How Brands Can Harness the Potential of Startup Technologies

The Tech startup world is a noisy place. Every day, there seems to be a new niche of niche of niche technology to better optimize synergy between mobile and social analytics with an open API.

Sound familiar?

There are so many great technologies available, but they often reach agencies and brands too late because of the clutter.  This means that smaller, more nimble companies find out about this tech much sooner and the larger brands and agencies jump in after.

It often makes sense to wait for emerging technologies to be vetted in the field before subjecting your brand to the likelihood of crashes and glitches, but this extra caution can also cause the big guys to miss out on discovering better, more efficient options. So how can they make use of this pool of emerging technology when they have so much at stake?

What can you do as a marketing executive or agency to ensure you find the best, new tech for your company and your clients?

Broaden your sources.

Techcrunch and Mashable are great for keeping tabs on who’s received funding, but their coverage rarely branches out to lesser-known options.  Instead of depending on these popular websites, seek out partnerships with people who have a thumb on the pulse of the industry.  Attend startup events (Gary’s Guide is great if you’re in New York) to network and create strategic partnerships with those who develop technology. These people are close to the action and can tell you about companies that are well funded, with proven results — and ones you may not have heard of, otherwise.

Take more meetings.

There are only so many hours in the day, but if you aren’t constantly being exposed to new options, it’s impossible to stay on top of the next big thing. No, you don’t have time to chat with every startup that comes knocking on your door with a new analytics tool or social app — but making the time for some of them will give you a competitive edge in discovering the perfect technology for your next campaign.

Experiment with various big data players.

Big data is the key to any successful campaign and these companies are rapidly evolving.  You should try to experiment with multiple big data players over the next few years as this tech is advancing so quickly.  Certain platforms will work better for mobile, others will excel with web, so keep your ears open and test a variety of options to discover which ones work best for your brand.

Get creative on mobile.

Things are changing rapidly for mobile. App advertising and banner ads are likely dying out, making room for new options. This shift is worth staying on top of by experimenting with many of the new mobile ad platforms and technologies. These options are already seeing significantly more engagement than the typical mobile ad, and that shift isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

It’s tough to stay on top of every latest and greatest technology, especially for brands and agencies with so much at stake, but these strategies can increase your brand’s ability to discover the best of the best.  Data and mobile are going to be on the next wave of technological evolution,  so these strategies in particular should be actionable for any big brand or agency.

How does your Brand or Agency stay on top of the latest technology from the startup community?