3 Marketing Secrets of the World’s Top Tech Brands — Millennium Agency
The technology industry changes rapidly and, unless you can keep up with adoption, it can become competitive. With many technology firms offering similar products as the competition — in terms of hardware and software — tech brands must have a solid marketing strategy to succeed.
Marketing has been an important aspect of any company for decades, but when it comes to marketing in the tech industry, it is incredibly important that you are able to show consumers what you have to offer, but even more important to productively communicate why your products and services are the most cutting edge and desirable.
Although many may think that marketing strategies are drawn from a “cookie-cutter” format, a successful marketing campaign will use market research and analysis to construct the most effective strategy for your company. With many big names in the tech industry such as Amazon ® , Apple ® , Samsung ® and Microsoft ® , it is important to note that all of these multi-billion dollar companies began small, and it is through their careful marketing strategies that they were able to expand to incredible levels.
With billions of dollars in revenue, Samsung clearly stands out in the crowd and is among the top 5 most valuable global tech brands. Similarly, Microsoft, one of the champions of virtual communication, is another big name in the global tech industry. As of 2022, it is estimated that over 270 million people actively use Microsoft Teams® alone, the companies popular video communication platform that revolutionized the COVID workplace. Both of these tech titans have been in the industry for decades, and the reason they have been able to rise to such infamy is in part due to their careful marketing and branding choices.
Likewise, Amazon and Apple, two of the biggest names in the overall U.S. economy, both owe a significant amount of their success to their marketing efforts. These tech giants did not become infamous overnight, and when looking closely at their marketing efforts you can see that they mastered having a unique strategy.
With that said, to understand brands, you need to study how these businesses connect with their consumers and stand the test of time to deliver immense financial value. In this blog, we’ll look at several tech companies and dive into what makes these brands so popular among consumers and share top marketing secrets of the tech world.
1. Differentiation
Amazon began as a platform for e-commerce transactions of just about anything customers could think of. Now, the multi-billion dollar company is a major player in the e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence markets to name a few. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic alone, Amazon’s profits have increased by over 220%, and the company owes much of this success to it’s brand positioning of being “different” from the competition — allowing the company to become one of the biggest authorities in the tech industry.
Amazon’s marketing strategy mainly focuses on offering millions of products in the USA — and at record times with their Amazon Prime ® membership and shipping benefits that offer same day or next day shitting on thousands of items for free. The tech brand’s product range is probably the widest among both online and brick-and-mortar retailers, and they offer everything from security cameras, at home virtual assistants — think Amazon Alexa ® , — or even full size tech based home appliances. Amazon’s marketing strategy positions them as being one-of-a-kind when it comes to stock availability and delivery times.
The marketing team at Amazon has polished the brand to be perceived as more convenient, more reliable, and primary choice for just about anything consumers could need. Likewise, Amazon promotes that all of its technology as being conveniently cross compatible, and allows for the syncing of devices to create a cohesive technological experience that is user friendly, and beneficial to the customer. Amazon’s marketing strategy focuses on all of the ways in which they are able to deliver a better experience than the competition, and highlights the many ways in which Amazon differentiates from other e-commerce and tech companies.
While discussing marketing strategies that aim to differentiate the brand from the competition, it’s essential that we discuss Apple’s most successful marketing campaign to date: “Think Different.” The message of thinking differently represents a couple of ideas, including innovation and creativity. It is this marketing strategy of differentiation that allowed Apple to rise to be among the most valuable tech corporations to date. Of course, all of this wouldn’t be possible without the company’s razor-sharp execution. As the famous saying goes, “vision without execution is a delusion.” Apple’s marketing strategy focuses on how they were different, and more innovative than other tech brands.
In the early design years of Apple, the company focused on simplistic designs and never risked overdoing anything. Ranging from iPods ® and iMacs ® to iPads ® and iPhones ® , Apple always added an elegant touch to its simplistic design, which its millions of customers have always appreciated. The same can be said for Apple’s interface. The brand always ensured that its interface was user-friendly and simple enough for all types of customers, irrespective of age or demographic. Apple has established a very distinct appearance and experience when it comes to their technology, one which immediately differentiates their technology from the competition.
2. Positioning
When it comes to a successful tech marketing, a lot of the success lies in the ability to cohesively position your brand. For example, Microsoft’s positioning and targeting practices are focused towards the entire global population. This tech giant positions itself into the mass market with empowering, multi-brand, and signature positioning strategies. Microsoft is valued at over $2 trillion, and so instead of relying on positioning to create overall brand awareness, their positioning is instead used to refine their target audiences and appeal to all.
