Smart city marketing can be complicated: smart cities don’t exist in most of the world, so how can you market them?
A fully functioning smart city does not yet exist, however there are many who are focusing on quick progression. This means that technology suppliers are looking for ways to impact that procurement process.
What exactly does a smart city mean?
When most people think about a smart city, we think about buses that always manage to arrive at your bus stop when you want them, bins that can tell when they are almost full, and street lights that only turn on when someone is walking home.
Those technologies all contribute to a smart city, but what a smart city means is something a bit more intangible: it’s a city that uses technology to make its citizens’ lives better. That’s it. There is no required amount of technology to meet the definition of a smart city, and some people believe the less technology we use, the more we’ll focus on the people themselves.
Will smart cities work?
It’s the question on many people’s lips. After all, as a species we only gained the power of flight just over a year ago! The idea that we will soon live in futuristic cities which tend to our every need is quite an attractive one, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that every street will magically be transformed.
Instead, when it comes to smart city marketing we need to consider who it will work for. Those over the age of 65 did not grow up in the digital age and so some digital changes, such as digital currencies or apps for transport, aren’t used by that particular demographic. How can we make those changes work for them, if they have a technology barrier already up?
That’s why smart cities will work when they can be more inclusive for everyone, and a huge part of that is clever smart city marketing that gets the message out there for everyone.
When will smart cities be completed?
Every city which is aiming to become smarter has different timelines because they have different motives. Exeter wants to see smart city technologies used to make the area low carbon. Bristol uses trial smart city technology to save lives around its harbourside. Depending on the priorities for the city, the smart city projects will be completed at different times.
The fact is, now is the best time for smart city marketing as this is the procurement and fitting part of the schedule. If your technology naturally fits in with a smart city vision then your campaigns should be directed at smart city decision makers to put yourself in the running to deliver.
We work closely with leaders in the smart city space, helping them get noticed. Is it time your business got noticed by the smart city industry? Get in touch now.
OggaDoon specialises in guerrilla communications and marketing to gain you reach.
