CES Learnings
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This document provides 7 key takeaways from CES 2016. It discusses how robots were seen more as cool gadgets than useful machines, consumers want value not just technology, anonymity software threatens data collection, intimate personal data opens opportunities for personalized marketing, smart home devices can't replace handhelds, digital screens are everywhere and change advertising, user experience needs to improve even on innovative products, and business models are changing as categories converge.
CES Learnings
- 2. 1ROBOTS ARE COOL, BUT THAT’S NOT ENOUGH Robots were never more than an arm’s length away. Yet many seemed more like cool gadgets rather than the powerful machines we’d expect them to be. (The one exception was SoftBank’s Pepper, a humanoid robot that will “converse with you, recognize and react to your emotions, move and live autonomously.”) Consumers are over technology for technology’s sake. Instead, brands need to connect with consumers by delivering frictionless experiences that provide real value in their lives — not just cool gadgets.
- 3. 2THE BIG DATA BACKLASH HAS BEGUN It’s not just ad-blockers we need to worry about; there’s a proliferation of companies offering anonymity in an overly connected world. Companies such as eBlocker offer IP anonymization and device cloaking across multiple devices. Coupled with web browser extensions and software (such as Tor), consumers can increasingly surf the web like James Bond. As we rely on data to better target, software that stops this flow of information significantly impacts our ability to understand consumer needs and serve them up accordingly. In light of the move towards anonymity, we’ll need new ways to glean consumer insights.
- 4. 3MAKE ROOM FOR INTIMATE DATA The potential of handheld devices is that they’re personal. With wearables and smart clothing, we’re entering a world where our heart-rates, stress levels, exercise, and diet are at our fingertips—and potentially accessible by brands. This paves the way for a new era of personal, useful marketing. As marketers, we must hone in on the power of intimate data and better understand what data can do to help people live, sleep, work, and play better.
- 5. 4ENTER THROUGH THE GARAGE, NOT THE FRONT DOOR Whether it’s a heating system or a fridge, smart home tech is attempting to be the primary source of connection. What they don’t realize: Home appliances can’t trump the habit of handheld devices. And bridging the gap between consumers, phones, and their connectivity at home will be intuitive automobiles. We have to have a firm understanding of where our audiences are. In the past, they were simply on the other end of the television screen. Now, it’s vital we take into account how tech is being used to improve people’s lives.
- 6. 5EVERYTHING IS BECOMING A DIGITAL SCREEN Digital screens are everywhere. They’re in front of our eyes (virtual reality and augmented reality) and on our wrists (wearables). They’re thinner, cheaper, larger, and higher resolution. And they’re all connected to the cloud. We need to start thinking about the future canvas of advertising. What should ads look like in VR? What’s the marketing potential of consumer attention in cars that drive themselves? We can throw our rules around traditional ad units out the window. Instead, let’s think of sequential storytelling units that evolve over time.
- 7. 6WE’RE ALL USER EXPERIENCE EXPERTS NOW Unveiled at CES were the best televisions the world has ever seen — with outdated remotes and menus that made little sense. We’re at a time of incredible innovation, but the consumer experience is lagging behind. Increasingly, every product is becoming an interface. And because your product is your brand, marketers are now user experience designers. We need to take more time to think of the intimate experience consumers have with our products.
- 8. 7BUSINESS MODELS ARE CHANGING You don’t have to be a tech company to be a tech company. Technology is pervasive across almost every category of business today. With the collision of hardware, software, and platforms, we’re seeing entire categories rethinking business models. Car companies are now in the business of mobility. And Netflix has moved from content distributor to content creator—and owner of chill. We need to reconsider advertising in the context of digital convergence. The industry needs talent that can create experiences around people seamlessly across products, services, and platforms.
- 9. ?THOUGHTS FROM Tom Goodwin Jeremy Gilbert Lori Hiltz Alex Wood Daniel Korn Vin Farrell Tom Olesinski Dominique Delport