If the incoming administration is aligned on anything its increased U.S. security – both at home and abroad. Most predict that this will result in the elimination of the defense sequester and returning the defense budget to the levels proposed in the FY 2012 budget request – which would translate into spending increases of up to $500 Billion over the next 5 years.
The programs already being proposed go well beyond anti-terrorism to revitalizing the global defense infrastructure and increasing the foundational strength of the U.S. military across the board. This will require increased spending in a number of different categories – including agile force development, aircraft & aerospace systems, command & control systems, cyber security, smart technologies, shipbuilding, surveillance and ground, space based & missile defense systems – just to name a few.
However – since the last time the defense budget exceeded $600B in 2012 – the means by which government buyers, procurement agents and teaming partners across the defense contracting community consume industry related content has changed dramatically. Gone are the dozens of industry magazines that were piled high in their lobbies prior to the sequestration and gone are the days of flying around the country to attend big industry conferences, trade shows and events.
And to compound that, the industry will rebound in the face of an increasingly younger and mobile dependent demographic that has seized control of the content they want to consume and when and on what screen they want to digest it. Aerospace and defense industry brands must now adapt and market like every other major enterprise and consumer brands do and develop compelling contextually relevant content and deliver it to their customers – daily.
In other words – you need to become your own publisher – because if you don’t shape your brand’s position in the market your competitors will gladly to do it for you – and have probably already started. The good news is that gives you significantly greater control over your message and how your brand is positioned and perceived in the market. But that market is about to become much more crowded and a hell of a lot noisier after the New Year with all of your competitor’s messages about innovation, transformation and the next big buzzword. So, you need to ask yourself – how am I going to differentiate my brand and defend my dominant market position – or in overtake the market leader – in this rapidly changing environment?
At Bluetext – we have achieved success for dozens of the most recognized and innovative brands in global defense and technology based on the premise that – to claim innovation you must demonstrate innovation. With the plethora of digital marketing tools, VR and other advanced technologies available for smart digital agencies to develop rich, immersive and interactive brand experiences to drive awareness, customer engagement and demand in the market – now is the ideal time to start making some noise.
Your path to brand – and market – domination begins and ends on the digital battlefield – the time to start preparing is now.