The global edge computing market is predicted to reach $156 billion by 2030—primarily driven by AI, 5G, and IoT, according to ResearchAndMarkets. The market is undoubtedly exciting and quickly evolving—and everyone wants a piece.
What’s happening with edge computing is a story as old as time. A new trend emerges, and the media turns its attention to the hottest new thing in town. Companies start to trip over themselves to position themselves as leaders in the market.
So, knowing the trajectory of such hype cycles, how can marketing and communications professionals deliver unique perspectives and compelling narratives that stand out in such a crowded space? Here are five proven ways to break through the noise:
1. Educate the market: Positioning your executives as thought leaders helps promote your brand and demonstrate that your organization understands what matters to your customers. However, it’s essential to consider when to be visionary (e.g., future applications yet to be realized with edge computing) and when to offer practical tips that people can use now.
Edge computing has the great potential to reimagine how consumers and businesses gather and respond quickly to data from the world around them. Brands can position themselves as visionaries by discussing forward-thinking predictions while highlighting current successful implementations—using marketing to build interest and excitement around the positive impact of this technology.
2. Leverage visuals to bring the story to life: Visual storytelling in your marketing campaigns is especially important in emerging tech scenarios that can be highly conceptual and technical. An effective piece of visual storytelling also helps inspire an emotional response, educates the audience, and guides them to a particular conclusion. Consider developing an explainer video on how networks are evolving at the edge to help audiences easily digest complex concepts. Similarly, diagrams and infographics can illustrate how networks are evolving and better explain the technical side of how more data processing happens at the edge.
3. Explore multiple dimensions of the story: In your marketing and communications, think about edge computing from various angles. For example, cybersecurity is critical in edge computing and worth exploring further for story angles. Reporters at outlets like Dark Reading, SC Magazine, Bleeping Computer, SecurityWeek, and CSO are highly interested in the security implications of edge devices, as they represent an attractive target for attackers.
With any emerging technology, there is also the challenge of hype. We saw hype surrounding cloud computing in its infancy and now with AI. There’s a real danger to companies jumping on the hype bandwagon. What usually comes next is the media and marketing landscape becomes oversaturated with claims and messaging that obscure true players from players and those who are just hitching their wagon to the latest trend to stay relevant.
4. Leverage compelling use cases: With many emerging technologies, concepts are still new – so full case studies may not exist yet. Marketers can take advantage of things like trials or beta projects to gather voices in the early stages in lieu of waiting for a full-scale, multi-year deployment to yield a full-fledged case study.
You can also lean on your customers and partners to target business press and technology and industry trades. While this might seem like a somewhat niche scenario as edge computing is still nascent, there are multiple instances where edge computing can be relevant.
For example, if your product supports smart cities, explain how your product or technology improved a city’s operations, like its traffic management system. Finally, allow use cases to verticalize the story further to build awareness in other industries. For example, in the retail industry, companies could convey how their edge computing solutions can uncover insights for promotions, replenishment cycles, and personalized in-store experiences to bolster sales.
5. Deliver the right content to the right audience: According to a recent survey from CISION, when asked what communications professionals can do to make their jobs easier, 66% of journalists responded with “provide data and expert sources.” Reporters need a solid hook driven by data, supported by third-party validation from sources such as analysts or customers. Marketing can then slice and dice the insights to fuel a multitude of campaigns—all of which can help raise awareness and drive leads.
As the world of edge computing continues to progress, so too has the importance of educating the market—and cutting through the noise. Marketing professionals must keep a pulse on new developments and evolve their communications to speak to what matters to people in an increasingly connected world.
As you continue to evolve the messaging and positioning of your company in the area of edge computing, think about how you can step outside the box while still helping your audience easily digest the story. At Merritt Group, staying ahead of cutting-edge technology and marketing and public relations trends is at the root of our agency’s core values. As we expand our footprint in emerging tech, we keep a pulse on industry leaders, trends, and market opportunities. By helping our clients get to the heart and mission of their storytelling, we can shape narratives that resonate with thought leadership, media interviews, customer stories, and content.
Are you looking to stand out in your rapidly growing technology space? Learn more about how our Connectivity group can help!
