From LinkedIn thought leadership to paid panels, CXOs are spending big to stay relevant

New Delhi: If you have scrolled LinkedIn lately, chances are you have come across one of those “deeply reflective” posts by a CXO. Yes. That punchy post where a CMO or a CEO reflects on “grit, growth, and gratitude.” 

Chances are that these epiphanic posts are not as spontaneous and original as they look. It could’ve cost between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000 plus GST for the CXOs.

Or that sharp, well-crafted op-ed in a top-tier publication? Possibly Rs 30,000. 

Welcome to the not-so-secret world of paid thought leadership, where India’s CMOs and CEOs are not just leading businesses. They are also leading well-oiled, retainer-paid content machines that make them look insightful online. 

Driving India’s thought leadership economy, these posts and op-eds are backed by boutique agencies. Behind those agencies are ghostwriters, ranging from moonlighting MBA grads to ex-journalists, to those who can drop a quote from Marcus Aurelius at will. 

And behind them all is a booming business in making India’s top executives go viral, one humble brag post at a time. 

It doesn’t stop at posting content online. A marketing event organiser told BestMediaInfo.com that senior marketing professionals also pay lakhs of rupees to be part of large‑scale marketing events. “A recent case involved a CMO giving us close to Rs 10 lakh for inviting him as a speaker, camouflaged as supporting the cause.”

Thought leadership: Now available on monthly plans

One strategist who helps manage the LinkedIn presence of multiple CXOs revealed that on a monthly retainer amounting to Rs 80,000 to Rs 1 lakh, an individual can get three to four ghostwritten posts, a personalised content calendar, and comment management, among other services.

But this does not stop at LinkedIn posts. These boutique agencies create and curate deeply researched and structured op-eds that feature on some of India’s leading publications. An op-ed, the strategist who requested anonymity confirmed, can cost the CXO upwards of Rs 30,000. 

While retainer plans exist, these “thought leaders” or LinkedIn influencers can choose to go with a single post that can cost them anywhere from Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000, depending on the depth that the post carries. 

Thought leadership as a service: TLaaS?

This ecosystem, which we can daringly call TLaaS, is slowly getting popular. Why? According to Paritosh Joshi, Principal at Provocateur Advisory, this service helps the CXOs future-proof themselves in an unpredictable job market. 

When asked if there is a correlation between personal branding and shrinking CMO tenures, Joshi offered a broader perspective. 

“The employer-employee relationship has changed. The loyalty that once existed, on both sides, has diminished. Just look at how TCS laid off 12,000 people recently. That’s 12,000 families affected.

Compare that to someone like Shailesh Jejurikar, who joined P&G India in 1989 and is now its global CEO. That kind of long-term, mutual commitment is rare today.

In this environment, CMOs aren’t just working for their companies; they’re future-proofing themselves. Personal branding helps make them indispensable and strengthens their negotiation leverage with both current and future employers,” Joshi told BestMediaInfo.com.  

Chiming in, Saurabh Parmar, Fractional Chief Marketing & Growth Officer, said, “Personal branding is one of the unfortunate ills of our times. It's no longer about being good; it’s about saying we are good, loudly and repeatedly. And in this race, CMOs are taking the lead. Why? Because branding is our core skill set.

But there’s a deeper irony here. A majority of marketing isn’t working today, and CMOs must own that. Yet instead of evaluating us on strategy or skill, the industry has reduced our KPIs to ad budget size or the fame of the companies we represent.” 

He added, “It’s happening across the board, legacy brand CMOs and new-age ones alike. At the end of the day, we’ve reduced our profession to the lowest common denominator: fame.”

Contributing to the conversation, Piali Dasgupta Surendran, Vice President- Marketing, one of India’s largest real estate firms, said, “To be fair, this isn’t just for CMOs. All CXOs today are thinking about personal branding more seriously. 

They are roping in content and personal branding agencies to handle this mandate for them, as they may not find the time to devote to this on a regular basis.” 

So, bottom line, what does this do for the “thought leaders?”

• Faster promotions? Sometimes.
  

• Speaking gigs? Yes, especially with a visible LinkedIn track record.
  

• Media invites, panels, and awards? Often.
  

• Board positions or funding attention? Increasingly likely

In the end, building a personal brand in 2025 is part strategy, part performance, part budgeted expense. Thought leadership is no longer earned; it’s designed, drafted, priced, and posted.

So, the next time you double-tap a CXO’s perfectly timed insight about leadership in the age of AI, ask yourself: Is this wisdom, or was it Rs 20,000 well spent?