In navigating everything from a new US president to chip industry tension, tech brands must not lose sight of the need to tell a unique and compelling story.
As a new year begins, the implications of another Donald Trump-led United States is a dominant theme for most people in business, and with good reason. The new president could be a boon for the tech industry, but he is also likely to be his usual unpredictable self. Tech companies have cause for optimism but also need to be prepared for rough seas, not least from a comms perspective. But much will also unfold independently of Trump. From the travails of green and nuclear technologies to the maturation of AI and the need for independent storytelling in the struggle for chip supremacy, comms professionals working in tech have an exciting opportunity to reshape and take control of their own narratives
Tech and Trump: transactional partners
Long before the US election swung in Donald Trump’s favour, tech titans were already gearing up to work with him. In a July podcast, Marc Andreesen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, explained that he was supporting Trump for the simple reason that he is likely to be better for tech companies and startups. More recently, in acknowledgement of things to come, Meta saw fit to replace centrist Nick Clegg with the conservative Joel Kaplan as head of global policy. Since making Tesla CEO Elon Musk his efficiency tsar, Trump has faced taunts that he will end up as a subordinate to the world’s richest man. It’s anyone’s guess where the alliance will lead. But for tech companies everywhere, one thing is clear: that their dealings with Trump will be nothing more or less than transactional. This applies as much to Asian as to American players. As SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son’s $100 billion investment in the US reminds us, Trump speaks the language of deals. Communicators seeking favor with Trump will need to readjust their messaging accordingly to focus on the benefits of their actions for the US while stressing compliance with international trade laws and reassuring investors that it’s business as usual.
Green tech needs definition
As the world struggles to keep the global average temperature from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it’s clear that we need green technology more than ever. But the industry has problems. One of the biggest is that it just doesn’t sound as exciting as AI (which happens to consume energy like there’s no tomorrow). The dominance of the AI narrative in tech is attracting investors at the expense of climate technology, while the anti-ESG movement continues to gather pace, emboldened by populist politicians. Both green tech and ESG lack definition. They are amorphous blobs that, while conveying a sense of doing something good, cover too many things to lend themselves to a compelling narrative. The coming year is a time for companies to reframe “green” and ESG messaging to be more specific, dispensing with mumbo jumbo and focusing on the true value they add to consumers and society.
In search of a new nuclear narrative
Largely driven by AI’s voracious appetite for energy, the tech industry is set to explore the merits of nuclear power with renewed interest. In an indicative development in December, Oklo, a nuclear energy start-up that OpenAI’s Sam Altman chairs, struck what it claimed to be one of the biggest clean energy deals in history to power data centers. Google and Mircrosoft are also looking to source power from nuclear reactors. While stakeholders will surely welcome the drive to minimize the environmental impact of AI technology as it advances, the word “nuclear” isn’t exactly great for branding. Nuclear energy has an image problem which, while distinct from that of fossil fuels, will need careful thought from a storytelling perspective.
From AI hype to AI realism
Two years since the generative AI revolution began, the technology is maturing, and so must the way we talk about it. We have moved from a state of fear to hype to acceptance. To be sure, there is still hype and overstatement to be found, but also more clarity as to what AI is and isn’t. The continuing spread of low-grade AI-generated content, while undesirable, demonstrates that the technology is no viable replacement for human skill and creativity. At the same time, we are learning where its real value lies — as a research and creative partner and assistant, for instance. We can also expect to see more in the way of AI that takes a backseat and works intuitively according to human behavior, not just as a tool that people have to learn. What this evolution means is that it will no longer be acceptable for companies to pepper their communications with vague talk of “AI innovation” and hope that the hype will carry them. They will need to sharpen their AI narrative to clearly explain how they are using it and to what end.
Greater proactivity amid the chip war
The “chip war” between the US and China is almost certain to become more intense, with tighter export controls on one side and a drive for self-sufficiency on the other. While this is framed as a contest between the world’s two biggest economies, it affects the entire semiconductor ecosystem. Companies will need to be prepared to reassure stakeholders around supply chains, resilience and commitment to addressing challenges. They can’t ignore geopolitics — but they shouldn’t allow it to dictate their messaging either. A priority for semiconductor companies in 2025 should be focusing on their own proactive tech stories, not on reacting to every external development beyond their control. It is a choice between writing your own story or inviting other — potentially hostile — players to write it for you.
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