By Dave Reddy
Practice Lead, Media + Influencers
Host, Pressing Matters podcast
In the fourth part of a series on how B2B tech media landscape changes are impacting how brands shape their editorial strategy, Media + Influencers expert Dave Reddy asserts that brands risk missed opportunities by not addressing topics at the intersection of politics, technology and media.
The issue: Politics, tech and media
If politics and tech weren’t already intertwined (they were – it’s one reason Axios does so well), they sure are now. Between Elon Musk in the White House, concerns about AI, and the potential implications tariffs will have on tech products (to name just a few topics), politics and tech are going to command even more inch space.
Before the election, I was working a far less political tech story with a D.C.-based reporter who told me she had to postpone it after the election given the uptick in political tech news. When I asked how long I should wait before revisiting the story, she half-jokingly said, “Probably about four years.”
The Adjustment: Play it carefully – but play.
Perhaps you’ve noticed this is a rather divided country. Politics has never been a polite topic for conversation; now it’s a third rail. Tech CEOs who congratulated Trump on his victory, for instance, received mixed reviews. See the comments under Amazon’s Andy Jassy’s LinkedIn note regarding Trump.
Let’s consider just one hot topic: tariffs. Is it politically damaging or good business to suggest how you and your customers will adjust to potential tariffs? That’s a decision you need to make based on your culture. But if you’re in semiconductors, the supply chain, retail/e-commerce, energy – just about any industry, really – you’ll probably need to have a take. Not to get coverage – never, ever, do an interview solely to get coverage – but because your customers and employees need to hear how you plan to help them adjust.
There are other matters that will require adjustments to both your business and communications objectives. Will IPOs come back? Will M&A increase? Will VC money start flowing more freely? Will AI finally lose steam? Like no other year, 2025 may be the year that tech marketing and communications pros need not only to plan smartly – but be ready to adjust their adjustments.
