The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which took place last week in Las Vegas, has come a long way!
The exhibit floor of CES showcases how technology is transforming consumer products. But CES is about so much more than the latest new gadget or gizmo.
Beyond the buzz of the show floor there were panels and other sessions where industry experts discussed how technology is shaping business strategy in general, and transforming marketing in particular.
Sadly, Riah didn’t manage to make it the US for the show. However, here are the key sessions that would have been on her hitlist if she’d been in Vegas last week…
Trends Reshaping the Future of Mobility and Connectivity
Monday’s early-morning session looked at how disruptive trends and connectivity are impacting many industries.
This session was designed to share what trends we should be monitoring and what implications/ issues we should be looking out for to help our clients. Key topics included exploring trends in digital customer experiences, autonomous vehicles, connected ecosystems, flying cars (really!) and more.
The Diversification of Technology
Tuesday’s first session focused on an area that Diversity have been heavily involved in over recent months.
In today’s era of personalisation, can we market to the masses? This session saw industry experts from American Express, Belkin and VICE discuss content and platforms, and they shared examples of companies that are leveraging technology to provide access, lend a voice and build loyalty with their customers.
Over the last few months we’ve been working with a client to develop a voice search app. This technology is helping to position the brand as a leading authority within their sector, and to make them the go-to source of knowledge, tips and expertise in their industry. I’d have loved to find out what more we could do.
The Experiences They Want, The Data You Need
Wednesday’s lunchtime session was my number one choice, focusing on the use of data to generate insights.
While consumers are having magical shopping interactions with AR, VR, and the like, savvy retailers are not just investing in the experience but are also studying their every move or click.
Currently, we can monitor clicks and a customer’s journey to see how they are using the site. While the ability to walk through a store offers an amazing customer experience, it’s still important to generate the data to understand what it is that customers are actually doing. While experiences are increasingly immersive and engaging, they may not provide great insights in themselves.
Turning experiential shopping into actionable data is key, as the ROI is still just as important. Marketeers and data enthusiasts need to keep up with the changes and ensure there is measurable success.
Enhancing Engagement
Another Wednesday session focused on ways to increase engagement with customers.
Understanding behaviour, rewarding loyalty and keeping customers front and centre of your strategy is an art form that’s being sharpened by technology.
Last week, Simon looked at the trends for loyalty in 2019 – read his blog here.