The Impact of Technology on the Marketing Landscape in Europe
The landscape of technology continues to shift with the recovering economy as enterprises adapt to the novel business climate. As a result, European companies have faced similar marketing challenges as their American counterparts while presenting some key differences.
Marketing decision-makers in Europe can gain a competitive advantage by recognizing the contrasts and applying the appropriate business technology and measures in response to these unique demands.
Going Long Term with Distributed Enterprise Marketing
Like American practices, European companies have gravitated toward remote and hybrid work arrangements during the disruptive pandemic. Establishing region-specific regulations, stabler tech infrastructure, and organizational procedures across European countries all point to a long-term approach to distributed enterprises.
According to Owl Labs’ State of Hybrid Work 2022: Europe report, over 36% of employees have listed flexible work hours as a priority in staying with their current company. The figures indicate a growing preference for flexible work arrangements enabled by distributed systems.
European companies may manage more marketing projects through location-agnostic arrangements, potentially increasing the demand for marketing collaboration tools that support these infrastructures. These dedicated programs can help distributed marketing teams maintain optimal teamwork through task management, team communication, and scheduling.
Identifying ESG as a Forerunner of Corporate Awareness
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) seem set to replace corporate social responsibility (CSR) as the primary indicator of a European company’s social and environmental concerns.
CxOs all over Europe continue to prioritize ESG in their organizational mission. Marketing teams working with European companies may benefit from adapting their campaigns to the shifting paradigm and market demands. For instance, teams may launch marketing projects with core messages of sustainability and diversity.
Additionally, ESG has shown to be more than an auxiliary business process. Some European vendors have determined ESG as a procurement prerequisite, where companies can establish the long-term potential of vendors and service providers.
Mainstream EU initiatives, such as the Green Public Procurement project, drive European countries toward creating more resource-efficient economies that may significantly influence eco-innovations.
Responding to the Wide Acceptance of the Cloud
European companies conventionally faced more complexities in cloud migration barriers compared to their US counterparts. However, recent regulatory revisions and the accelerated cloud adoption during the pandemic have made European companies more accepting of the remote model.
Modern European marketers are shifting toward cloud-based systems, leveraging other emerging technologies such as real-time analytics, artificial intelligence, and big data. However, decision-makers may need to maintain a close watch over lingering data-related concerns such as user rights and corporate governance.
These challenges may undergo further complications from contentious data-based solutions and biased algorithms that proliferate within the current technology landscape. Marketing teams need to apply transparent reporting and data monitoring practices to maintain optimal GDPR compliance as the cloud rises in popularity.
Leveraging the Incoming No-Code Trend
No-code and low-code solutions have become popular among American companies. Decision-makers can quickly develop and implement a software solution without navigating technical technology complexities.
While these solutions have been slow on the uptake in Europe, a burgeoning number of regional companies have embraced these efficient methods of driving innovation. Research shows that 79% of UK companies and 74% of European businesses plan to accelerate software development over the next two years.
Mapping Out Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity threats remain prevalent in Europe, growing in the number of cases and their degree of sophistication. Marketers in Europe may face more challenges in their online campaigns as more customers learn about the dangers of supply chain threats, ransomware, and data breaches.
These may result in a general landscape of distrust where customers quickly dismiss marketing promotions as scams or suspicious content. Companies can secure customer trust and data by strengthening resilience throughout their value chain. Enterprises with added preparedness can resolve cyber threats with increased efficiency and deter malicious incidents.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) outlines 12 methods on how companies can secure their systems, such as securing backups and developing a structured incident report plan.
Closing Thoughts
European companies will need to constantly re-strategize and re-evaluate marketing strategies as nations continue to align their regulations and policies to drive collective progress within the region. Modern marketers must go beyond conventional product-centric campaigns, focusing on and developing other aspects of business value creation.
Systematic business technology will give European companies the necessary insights to grow and scale their business. A proactive approach to technology may drive significant developments across marketing and beyond, especially with the growing preference for “shift left strategies” over conventional waterfall testing.
As Europe’s digital transformation ushers in a new era of growth and challenges, regional marketers can make significant headway by adapting transparent, purposeful, and distributed technology toward refining core business values.
