Advanced industries need to innovate and communicate

Turning innovative ideas into reality – and communicating them to their market – is a challenge for any business, especially during the times we have endured in the recent past.

However, the good news continues to emerge including the announcement that 19 small and medium-sized companies in the North West are lined up to receive a total of £1.6m in funding from the Technology Strategy Board to help develop innovative materials and manufacturing products.

The benefits of high value manufacturing which applies leading-edge technical expertise to develop new products and services is one of the bedrocks of the UK recovery.

The missing link in many instances is the lack of marketing support to make the technical breakthrough a commercial success.

At Freshfield, our approach is to ensure that the marketing activity directly supports the organisation’s business objectives.

The diverse range of communications channels now at our disposal should be selected on a case-by-case basis to make sure the communication is tailored specifically to its audience, whether traditional media, social media, events, online, literature or a combination.

This means being clear from the outset about how we are going to reach the target audience, the key messages being communicated to them and any call to action.

There are a number of emerging technologies which are particularly strong including the development of composite materials, plastic electronics and industrial biotechnology.

Showcasing the value of these innovations is of paramount importance if they are to achieve success commercially and help create wealth and jobs.

We at Freshfield – and the Technology Strategy Board – seem to be saying one and the same thing. Innovate and communicate.