Cleantech: time to make some waves
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Cleantech in the UK is caught in a state of suspended animation, waiting for stronger signals of government support and for the venture capital to start flowing. The ideas and technologies are there, the long-term scale of the potential is clear. But the pace of progress is painfully slow, held back by the recession. The companies involved are almost invisible.
There’s no doubt that cleantech represents the next industrial revolution and will be at least as world changing as the dot.com boom. But in the UK, there are few clear ‘standard bearers’ – pioneer companies who bring a new idea to life by making it accessible and noticeable through the simplicity of their message and the stand out of their brand.
Developing a clear brand has been low on the list of priorities for companies struggling to prove their technology or interest investors. But without a clear articulation of their vision and proposition, credibility and stand out among potential investors and customers alike will be a long time in coming. The Intel and Google of the future cleantech world are out there, but they need to stop focusing inward on their technologies and look outward to how they communicate their potential to transform.
It may sound trivial to talk about the importance of brand in the face of the challenges arising from climate change, and the need for a new industrial revolution. But brand is crucial to driving the take up of new clean technologies.
Why? Firstly, the companies that succeed in either the B2B or consumer world must be able to market themselves effectively as well as create clever technologies.
Secondly, brand partnerships will be a key element in the development of the sector. Established brands from outside the cleantech arena will play an important role in building acceptance for new technologies. For example, Google’s drive to reduce its own energy consumption and its pioneering support for solar technologies will help create interest and demand for clean technologies among other businesses. Any major organisation who wants to be seen as innovative and future focused will be rethinking their operations to take advantage of new, cleaner technologies. Brand partnerships between existing technology users and emerging cleantech companies will offer powerful commercial benefits to both. The cleantech companies with compelling brands will be the ones who are sought after, rather than having to seek, such partnerships.
Thirdly, cleantech companies need to generate strong and urgent market demand to ensure rapid take up. Governments, local authorities and major businesses can play a powerful role in supporting application and implementation. But what we need are some aspirational visions of what life will be like for all of us with a host of successful clean technologies in place. The mobile phone operators have inspired a generation with both technology and vivid, brand-led imagery. The time is right for aspiring clean technology players to do the same.
