This article was originally published in Mumbrella.
Icon Agency's David Radestock explores how the communications industry could look to the technology industry for a way towards greater productivity and efficiency as rising costs squeeze client budgets.
The technology sector—and those of us who spend an inordinate amount of time talking about it—loves a buzzword.
“Innovation” was big before being sacrificed on the altar of Malcolm Turnbull’s premiership. “Digital transformation” had its day until almost every organisation transformed overnight. We’ve had “hybrid” (cloud; work) and “deploying” (solutions; capital), AI, AR, VR, MR, and the Metaverse.
This year’s buzzword is shaping up as a battle between the closely linked concepts of productivity and efficiency. A looming recession, continuing war in Ukraine, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain complexities have combined to create a new environment after the pandemic-induced boom years. Technology companies are looking for efficiencies internally while recognising that customers are as focused on better utilising what they have as investing in something new.
As communications consultants, it goes without saying that our job is to craft, articulate and disseminate this message, to eagerly scroll thesaurus.com for synonyms for “productive” and “efficient”. To recognise the reality of the world around us and package it into something which cuts through.