The tech sector kept many of our businesses going during the lockdown. However, in the post-Covid-19 world, business-focussed tech firms must adapt to a changing society. For many, this means looking to the consumer sector for inspiration on how communicate with more empathy.

Technology came to the rescue for many of us during lockdown. In fact, in research recently commissioned by Grayling, almost two-thirds (62%) of people said they had been able to fully or mostly perform their job roles at home, thanks to technology. The economic damage may have been a lot worse without collaborative technology enabling the workforce to continue to work remotely, in a way we may not have been able to operate a decade or more ago.

We only need to look at the surge in business application downloads (up by 90% in the week post lockdown) to see the popularity of companies who provide cloud services, conferencing solutions, security, and collaborative working tools. And going forward, we can expect organisations across the economy to accelerate their digital transformation to adapt and survive. We’ll also see an increased move to automation and further remote working possibilities, so there are huge opportunities for transformative technologies.

Post-Covid-19, tech brands need to consider two key factors:

• The sales and decision-making journey will involve less physical contact and more digital touchpoints
• We’re in a less-formal world now. We’ve all seen inside our colleagues’ lounges, been interrupted by family members and attended Zoom conferences in casual clothes

Now is an excellent time for B2B technology firms to assess their brand purpose and the way they communicate. People have taken note of the brands that have shown empathy during the lockdown, and those that have not.

Some principles remain unchanged – IT buyers will look for value for money, quality and great customer experience – but those brands who can communicate with empathy, build trust and put people and purpose at their heart – can really stand out.

B2B tech should look to consumer brands for inspiration

Traditionally, many B2B firms have communicated in a very matter-of-fact, even transactional way. In future, this might now wash.  B2B tech brands must consider how their message and content strategy will need to change or be adapted to respond to fast-changing market demands, and more online-based purchase decision processes.

Consumer brands are a good source of inspiration here. These are brands who have long defined their purpose to people, and lived and breathed that purpose through their copy, content and communications. B2B tech firms must bring these ‘soft skills’ into their marketing and communications strategies, remember how the lockdown has impacted people, and focus on what their product or service can bring to a raw post-Covid-19 world that needs healing.

Covid-19 has been a catalyst for digital transformation and left us in a world with different immediate needs than at the turn of the year. Now is an excellent opportunity for tech brands to revisit their content and communications strategy, because this decade, things are going to be different.

Written by

Liz Alexander

Director of Corporate Technology, Grayling

If you’d like to discuss how Grayling could help you find your voice, please drop me a line at liz.alexander@grayling.com