ROI Calculator — Research Well

Adjust the inputs below to model returns based on your own assumptions. Default values are set conservatively — the published evidence base typically supports higher figures. Hover over ? icons for explanations. Calculation methodology and sources are in the collapsible sections below.

Invested

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Return

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ROI

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Evidencing Impact

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Thought Leadership

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Data-Driven Targeting

Include

Evidencing Impact

Active clients ?Number of clients currently under contract. Used to calculate the churn and retention effects.

clients

Avg contract value ?Average annual value per client contract. Used across all three revenue calculations.

Baseline churn rate ?Percentage of clients typically lost per year before any intervention. Industry average for B2B services is 10–20%.15%

2%40%

Churn reduction ?How much churn is reduced by demonstrating impact. Applied to the number of clients who would otherwise leave. Default 20% is conservative vs evidence.20%

5%50%

New clients (case study) ?Additional clients per year where published case studies influenced their decision to engage. 73% of B2B buyers say case studies affect purchasing (CMI, 2025).

per year

Premium pricing uplift ?Additional percentage applied to renewing contracts, supported by demonstrated impact. 60% of decision-makers report willingness to pay a premium (Edelman, 2024).5%

0%20%

Annual investment ?Total cost of producing the evidence materials — consultancy, internal time, and design/production.

Thought Leadership

Total Year 1 investment ?All-in cost for the first year: research, writing, design, and distribution.

New RFP invitations ?Competitive tender invitations generated by the report's visibility. 86% of decision-makers say they'd invite based on thought leadership (Edelman, 2024).

per year

RFP win rate ?Your historical win rate on competitive tenders. The general B2B average is ~20%.33%

10%60%

New contract value ?Average annual value of a contract won through a competitive tender.

Renewals affected ?Number of existing clients where the report strengthens the renewal conversation and supports premium pricing.

clients

Renewal contract value ?Average annual value of an affected renewal contract.

Premium pricing uplift ?Additional percentage on renewals, supported by the authority the report establishes. 92% of C-suite report willingness to pay a premium (Edelman, 2025).7%

0%20%

Data-Driven Targeting

Investment per cycle ?Cost per targeting cycle: research, materials production, and sales time. Multiple cycles can be run per year.

Targets per cycle ?Number of organisations identified through gap analysis and approached with tailored propositions. Quality over volume.

organisations

Conversion rate ?Percentage of targeted organisations that convert. ABM benchmarks: 15–35%. General B2B win rate is ~20% (Ebsta, 2025).20%

5%50%

Base contract value ?Baseline annual contract value without the targeting uplift.

Deal size uplift ?Increase in contract value from approaching with tailored, evidence-backed propositions. ABM evidence suggests 20–33% (DemandBase, 2024).25%

0%50%

Important Caveats

Revenue vs. margin: All returns shown are gross incremental revenue. Multiply by your margin rate for profit impact.

Attribution: Models assume direct attribution. Real-world causation is rarely this clean.

Evidence quality: Key sources are based on self-reported data. Treat figures as directional, not precise.

Overlap: Options 1 and 2 share return mechanisms (retention, pricing). Combined totals may overstate if both are pursued.

Summary bar

Total invested = sum of investments for included options
Total return   = sum of incremental returns for included options
ROI (%)        = ((Total return − Total invested) / Total invested) × 100

Option 1 — Evidencing Impact

Models three revenue streams: client retention, new client acquisition via case studies, and premium pricing on renewals.

Clients lost      = Active clients × Baseline churn rate
Clients retained  = Clients lost × Churn reduction
Retained revenue  = Clients retained × Avg contract value
New revenue       = New clients (case study) × Avg contract value
Renewing clients  = Active − Lost + Retained
Premium revenue   = Renewing × Avg contract value × Premium uplift
Total return      = Retained + New + Premium revenue

Option 2 — Thought Leadership

Models RFP conversion, premium pricing on existing renewals, and avoided content production cost.

RFPs won         = New RFP invitations × Win rate
New revenue      = RFPs won × New contract value
Premium revenue  = Renewals affected × Renewal value × Premium uplift
Content value    = £7,500 (fixed — avoided external production cost)
Total return     = New revenue + Premium revenue + Content value

Option 3 — Data-Driven Targeting

Models account-based targeting with evidence-backed propositions.

Clients won      = Targets per cycle × Conversion rate
Effective value  = Base contract value × (1 + Deal size uplift)
Total revenue    = Clients won × Effective contract value

Option 1 defaults

Churn reduction (20%). Edelman-LinkedIn (2024, n ≈ 3,500): 70% of C-suite said competitor thought leadership made them question an existing supplier; 25% ended or reduced a relationship. The 20% default applies this conservatively to the at-risk cohort only.

Premium pricing (5%). 60% of decision-makers willing to pay a premium for thought leadership producers (Edelman, 2024). The 5% default is intentionally conservative against stated willingness.

Case study influence (1 new client). 73% of B2B decision-makers say case studies influence purchasing (CMI, 2025). One new client per year is a minimal estimate.

Option 2 defaults

RFP invitations (3). 86% of decision-makers more likely to invite to RFP based on thought leadership (Edelman, 2024). Three per year is conservative.

Premium pricing (7%). 92% of C-suite willing to pay a premium (Edelman, 2025). Higher than Option 1 on the basis that a sector-defining report supports a stronger pricing position.

Content asset value (£7,500). Estimated avoided external production cost for 12+ derivative pieces at ~£600 per piece. Fixed value.

ROI context. IBM/Wiley (2025) reported 156% average ROI from thought leadership across 4,000 C-suite globally.

Option 3 defaults

Conversion rate (20%). Lower end of the ABM range (15–35%). General B2B win rate is 19–21% (Ebsta, 2025). The default does not assume outperformance.

Deal size uplift (25%). DemandBase reports 33% average ACV increase. The 25% default applies a moderating discount.

Key sources

Edelman-LinkedIn (2024) Reaching Beyond the Ready, n ≈ 3,500 · Edelman-LinkedIn (2025) Invisible Influence, n ≈ 2,000 · Anderson & Marshall (2025) / IBM IBV, n = 4,000 C-suite · Content Marketing Institute (2025) · Reichheld (1996) / HBR (2014) · Forrester (2025) · DemandBase (2024) · Ebsta x Pavilion (2024–25) · Ehrenberg-Bass / LinkedIn (Dawes, 2022)

No controlled experimental evidence exists demonstrating the causal effect of thought leadership on B2B revenue in occupational health specifically. All figures are from adjacent B2B sectors.