January 12, 2026
White Papers Aren’t Dead - You’re Just Using Them Wrong
Table of Contents
Abbie
Founder + Director
“White papers aren’t dead… they’ve just become a bit lacklustre.”
If you’ve ever downloaded a “white paper” that was basically a sales brochure with a form in front of it… yep. Same. But, when done right, white papers still have a spot in your marketing strategy.
In this week’s Marketing vs The World, Abbie is joined by Antonia Taylor, founder of Antonia Taylor PR & Communications (and, casual flex, Abbie’s former boss from the agency days - the one who taught her half the things she still uses today).
They talk about why white papers still matter in 2026, why thought leadership is having a proper comeback, and what it takes to create a report that people actually want to read, share and talk about.
And because Antonia has just released one of the best white papers we’ve seen in years - Being Seen - this episode isn’t theory. It’s real-world, “here’s what worked”, step-by-step stuff.
Listen to the full episode (then come back - you’ll want to steal half these ideas).
Meet Antonia: 25 Years in PR, a Big-Agency Education, and the Reality of the Juggle
“I started having kids and I just couldn’t do the juggle piece.”
That line will hit home for a lot of listeners - because the theme comes up on so many episodes: ambition doesn’t disappear when you become a parent… but the way work is built often doesn’t help.
Antonia’s spent 25 years in PR, “grew up” in a big WPP agency (what she calls the glory days of PR), then moved regional when family life demanded something more workable. Thirteen years ago, she launched her own agency - pre-Covid, pre-flexibility, and (in her words) worked harder than ever.
Listen to the full episode for Antonia’s story - it sets up why thought leadership matters so much to her now.
Why White Papers Went Wrong (and How They Lost the Plot)
“They became a sales vehicle rather than a thought leadership vehicle.”
This is the core problem.
White papers used to be about:
taking a position
challenging the market
offering insight people couldn’t get elsewhere
sparking action and conversation
Then somewhere along the way, a lot of brands turned them into:
lead magnets first
thought leadership second
with a big splash of “and here’s our solution…” at the end
And yes, white papers can absolutely support sales. But when they’re too salesy, they stop being shareable - and when they stop being shareable, they stop doing the job white papers are supposed to do: build credibility and authority.
Listen to the full episode for the full “what happened here?” rant (it’s very satisfying).
What “Good” Looks Like: Why Being Seen Worked
“It has to stand for something… it has to feel bold.”
Antonia’s white paper Being Seen landed like a small movement. Abbie went to the launch and described the room as having real buzz - not just polite networking, but a sense that people were genuinely aligned.
So what made it different?
It wasn’t a disguised sales pitch
It had a clear mission
It was built around a real issue people care about
It was designed to have a long shelf life
It made people feel something (and then do something)
And crucially - Antonia didn’t create it just to “generate leads”. She created it to step into a bigger version of her work and her voice.
Listen to the full episode to hear why she waited two years before finally committing to it (and what tipped her over the edge).
How to Choose a White Paper Topic That Actually Lands
“Don’t work from where you are now - work from where you want to be.”
This is one of the best bits of advice in the episode.
If you’re planning a B2B white paper (or any thought leadership report), Antonia recommends starting with:
Where do you want your business to be by the end of 2026? Not “what do we sell today?” but “what do we want to be known for next?”
What pressures and shifts are shaping your clients’ world? The things they’re dealing with whether they like it or not.
What question can you credibly “excavate” and evolve? Something you can bring new thinking to - not a topic that’s already been done to death.
What authority are you trying to build? White papers are positioning tools. Use them to claim ground.
Then you find the precision point: the question your white paper will answer - the one that sparks conversation and makes people sit up.
Listen to the full episode for the exact language Antonia uses here - it’s gold for planning sessions.
Do White Papers Need to Be Controversial?
“Not controversial… daring thinking. Bold thinking.” This is such a useful distinction.
You don’t need outrage bait. You do need something with a spine.
