The Real Solution to the Tech Marketing Problem

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In a crowded market like Tech, the fierceness of the competition has created an excruciating conformity, homogenising the landscape to an unbearable shade of blerrrrgggh. It’s become a race to the bottom and the results are painful for everyone.

Tech brands are treating their audience and their problems as if they’re completely interchangeable. This means that the audience ends up thinking that all tech brands and their solutions are completely interchangeable. It can’t go on like this.

The ‘S’ Word

Take a look at all the most memorable tech brands, we’re talking Microsoft, Apple, Dropbox, WeTransfer, Mail Chimp… What’s the first thing you notice? Here’s a clue, you won’t find the ‘s’ word anywhere but the nav bar most of the time. We’re talking about the word ‘solution’. And you won’t find this word plastered everywhere because these brands understand that their product is a tool, not a solution.

The human problem.

The human problem is at the centre of their communications, and they frame their offer in response. This is how it should be.

And we’ll be the first ones to admit that it’s harder to find that human problem for B2B, when you’re trying to solve business problems. But if you put in that extra effort to figure it out, you’ll be rewarded.

  • Your brand will be stronger because it is more relatable.
  • You’ll be able to communicate on a more personal level.
  • You can market your offer in more meaningful ways.

It can be done.

And there are plenty of tech brands out there making B2B feel less transactional and more relatable; WeTransfer, Accenture, Intercom, Dropbox, Drift, Mail Chimp, Gong and Notion, Figma.

  • They understand the value of brand awareness and being top of mind not just now, but when it’s time to buy.
  • They don’t sell product, they sell benefits.
  • They talk to humans, not businesses.
  • They appeal to our basic and more complex sensory needs; colour, movement, sound, music, narrative, compelling messaging, TOV, clear and well-signposted calls to action, thoughtful UX.

The iceberg.

Lots of brands believe that to connect with their audience all they need is a signature colour palette, a logo and a strapline. But the mechanics of brand communication are much more complicated than that.

The classic ice-berg metaphor is used so often because it’s a great way of communicating how the most influential elements of a brand remain hidden but perceivable. And, as much as you wish it were so, there are no short cuts to getting this right.

We can understand a lot about a brand from visual clues like colour, shape, font and photography. But deeper, more complex clues about things like purpose and culture (beliefs, goals and values) have to be expressed with words and tone of voice.

A brand should be a response to an audience or societal demand.

It should be positioned amongst its competitors and in the marketplace to help it become less ‘interchangeable’ with other brands.

Ask yourself, how is your brand trying to respond and connect with your audience?

And how do you differentiate your brand in the marketplace?

Be different.

You’ve heard people talk about it. Marketing experts write books about it. Business empires are built upon this single foundation; be different.

Think about it for a moment. If your unique selling point (USP) is about outperforming or undercutting the competition, chances are you won’t be able to rely on that as a competitive advantage forever. Someone else can come along at any moment and do it better than you or cheaper than you.

So, what’s the one thing they can’t compete with or do better at?

Being you.

Having your perspective, your technique and your experience are the intangible qualities that make your business different. And when you’re different, you stand out.

If you want to read more about how to be different, take a look at our handy guide.

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Written by

Head of Content & Strategy

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