For marketers that attended CES 2018, there were a whole host of trends and exciting opportunities on display.
No longer an event where products and innovations are years away, CES has become the must-attend show for marketers from businesses of all sizes and industries.
This year’s event was a perfect example of why CES has become such a staple for marketers looking to identify technology trends for the year ahead.
From Virtual Reality and Drones, to Connected Homes and more, 2018 promises to be a year when these trends become a fast reality.
The Rise of Interconnected Systems
CES used to be known for major brands premiering their latest product. From video game hardware and software companies, to TV and audio manufacturers, the introduction of a new product was always a driver of excitement.
As CES 2018 showed, it’s less about the product and more about systems—specifically, interconnected systems.
Comcast made a major announcement regarding their 15 million Xfinity customers that has the potential to have a huge impact for other providers.
Launching before summer 2018, the company will provide its entire Xfinity range of products, including X1 TV and Xfinity home security, smart home controls.
These include geofencing, further voice services, and automation. The price? These will all be offered at no additional cost.
With plans to offer compatibility with more than 500 Internet of Things (IoT) services, Comcast is well-positioned to lead the charge for personalized home and business interconnectivity.
The Connected Home and Moment of Truth Purchasing
Interconnected systems, especially the connected home, offer huge potential for marketers and advertisers to connect with their target audience direct and at the exact moment of purchase.
- A refrigerator could sense when a customer’s favourite produce or grocery us running low, and display an ad from a local supermarket to purchase and deliver before running out.
- A home Augmented Reality (AR) app could enable a home design company to view the makeover you wish for your child’s bedroom, and enable you—through AR—to pitch their design through your eyes before ordering.
The possibilities with connected, native advertising through interactive content offers major opportunities for marketers and how they can connect with their audience.
How Interactivity is Driving the Evolution of Content and Native Advertising
With browser ad blockers and “banner blindness” impacting the return on advertising, content producers and marketers are looking for alternative mediums to reach their target audience on.
Interactive ads through native content is one such opportunity. Advertising company Vertebrae showed in 2016 how successful this can be, with their Sisters: A Mobile VR Ghost Story, releases to support the remake of The Blair Witch Project.
At CES 2018, we saw multiple examples of where interactivity can offer marketers the ability to promote within experiences.
AR headsets showed how retailers could overlay offers while shoppers viewed products in different surroundings.
Add in the option to offer sensory features—the smell of leather of a furniture store, the sound of a stadium at a sports event—and the marketing opportunities are endless.
As CES 2018 showed, trends in technology are no longer for the future—they’re here right now. If you’re a marketer, you can’t afford to ignore them any longer.