Antonia’s view:
it should stand for something
you should care about it (otherwise you’ll hate talking about it for a year)
it needs to be strong enough to build a campaign around
it should enrich your audience’s world
and yes - it should open doors to prospects, but that’s not the only goal
Put simply: if it could be written by anyone in your category, it’s not thought leadership.
Listen to the full episode for the “sales vs authority” balance - it’s the bit many brands get wrong.
The Launch: You Can’t Just Hit Publish and Hope for the Best
“I’d encourage people to do a full-on campaign to support the launch.” This is where most white papers fall down.
People put months into writing them… then “launch” them with:
one LinkedIn post
one email
and silence
Antonia’s approach was the opposite: she built a proper campaign around it.
What worked especially well:
An in-person event that matched the theme (Being Seen needed to be seen)
Bringing the right people together (and letting the conversation do the work)
Visibility for contributors (six of them attended, creating credibility and momentum)
Creating a moment that people wanted to post about
And she’s clear: it doesn’t have to be massive. It could be:
a roundtable
a small dinner
a breakfast session
a contributor panel
a series of follow-up webinars
The key is: give people a reason to engage beyond a PDF link.
Listen to the full episode for Antonia’s thinking on why physical events can amplify authority fast.
Antonia’s Practical Tips if You’re Starting a White Paper in January
“Be honest about resources… it’s a lot of work.” If you’re reading this in December and thinking “Right, January - white paper time”… here’s the grounded advice from Antonia:
Start with purpose: what is this going to drive in the business?
Make sure you’ve got the capacity to manage it (especially contributor wrangling)
Spend serious time on ideation and topic development
Choose something you’ll happily talk about for a full year
Build it so it can support a wider PR, marketing and sales campaign
And the biggest one: think bigger. Use it to level the playing field, especially if you’re a smaller brand competing with bigger budgets.
Listen to the full episode for the “think bigger” message - it’s the perfect kick up the backside (in a nice way).
Bonus Chat: Being Seen - Visibility for Women at Work
“Our daughters aren’t going to see gender pay parity in their lifetimes.” This is the part of the episode where it shifts from “white paper strategy” into something bigger.
Some of the most jaw-dropping takeaways from Antonia’s research:
Only seven female CEOs in the FTSE 100
The cost of losing female talent in UK tech: £2.4bn+ (Lovelace report)
Only one in four front-page articles written by women (NUJ stat, though Antonia notes AI may change the picture)
Proximity bias and boys’ club culture still showing up in subtle ways
Senior women still wrestling with things like imposter syndrome
The importance of women feeling safe enough to be visible
There’s loads more here, but the central point is powerful: it’s not on women to “fix themselves”. There are systemic issues at play - and progress can slip backwards if we stop paying attention.
Listen to the full episode for the top-line findings - and Antonia’s advice on how visibility can be a form of contribution, not just self-promotion.
The Good Stuff, Summed Up
White papers aren’t dead - many just became too salesy and lost their thought leadership role.
The best white papers stand for something, have bold thinking, and spark conversation.
Start from where you want to be by the end of 2026, not where you are today.
Choose a topic you can talk about for a year - and build a campaign around it.
Launch properly: event, roundtable, dinner, panel, content series… give it a moment.
White papers are a powerful way for smaller brands to build authority and level the playing field.
Being Seen highlights how women’s workplace visibility is still held back by systems, culture and bias - and why it matters.
Listen to the full episode if you want the framework (and the inspiration) straight from Antonia.
Before You Go…
If this episode has made you want to bring white papers back with a bit more bite (and a lot more impact), go connect with Antonia Taylor on LinkedIn and check out Being Seen.
And if you’re a brand thinking, “We should do thought leadership properly in 2026… but we’re not sure where to start”, come and chat to us at Monday Clicks.
We’ll help you build content that isn’t just “content”, but actually earns attention - and turns into real visibility in search, AI, and the places your buyers are looking.
And don’t forget: Marketing vs The World listeners get a free SEO audit - just mention this episode when you reach out.
Now go listen to the full episode (and if it makes you want to write a white paper, don’t say we didn’t warn you).
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