Microsoft has a strong emphasis on empowering “all” and providing technology for any user. Microsoft positions around its products, and emphasizes the interchangeable compatibility with all of its sister brands’ products — such as XBox ® and Skype ® . As a well-known tech giant, Microsoft’s positioning strategy is now focused less on its brand values and more on the products and services it has to offer.
Positioning itself as a tech brand for users of all types allows Microsoft to be able to effectively market itself to audiences of all makeups. They come off as “for the people,” and customers who are looking for a personalized, cross compatible setup are immediately drawn to Microsoft for their empowering positioning.
3. Marketing Strategies
Samsung’s marketing strategy has evolved a lot since it’s foundation in the 1970s. Having started as a lower-tier tech company, they have undergone considerable marketing strategy changes and, as of the 21 st century, they have established themselves as a big name in high-quality tech.
The Samsung marketing strategy is product centric, and relies heavily on announcing marketing products in a way which makes them feel luxurious. This not only involves the look and function of the technology, but also the look and feel of the brand. As Samsung offers a variety of tech from phones to televisions to speakers and more, they are constantly changing their marketing strategy to target the right audiences for the right product. In an effort to appeal to higher price points, Samsung also considers their vendors and their positioning and chooses to primarily sell their products via known technology retailers such as Best Buy ® and Amazon.
After curating their sleek, high-quality image, Samsung focuses their marketing strategy on centering themselves as an innovative tech brand that delivers cutting edge, unique technology that competitors have not even begun to dream of. Over time, Samsung has established a marketing strategy that aims to push technological innovation that has been fashioned to appeal to the most modern of customers. Samsung’s marketing strategy focuses on why their technology is the most innovative and unique, while still being user-friendly for all. They highlight their products as being reliable and long-lasting, while still being affordable for the general consumer.
Although Samsung has gone through many marketing strategies and campaigns during its over 40 years of operation, centering their efforts around emphasizing the appeal of their products has proved very successful for the tech titan. By the end of 2020, Samsung was among the top 5 globally when it came to overall brand value.
Modern Marketing Tools
Unlike traditional methods that rely on making a sale via a single medium, modern marketing techniques involve brands connecting with consumers across a long list of touchpoints, devices, and mediums. In essence, modern marketing tools have 3 core principles:
Customer Centricity
Modern marketing techniques place customer experiences at the very forefront of every business objective. For this reason, marketers gather, analyze, and apply crucial data insights at every stage of the customer journey, which creates a dynamic loop.
Integration
Using a blend of digital and traditional disciplines, modern marketers integrate marketing techniques and are constantly embracing new technologies. This is why Netflix ® is always on the lookout for inventive and new ways of introducing multiple tools and channels that could come together to offer excellent customer experiences. Instead of placing all of their eggs in one basket, Netflix initially used several marketing channels to increase audience engagement. This includes interactive ads on Snapchat (remember the virtual reality experience where you could explore all the eerie Christmas lights in Joyce Byer’s house?), Twitter ® , and word-of-mouth marketing.
Nimbleness and Innovation
Another important detail about modern marketing strategies in the tech industry is that it is agile in keeping up to date with marketing innovations. As one of the ultimate digital disruptors, Netflix rose to power by breaking the mold — and the hearts — of Blockbuster ® employees and every illegal download website owner. It’s no surprise that the company would continue in the same vein by actively exploring unorthodox means of marketing.
Being unpredictable and experimental is the foundation of modern marketing. Whether it’s their memorable embrace of augmented reality and edgy video marketing, or their twist on the reliable old email, Netflix never stands quietly in line with its rivals. Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch was the beginning of a whole new era of television, and it came from Netflix’s desire to continually push boundaries.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to crafting a marketing strategy for any tech brand, it is important to take the time to carefully craft your unique strategy using research and analysis to support decision making. When marketing your tech brand, focusing on what makes your products and services, different and more desirable than the competition is the best place to start. Tech consumers desire the most innovative and customizable technology experience on the market, so positioning your brand as being able to provide just that, and more, is a surefire way to foster brand success. You want to ensure that your brand position is unique and polished enough to stand out in the market, and give off the impression to consumers that you have exactly what they need — but better. All in all, when it comes to marketing in the tech industry, having a marketing strategy that has been carefully drafted and executed is the best way to inspire brand growth and increase brand awareness.
About Millennium Agency
Millennium Agency is a nationally recognized, top woman-led boutique creative branding, storytelling/messaging and digital marketing strategy firm with a passion for accelerating your business growth. By uniting creative branding and data analytics, our expert teams combine your vision with our marketing expertise and methodology to deliver exceptional results. With offices in Boston and New Hampshire, and a worldwide presence, the professionals at Millennium Agency would like to learn more about your business. Visit www.mill.agency or book time .
Originally published at https://mill.agency on May 5, 2022.
