What you need to know about the £7bn opportunity
As any smart marketer will know, understanding your audience, identifying their aspirations and anticipating where their focus will be six months (or more) from now is an absolute must − especially if you’re looking to build brand awareness in the £7bn public sector IT space. In response, the team here at Cadence Marketing has consulted our public sector analysts who have revealed the five biggest opportunities in public sector IT, which are:
1. A new era for digital?
In case you missed it, the Cabinet Office kicked 2021 off with the creation of the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) − a brand new strategic centre for digital, data and technology. With the world still reeling from the global pandemic, the UK Government is eager to leverage innovative ideas and technologies to support the UK’s social and economic recovery − and this is where your business fits in. Look out for opportunities to engage in the year ahead as the CDDO builds momentum.
2. A head in the cloud:
If the recently updated ‘One Government Cloud Strategy’ is anything to go by, the public sector is making good on its ‘Cloud First’ aspirations. While the pandemic sparked a surge in adoption, cloud has been on the Government’s agenda for almost a decade. Now that the public sector has seen the light, there are plenty of conversations to be had for any canny, cloud-focused marketers.
3. Cyber security is key:
According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), large-scale cybercrime represents one of the most immediate threats to the UK. In 2019/20 alone, NCSC handled 723 incidents – up from the previous three-year average of 602 due to the COVID effect. With more public sector professionals working remotely than ever before, cyber security is certain to remain a priority in the year ahead, providing an immediate opportunity for a carefully targeted marketing campaign. After all, the last thing anyone wants is another WannaCry.
4. Rethinking the citizen experience:
With the world becoming increasingly tech savvy, the public sector is looking to breathe new life into its digital platforms and smooth out the user experience for UK citizens. Today, there’s an expectation that public services are digitised and accessible across multiple channels and devices − and it’s an expectation public sector organisations are keen to fulfil.
5. Remote working is here to stay:
We’ve already touched on remote working, but it’s important to stress that the trend won’t end with the pandemic. Whether blended or on a permanent basis, remote working is now business as usual across the public sector. This necessitates shoring up IT infrastructure to accommodate new ways of working efficiently and effectively. The public sector – or at least central government − is also on the move, with government departments leaving London and moving to new locations across the UK, which in turn creates new opportunities to support their infrastructure and connectivity needs. That’s where you come in.
6. Buyer behaviour is changing:
OK, we know we said five but think of this as a bonus trend. Buyer behaviour is changing and many tried and tested business development strategies are becoming less effective. While public sector IT buyers still rely on referrals when searching for an industry partner, many more are taking the initiative and are proactively searching out businesses on Google or social media and conducting their own independent research. This means it’s more important than ever that your digital presence is smart, engaging and gives the best possible impression of your business.
Crucially, the Transforming Public Procurement Green Paper highlights the Government’s vision for an innovation-friendly culture emphasising the early engagement concept. Essentially, by sparking conversations with the right public sector contacts early in the procurement lifecycle, you can position your business as an industry leader long before a tender notice is published − and even influence the tender specifications.
There are some significant opportunities on the horizon, though you’re going to have to market smart and engage early to build leads, brand awareness and make those all-important inroads into the competitive public sector IT marketplace. Work with a marketing partner with deep sector knowledge and the right contacts to ensure your B2G success in 2021 and beyond.
At Cadence, we have developed an eBook guide to help you market effectively to the hard to access B2G sector, providing marketing tips and tricks as well as in-depth sector insight. Download your copy of the eBook here.
