The difference of FMCG and IT

FMCG companies use Public Relations and advertising to drive a primal response in their communications.  They understand their customers and our habits, movements, motivators and urges.  They use PR to weave their promotions into the fabric of our lives because they can step outside their own realities and view themselves through the eyes of the consumer. IT companies consider themselves too complex to stoop to this level thinking “it is too techy to talk about”. I have observed IT companies have not yet fully embraced the “emotional” element in promoting their brand. They are more technology solutions focused and lack the advantage of been a business solutions provider. The best examples are the latest Apple iPhone advertisement and the Windows 7 launch where they connect to the public through Theodore Levitt ’s augmented product concept, the iPhone features are connected to our daily lives, combining functionality to the DNA of lifestyle.

Public Relations for technology companies are not the same as PR for FMCG. For Technology companies the buyers, consumers and the kinds of stories that interest both are vastly different. The depth and complexity of knowledge are beyond different. Which results strategies and tactics used by each organization should be tailor made accordingly. With all these factors unique to the high-tech market, it is inevitable to select a proper knowledge consultant for ones brand, product or service.

Mr. Indika De Zoysa Country Business Manager – Sri Lanka Intel EM Ltd – Sri Lanka Liaison Office, “Public Relations is valuable for IT companies like Intel to differentiate and inform the public about not only our solutions but also to educate our stakeholders about our company values and commitment to the community”.

Content

PR in the IT Industry gives the IT company an opportunity to express more substance and content to the wide audience vis-a-vis an advertisement or a campaign.  For industries such as IT where it’s more B2B as opposed to retailing, PR gives the length and breath to talk about a diverse array of activities. IT industries are diverse and dynamic, PR is a great way to express this diverse and dynamic elements.

“Strong employer brand – makes you competitive” – Madu Ratnayake -General Secretary and Director SLASSCOM

In a competitive environment for the best talent for the IT industry a strong employer brand is essential for attracting, retaining and inspiring employees. This is even more important, for a service organization where the main asset is its employees. A well thought out strategy and a message consistent with reality, is paramount in building a strong employer brand. Your best brand ambassadors for an employer brand are your employees. They can only be ambassadors if they are believers and inspired with what the company practice and stand for.

Firms that specialize in high-tech thinking have a better understanding of the tech industry

The Sri Lankan IT literacy rate is escalating steadily expanding across the country and into the homes of your consumer. Developments in electronics and Internet marketing have made PR firms to consider these changes in their business environment, and consumer behaviour, resulting in practicing cutting edge – technology PR – PR 2.0 platforms.

Selecting a tech savvy PR agency will enhance your business through expanding editorial coverage using PR 2.0 platforms, building conversation with your brand and your customer.  As marketers, we were always used to get through to our audiences with our messages, but the era of this concept in marketing has changed where we have to listen to what the pulse of our consumer is, they say what they experience about your brand this is a considerable feature through the expansion of new techy avenues. This results in global exposure and buzz for your brand – your activities. Most importantly it increase sales and enhances your marketing plan with a range of options to reach to your publics.

Technology PR agencies have the knowledge and allow you to show your potential the whole world, plus develop customer loyalty by integrating new technology with traditional advertising and marketing strategies.

How could IT companies maximize buzz?

Changes and introduction of “new” channels of communication results marketers to take into consideration the ever growing and popular “social media” which is also known as User Generated Media (UGM) Consumer Generated Media (CGM) communicating there brands promise and further engaging with their target audiences. This paved way to PR 2.0, how public relations integrate with technology and the internet. Public Relations thus has a new meaning when it comes to using these new communications avenues to influence the prospect.

For IT companies it creates more value, as the internet was born as a result of technology innovation. This makes sense for IT companies to use elements such as blogging, white papers, viral marketing, social networking sites and search engine optimization to communicate to your target publics, blending the traditional and new media relations to reach journalists as well as consumers.

Ashan Kumar