TL;DR: In an October 20 interview with Via Satellite, Planet co-founder and chief strategy officer Robbie Schingler described how Planet sells to governments that define sovereignty differently, using three tiers of security and control, and how onboard AI is changing what imagery customers buy. For earth observation marketing, the lessons are clear: start with the buyer's definition of the problem, package offers as steps of increasing control, teach before you pitch and talk about outcomes, not pixels.

Key takeaways

• Ask what "sovereignty" means to each buyer before you pitch.
• Package offers as a ladder of control, autonomy and security.
• Teaching builds trust; Planet says part of what it does is teach.
• Onboard AI shifts the message from imagery to answers.

What did Planet say about sovereignty and onboard AI?

In Via Satellite's interview, Schingler covered Planet's sovereign business, its growth in Germany and its push toward onboard computing. A few points stand out for anyone selling EO data or services:

• Defense demand is growing. Via Satellite noted that Planet recently shared defense and intelligence-related revenue up 90% year over year.
• Sovereignty comes in "flavors." Planet offers dedicated capacity (reserving a satellite over a customer's area), dedicated capacity with direct access (a ground station near the customer, with their own security keys) and full ownership of the asset, as in its work with Sweden. As Schingler put it, "As you go through them, you get more autonomy, more security, and more control."
• Start with the need. "The first thing that governments need in particular is secure communications — it's not ISR," he said, adding that he probably sends more business to other companies than he collects because it's what the customer needs.
• Teaching is part of the sale. "Part of what we do is teach. We teach people what works, what's battle-tested."
• Onboard AI is arriving. Planet's Pelican satellites carry Nvidia Jetson Orin GPUs, and Schingler described a future of agentic workflows where the end user gets the salient information pushed to them.

SpaceNews covered similar themes in its own conversation with Schingler earlier this month.

Why does this matter for earth observation marketing?

Many EO companies still market resolution, revisit and archive size. Those specs matter, but buyers rarely start there. A defense ministry starts with sovereignty and security. An insurer starts with claims speed. An agriculture company starts with yield risk. Planet's approach shows a buyer-first sequence: understand the mission, then map products to it, even if part of the answer comes from someone else.

It also shows that the same capability can be sold in different packages for different levels of trust and control. That's a positioning lesson every EO seller can use.

How should EO companies message sovereignty?

Ask the buyer to define it

"Sovereign" means different things to different customers: data residency, independent tasking, local operations, domestic manufacturing or legal ownership. Ask before you pitch, and write their definition into your proposal.

Build a ladder of offers

Planet's three tiers are a useful pattern. Many EO sellers can offer something similar:

Tier	What the buyer gets	Message
Access	Data or tasking from your fleet	Speed and coverage
Control	Dedicated capacity, direct downlink, own keys	Security and priority
Ownership	Their own asset, operated or trained locally	Autonomy and industrial capability

Each step should have clear proof points and a clear next step.

Be honest about fit

Schingler's comment about sending business elsewhere is a credibility play. When you tell a buyer that radar or SIGINT suits a need better than your optical data, you earn trust for the next deal. See our post on how to sell without being salesy.

How do you market onboard AI and analytics?

Onboard AI changes the promise from "we deliver images" to "we deliver answers faster." Market it carefully:

• Lead with the outcome: faster alerts, less data to process, quicker decisions.
• Show a real example: a detection or alert workflow, with what's proven and what's still in development.
• Avoid overclaiming: if models are early, say so.
• Explain the workflow: who receives what, when and how.

Our guide on how to explain complex space technology to buyers covers how to translate this into plain language, and our post on selling AI to DoD covers what defense buyers expect from AI vendors.

What does "teach before you pitch" look like for EO sellers?

Teaching content attracts buyers early and positions you as a guide:

• Explainers: optical vs radar vs RF, and when each fits.
• Buyer guides: how to evaluate tasking, latency and licensing.
• Workshops: sessions for analysts on using imagery in their workflow.
• Case studies: real outcomes, cleared for release. See our guide to case studies for space companies.

Keep export-control limits in mind for technical content. See our post on ITAR-safe marketing.

How should EO startups respond to growing defense demand?

Defense and intelligence demand can be a strong signal, but it needs a focused plan. Read our breakdown of Space Force demand signals for how to turn news like this into a target list. Then:

• Pick a buyer segment: a specific command, agency or allied government.
• Map buying paths: direct contracts, primes or partners. See our guide to selling to prime contractors.
• Tailor proof: security, reliability and delivery history.
• Plan for retention: renewals and expansions matter as much as first wins. See our post on BlackSky's contract renewal lessons.

How do you write a sovereignty-focused value proposition?

A hypothetical example for a small EO analytics company:

Before: "High-resolution imagery with frequent revisit and AI analytics."

After: "Independent maritime awareness for national agencies: your analysts task and receive alerts directly, with data that stays under your control."

The second version names the buyer, the outcome and the control they care about. Our guide to writing a value proposition for a space company walks through the process.

Where does EO marketing fit in your wider plan?

Messaging is the foundation, but it needs channels: a clear website, LinkedIn content, events, partner programs and a pipeline to track deals. Our space industry lead generation page covers channels, and our space marketing guide shows how the pieces fit.

What earth observation marketing mistakes should you avoid?

• Leading with specs instead of the buyer's mission.
• One offer for every buyer, regardless of security needs.
• Overclaiming AI capabilities that are still early.
• Pitching without teaching.
• Ignoring export-control limits in public content.

Frequently asked questions

What did Planet say about sovereignty?

In a Via Satellite interview published October 20, Planet's CSO described three "flavors" of sovereign service: dedicated capacity, dedicated capacity with direct access and full ownership of the asset, each with more autonomy, security and control.

How should EO companies market to governments?

Start with each government's definition of sovereignty and its mission needs, offer tiers of control, teach through useful content and back claims with cleared proof.

What is earth observation marketing?

It's how EO companies attract and win customers for imagery, analytics and services, through positioning, content, events, partnerships and sales.

How do you market onboard AI?

Lead with outcomes like faster alerts and decisions, show real examples, be clear about what's proven and explain the workflow.

Should EO sellers refer business to competitors?

When another sensor or provider fits a buyer's need better, saying so can build trust that pays off in future deals.

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