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Technology has always been about making our life and our work easier. But instead of being the solution, technology is now becoming part of the problem. 

The personal/work divide has become increasingly blurred as new enabling technologies like mobile phones and PDAs have extended the working day beyond traditional office hours. It now starts the moment you wake up.

And where technologies like email and the mobile phone were initially considered ‘cool’, the development of spam and the ubiquitous ring tone have shifted perceptions. Who knows if a point may come when individuals and organisations simply decide to opt out?

Amidst the proliferation of modern digital media and technology, many brand custodians are left feeling confused and uncertain. Some end up being seduced by the promise of technology in addressing brand related issues, with the accompanying risks of adopting expensive or inappropriate solutions.

So, how can brands safely negotiate the technology minefield?

The rational starting point must be the brand itself. Managers need to be clear on the overall brand and commercial vision, mission and strategy:

– What kind of organisation do you wish to be?
– What are your (long term) business and brand objectives?
– What are your key brand assets (e.g. people, data)?

These strategic building blocks will help shape the relevant customer propositions the brand wishes to provide - what is it your brand is actually providing to your customers, and how will it be positioned?

The next step is to understand the brand messages and information that will be delivered and the digital channels through which that content will be leveraged (Internet, mobile, TV)
The final step is to identify the devices by which customers will physically access content through each channel. These will essentially be either ‘wired’ (fixed landline phone, desktop PC) or ‘wireless’ (laptop PC, mobile phone. portable device), and the exact mix will depend on where access is being made – at home, in the office, or in a public space such as an internet café.

Making technology part of the brand solution rather than the problem doesn’t have to be rocket science. There is no single killer application. Successfully addressing the brand-technology equation is about doing the basics right: define your brand strategy, develop the customer proposition and identify the relevant applications that will effectively deliver it.

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