A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the Gartner ITxpo with our client WatchGuard, a global business security solutions provider. In between staffing meetings with industry analysts, I had the opportunity to attend a session called, “The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2013” presented by VP and Gartner Fellow David Cearley.
Some of the trends were bigger eye-openers than others, but each converges at what Gartner refers to as “the nexus of disruptive forces,” which includes social, mobile, cloud and information. These forces, according to Gartner, combine to empower individuals as they interact with each other and their information, giving users greater control than ever before. They also level the playing field for startups and agile companies who can utilize the nexus to seize more opportunities to engage with customers and expand into new markets.
Cearley predicts the following disruptive forces will have a major impact on enterprises over the next three years:
- Mobile Device Battles
- Mobile Applications and HTML 5
- Personal Cloud
- Internet of Things
- Hybrid IT and Hybrid Cloud Computing
- Strategic Big Data
- Actionable Analytics
- Mainstream In-Memory Computing
- Integrated ecosystems
- Enterprise App Stores
While the list is compelling from a CIO or IT manager vantage point, as a strategic public relations firm in Seattle and Washington D.C., we see numerous unique opportunities for companies to elevate brand image and establish thought leadership across these categories. Press, analysts and influencers will be hungry over the coming year for unique angles that highlight how organizations are driving innovation and adapting to these new paradigms. Questions you should be asking when thinking about these trends as they pertain to strategic marketing and PR:
- How is your company already positioned to drive transformative change across these categories?
- Where is there conflict or tension amongst these trends, and how does your company resolve these issues?
- What data do you have or can you create that supports or refutes these trends?
- Do these trends have a major influence on your customers? If so, how do you shape this into a vertical storytelling strategy?
- Do you have a thought leader within your company that already has expertise in one of these areas?
Anytime prominent analyst firms such as Gartner speak, media and influencers tend to listen. We’ve seen this evidenced through the hundreds of stories already written on Gartner’s top technology trends. As you look ahead to the next year, think strategically about how your company can build mindshare in these areas. If executed properly, your company voice will be heard and trusted.
