The term is Security Branding and I recently discovered it! Before I move ahead with the idea, here’s a disclaimer – I am not suggesting that only image projection should be worked on, constructive efforts must be undertaken to bring about checks and balances in data management, IT security and consumer privacy.
A survey by Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, revealed that organizations around the world are exposing themselves to unnecessary cyber risk by failing to give IT security teams a voice when planning Internet of Things (IoT) project deployments in enterprise environments.
After my association with an IoT and IT Security companies, I came across situations where cross functional aspect of Security Policies and Brand Reputation came to the fore. The potential of perceptions of security to protect a brand, or insecurity to damage a brand, is increasingly being given attention. As the frequency of hacking episodes increase, big businesses find themselves grappling with putting a word out for how much they value data privacy.
Here’s an instance – SSL certificate has been integrated by many businesses to rank and look better on google search. I, as a customer, have dropped out of many e-commerce websites because their url did not read https://. That was a business loss, I am not sure if analytics accounted for my dropping out of the url was prompted due to an unsecured url. In addition, I made sure that I tell people in my network that when they are conducting any transaction online, they must check the url, especially of the page that seeks payment details. If it is – http:// then the url is not secure. Your transaction details may get passed on to an unscrupulous element (person or institution). Of course now the dimensions of SSL certification integration are wider, the example I shared was a layman concept.
HR teams have made the most of marketing intervention and now it is not rare to find marketing departments working with HR counterparts to focus on employer branding. Sure, some unethical aspects of branding are adopted by many companies, for example placing fake reviews, but ultimately it depends on the judgment of a potential employee to take up a role.
Looking at working on image and focusing on importance of taking ‘people’ along in the branding an employer – HR has cracked it! The HR department of many organizations has been working with marketing departments to update employees about what’s going on inside the organization at the same time engage with potential employees. HR also crafts various change management strategies by working with internal communications department.
Now, it’s time the IT departments follow suite, actively. Another way to put it – it’s time marketers identify what aspect of data management, IoT & IT security and consumer privacy within their organization would resonate with various stakeholders and put the organization on a higher pedestal. GDPR and consumer data protection regulations/best practices point at safeguarding data, regulating marketing and sales functions and could be a driver for ensuring security across all IoT and IT solutions.
Businesses must take advantage of technology solutions providers such as ezbook.com that help organizations integrate their hardware and software to achieve centralization of databases, analytical decision making and protection of user information. Marketing departments must work closely in various IT projects and identify security branding opportunities, so branding of security (especially related to technology projects) can be branded for the benefit of consumers and ultimately for business.
In the end, I will leave you with Dr. Philip Kotler’s definition of marketing “the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires. It defines, measures and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs and promotes the appropriate products and services.”
I would like to learn more on newer aspects of IoT surfacing as the technology proliferates in to enterprise domains, please share your knowledge.