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Rackspace
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Cloud PR: Managing What You Can’t See
12 Apr 2010 by anovak / No Comments
Does your cloud PR plan look like this?
You know an enterprise technology has really taken off when you see it in a TV commercial during Sunday football. But while the media traffic surrounding cloud computing has exploded in recent months, the increased exposure has not necessarily led to further understanding.
On top of the confusion surrounding the basic definition (here’s mine: “hosted IT services that are easily scalable and paid by usage level” – my best guess anyway), the cloud can seem equally hazy to market and promote. This confusion, combined with recent pieces by tech journalists pointing at vendor PR for adding to the hype, and some companies might feel like they’re walking into a hornet’s nest if they’re a little late to the party.
However, a competitive technology dialogue to enter is not an impossible one. The cloud is hyped because it IS an exciting field to be in right now. True, some companies might have more relevant cloud plays than others. But unless you’re MSFT Azure, Salesforce, Amazon EC2 or Rackspace, you’re probably in the same boat as the rest of IT.
How can you get beyond the sea of static and become visible in this exploding tech space? Here are a couple of quick things I think about from cloud PR over the last couple of years:
1. Can the Cloud Puns
Yes, the future of the cloud is indeed “cloudy.” Yes, the hype surrounding the cloud “in the troposphere.” I’m all about getting cute to get the point across – but in this case, in two years of hysteria, the puns have probably been done before.PS – my favorite cloud headline: Cloud Computing the Latest Vice to Hit Miami. I bet Don Johnson has a Gmail account, so they might not be that far off. If he doesn’t, then you can bet Tubbs does. He always had Crockett’s back.
2. Avoid the Blanket Bullish Prediction
Citing a report that says “cloud computing is slated to grow by X by 2014, according to XYZ” might not be the best way to pique a cloud enthusiast. They’re on the cloud beat – they already know this. Instead of saying how much it’s going to take off, how is your company going to help? We’ve had great success working with strategy and solutions, rather than “state of the industry” approaches.3. Segment the Technology
Another way to get in the cloud dialogue is to closely examine how your company plays in the cloud space. Does it help with security, measurement, management, development? Does the cloud enable growth and flexibility within a particular industry? There are more people writing about cloud than the virtualization reporter at the “Big 5” IT pubs and David Linthicum. There are plenty of positive stories to be had, so specificity can help tremendously.Cloud pros out there – what have you learned? Anything that can help the rest of us “make it rain” positive exposure?
There. Now all the cloud puns are taken.
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