The advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) age has changed the way many industries—including Itron—engage with customers. In this new era, it’s all about content, telling a story, solving challenging problems and having a call to action. We want to take our customers on a journey and reveal how our solutions open doors to new outcomes, new possibilities—and even greater results.

For many years, Itron’s customers were primarily electricity, gas and water utilities. Now, Itron is working with city leaders, utilities (both in our traditional sense and with an eye for business transformation and new revenue streams) and a vast ecosystem of partners, with complementary technologies and some that delve into adjacent markets—all of which require a different marketing strategy than one focused solely on the traditional utility space. Just as digital transformation has reshaped what we do, our customers want to be educated and exposed to a different way of thinking.

While I’ve been at Itron for 18 years—starting in legal, moving to engineering and spending the last eight years in corporate marketing—it has been really exciting to see the shift in our industry as we market around smarter cities. We all want to live in cities where parking spots are easily located, streetlights intelligently illuminate our path and provide additional safety and security, air quality information is analyzed and assessed, waste is monitored, and our overall experience throughout the range of city services is just… Connected. Effortless. Intuitive. However, building these cities and the technology to connect them takes time, commitment and collaboration. From a marketing perspective, we need real-world proof points, thoughtful and engaging content, and creative visuals to demonstrate the feasibility and innovation of smart cities.

I have found that the key to success in the field of IoT marketing is a healthy mix of technical knowledge and brand equity. My tenure here has helped me understand Itron’s technology, but I also love that I get to be creative and work with a creative team. As a project manager at heart, the best part of my day is sitting at the table with designers and ensuring that big ideas are distilled into organized, achievable plans. And as the industry has shifted to engage the IoT, we in corporate marketing have learned to adapt, too.

Recently, I was honored to be recognized as one of Connected World’s top 10 Women of IoT Marketing for 2018. Receiving this award prompted me to take a moment to remember how I got here and what it means to promote and market a brand in the world of the IoT. This world of technology is vast and while it is appealing to dive deep into every detail of a solution, corporate marketers must simultaneously represent specific technologies and speak broadly about the company they represent.

I love the work I do every day. Although our marketing strategy and methods are changing, my passion for what I do remains the same. As Itron continues to grow and transform, so will our marketing strategy. I am excited to see what comes next.