have better energy independence and more control over your power.

Increased Property Value

Homeowners who install solar panels benefit from increasing their property value. Solar energy is now seen as a valuable asset in real estate.

People who install solar panels on their property often find that their property value increases by about 4%. This is a great advantage for homeowners looking to sell their property, as it gives them more money to invest in other projects or investments.

Low Maintenance

Solar panel technology can use photovoltaic cells to turn the energy from the sun into an electric current. Solar panels are relatively inexpensive and don’t need much if any, maintenance once they’re set up.

Solar panel systems can provide reliable electricity for decades with little maintenance if they are set up and kept in good shape. Also, if parts need to be replaced, you can easily find them at most hardware stores.

The Cost of Solar Panel Technology

Home solar panels allow you to harness natural solar energy and turn it into electricity, saving money on your electricity bills and reducing the carbon footprint of your home.

Unfortunately, installing home solar panels is costly, with the average installation costing between $15,000 and $40,000, depending on the size and power of the home solar panel system.

System Number and Size

Since solar panels come in different sizes and can hold different amounts of power, smaller systems usually cost less than larger ones. The size of the system determines how much energy it can have. Since more extensive systems make more power and cost more, they are more efficient.

In general, the more complicated the installation process is and the bigger the system, the more it costs. Lastly, the number of panels needed to make the design can also affect the installation cost. More panels will make the total cost go up.

Panel Efficiency

More efficient solar panels can make more energy from the same amount of sunlight, which will lower the overall price of home solar panels. Higher levels of efficiency also cut costs related to setting up the system, like the need for more panels and infrastructure.

Also, high-efficiency panels need less space to be installed, which cuts down on the cost of the area you would have otherwise required. The efficiency of solar panels is a critical factor in figuring out how much they cost, which directly affects how much the whole system costs.

Installation Costs

Installing a solar system for a home involves not only the equipment cost but also the labor cost to get the systems up and running. Professional solar installation companies can often provide an accurate price estimate for the installation costs.

Still, these estimates can vary widely depending on the location, climate, and other specific project details. If you want to go now and find the lowest costs of solar panel options in your area, click here.

Go Solar Today

Solar panel technology is revolutionizing the way we think about energy production. As more people become aware of the advantages of solar energy, its efficient and cost-effective capabilities make it a great alternative to traditional energy sources.

By making the switch, we can help reduce emissions and do our part to live sustainably. Join the movement for clean energy today. Invest in solar-powered energy solutions for your home or business.

Was this article helpful to you? If so, check out our blog for more helpful information and resources.

In the late 1990s, I searched the internet (yes, it existed) to figure out what people meant by the relatively new concept of thought leadership connected to corporate branding.

Since then, I’ve developed thought leadership campaigns for many global brands. And, today, nearly every B2B marketer uses thought leadership in their content marketing strategy.

But despite its effectiveness and staying power, the concept still isn’t well understood – nor is it used to its potential.

What is thought leadership really?

Business leaders and marketers slap the “thought leadership” label onto a lot of marketing activities. Some narrowly define it. Others, as Forrester principal analyst Lisa Gately did at Content Marketing World, define it as  “an intentional exercise of knowledge, skills, and expertise to increase awareness, elevate perception, and drive preference related to key issues that an audience cares about.”

To me, thought leadership shouldn’t be defined too narrowly or too expansively. Thought leadership is the strategic and well-planned coming together of original research and compelling, purpose-built marketing content to engage a defined audience.

Some use my definition more specifically for “industry thought leadership” because it captures macro trends affecting business and works for existing and prospective clients.

#ThoughtLeadership is the well-planned coming together of original research and compelling marketing #content for a defined audience, says @JanieJaniehulse via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet

But the goal remains the same: to position your company as an authority on a topic by providing useful insights independent of your brand’s products and services.

In other words, don’t approach thought leadership as a commodity, reducing it to listicles or unsubstantiated infographics, as fellow writer Jonathan Crossfield warns. Thought leadership is not a single interview with a CEO, a webinar about new solutions, or a blog article about a product.

Thought leadership in content marketing relies on original or novel research. It combines the rigor of an independent academic study with the sizzle of a targeted ad campaign. It’s difficult to pull off and often takes a village of researchers, analysts, writers, editors, UX specialists, digital designers, videographers, IT managers, project managers, and media strategists.

Example: Oral health brand Haleon supported a fantastic thought leadership piece – the Health Inclusivity Index (registration required) produced by The Economist Group. It brings together professionals from around the world to build a program that combines both substance and sizzle. It combines data, case studies, and multiple content formats to create a go-to thought leadership resource on the topic.

Boost your credibility and be useful

Regardless of the means, well-planned and executed thought leadership campaigns educate the target audience on broader macro trends and relevant implications for their business. But let’s face it; executives are busy people looking for ways to propel their businesses forward and bolster their own knowledge bank and expertise. They don’t need an overly prescriptive narrative; they want easy-to-understand thought leadership with helpful key takeaways.

Executives don’t need overly prescriptive narratives. They want easy-to-understand #ThoughtLeadership with helpful takeaways, says @JanieJaniehulse via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet

Example: The 53-page report, Opportunity 2030: The Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map, serves this purpose for the British multinational bank (Standard Chartered) and is supported by Oxford Analytica research. It crystalizes and visualizes the research findings related to UN Sustainable Development Goals. It even provides figures for private sector investment opportunities in 15 countries in Asia and Africa.

Tether thought leadership to business outcomes

The more targeted, substantive, and useful the thought leadership, the more apt the content can generate leads. LinkedIn’s B2B Institute recommends a nearly even budget split between lead generation and brand building in marketing. Thought leadership programs can help achieve both goals. They can earn brand attention from new companies or firms venturing into new areas. Thought leadership programs also can set the stage for the sales process, especially given almost three-fourths of B2B buyers in a 2020 study engage with at least three pieces of content before ever talking with a salesperson. Plus, a new thought leadership piece is a good reason for the sales team to contact past clients and new prospects to share it.

#ThoughtLeadership helps a marketing budget in two ways – awareness and lead generation, says @JanieJaniehulse via @CMIContent. Click To Tweet

Example: Well-designed thought leadership programs garner more attention through media distribution and awareness-building events while generating relevant business leads. Insurer Willis Watson Towers does both with its annual Political Risk Index. Visitors can peruse a content hub featuring a summary of the research, access a visually impactful e-book, and register to receive the full report, which was gated to capture leads.

Expand beyond the PDF format

Marketers often anchor thought leadership programs in a longer-form report underpinned by new research. But the distribution of those findings doesn’t have to be limited to that report (often in the form of a PDF). They can be shared at events big and small. Your brand’s speaker could incorporate them in a presentation at a conference, or your company could host in-person or virtual events with prospects and clients to exchange the value and let your reps build relationships and strike up conversations.

Your thought leadership program should live on the company’s website or its own landing page hosted by a third-party publishing partner to add validation and exposure. It can be chopped into visually engaging short-form content assets to share and consume on social media easily. The research findings can inform derivative multimedia content pieces like videos, films, or podcasts. Doing so allows you to meet the audience where they are with content formats they want to consume.

I really like Rob Mitchel’s VARK acronym to ensure your thought leadership appeals to all learning styles:

• Visual – infographics, animations, data visualization
• Aural – podcasts, audio interviews
• Read/write – long-form reports, short-form content, written opinion pieces, case studies
• Kinesthetic – webinars, client events, conferences, workshops

Example: I worked on a program for the Project Management Institute’s Brightline Initiative to bring thought leadership to the stage during the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2018 and 2019. The resulting panel discussion Humans 2.0: Designing and implementing a future-proof strategy, hosted by The Economist Events, took place live at the event.

Then, the team evolved the in-person presentation into three content pieces for the Brightline Initative website  (as you can see in the screenshot below):

• A video of the full panel discussion
• A shorter video showing the highlights
• Video commentary featuring the Brightline Initiative’s executive director.

Find your secret to successful thought leadership

What’s the secret to conjuring content that doesn’t get dismissed in the cacophony? Before you begin, consider your objectives, your audience, and how you want the audience to react to the insights shared. With that understanding, you can bring together a smart team to consider the ideal brand positioning, associated trending themes, and potential research hypotheses worthy of exploration.

In other words, do some brand soul-searching and find the white space you can fill. Consider the white space as your playground. Shaping it takes a bit of work. Happily, that effort usually is just a search away. Systematically Google key terms related to your project and to see what pops up. Track the results to see players and patterns emerge. Then, you can find where your unique point of view fits within the coverage. That unique point grounds your white space.

Don’t stop short

The Edelman Trust Barometer is the gold standard for thought leadership programs, given its longevity and impact. For more than 20 years, Edelman has put forward annual research on the influence of trust across society — government, media, business, and non-government organizations. In doing so, the company has led the conversation and driven results for its business.

You don’t need to put in 20 years to produce well-founded original ideas, but you must invest for the long haul.

The most successful thought leadership campaigns I’ve worked on were long-term, multi-year engagements. The marketers approached publishing partners 12 to 18 months before launch. These larger projects often require longer upfront conversations to define and refine the theme and research hypotheses. That’s not to say you can’t whip up a strong thought leadership engagement in five to seven months, but that usually happens after the upfront brand and theme work exists.

When you take the time to identify your topic areas, conduct the research, and produce multiple content assets, the thought leadership you produce will be more likely to attract attention. It will have a better opportunity to gain awareness among an executive audience.

Executives spend an average of two hours every week on thought leadership content, according to a 2021 IBM survey. Given that thought leadership informs 80% of CEO buying decisions, according to the same survey, your program also will position your brand for quality leads.

Thought leadership programs have worked well for decades, but understanding what they really involve and how they can work for your brand – and, more importantly, your target audience – will allow your content to stand out in a sea of misunderstood, misused, and unhelpful thought leadership.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institut