CES 2016IMPLICATIONS FOR MARKETERS:THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATON,UTILITY AND IMMERSION

CES 2015 offered an indication on what a

‘smarter’ future might look like

CES 2016 has given us tangible examples of what to expect now

Three areas that stood out…

TRANSPORTATION UTILITY IMMERSION

The future of transportation

The trend in a nutshell

With growing adoption of electric cars, personal transportation devices like hoverboards or foldable electric scooters and broader contextual-based assistance in smart cars, the way people are moving around is changing. It's not just tech companies who are powering this revolution - legacy auto brands like Fiat Chrysler, Ford and BMW are heavily committed to make transportation smarter, healthier for the environment and overall more useful for people.

© Alessandro Badaró

How might this change people’s lives?

Broader adoption of alternative means of transportation

Whether it's personal transportation devices, smart vehicles or car rentals, owning a car may not be the standard means of transportation in the near future. People are accepting that more options are beneficial as they mature (e.g. battery technology is becoming reliable enough and supported by more infrastructure) and cater to more different ways of living.

© THE ENIGMATIC TRAVELER

Man and machine make peace on the road

Automated driving and artificial intelligence technology on a car still frighten most road users, and it's no wonder - it's still too early to truly see the benefits (and understand/control the dangers) of a self-driving vehicle. But as more mainstream car brands integrate reliable services into their offering, more people will likely start using them and validate the proposition of having a car that knows the road better than you do.

© Gohar Saeed

Smartphones as the control panel

As automated or tech-assisted cars become more prominent in modern society, the smartphones we all carry will become more of a remote control for other devices, instead of a standalone device. Developed urban economies already rely on smartphones to control and take full advantage of everyday utilities, so it's a matter of time before we can control various aspects of our cars via our phones.

© Bruce Tang

What does this mean for brands?

Drive the in-car experience

In a self-driving environment powered by Android Auto, CarPlay and others, people will have more time for themselves. Ask yourself: how can you integrate your products or services into this connected world? If driving is about to open room for more leisurely moments, leading brands will know how to integrate their offering to truly drive the in-car experience, whether it’s by betting on entertainment or plain contextual utility.

© Abdullah AlBargan

The screen real estate wars will get more intenseAs consumers rely more on utility apps and their smartphones to power their cars, transportation will become more screen-led than ever. With more screens comes more competition for people’s attention, since by freeing up their eyes from the road there is an attention gap to be filled. With that will come fierce competition and consumers will be more demanding than ever, but the brands who stand out will be in a prime position in this connected future.

© Herve Boinay

Context? It’s complicated

If sorting out how contextual services play a role in a single mobile device is tricky, adding the integration of that same device with your car, your house and other aspects of your life just increases the size of that challenge. In short, the 'context is king' discussion just got way more complicated. And yet, the brands who do sort it out will be in a prime position to have a truly impactful, ongoing reason to exist in consumers' lives. If our cars are to become smarter and more useful, consumer expectations around context and usability will naturally go up. © Tim van Eenennaam

Further reading

Watch: Self-driving car technology is maturing to the point of looking a bit ‘boringhttp://bit.ly/1Zu3ZWT

Read: Xcooter is the portable scooter you didn't know you wantedhttp://bit.ly/200wbgP

Read: You can now work with Microsoft Office in your carhttp://bit.ly/1PrG3sq

Watch: A Google Glass-like interface for cyclistshttp://bit.ly/1RDFMJt

Read: Fiat Chrysler and Ford will rollout CarPlay and Android Auto this yearhttp://bit.ly/1mYNdhp http://bit.ly/1TV3Dla

© Steven Guzzardi

The future of utility

The trend in a nutshell

CES 2015 showed us that technology could act as the ultimate butler, catering to our every need and fully aware of the context we're in. CES 2016 made the job description a bit more specific. From robot butlers to smart home appliances, or everything potentially turning into a payment device, all powered by increasingly cheap smartphones to control everything around us, we seem to be more than ever surrounded by technology - but that actually make our lives easier in the long run.

© Bruno Cordioli

How might this change people’s lives?

More free time for fun (if you can afford it)

Smart robots that understand consumer needs will free up more time for the things people care about - provided you can pay for all this technology. Entertainment will continue to steal a big chunk of time in people's lives, and in incredible new ways (see the 'immersion' section for a glimpse of that).

© escalepade

Bigger security concerns

In a world where everything is connected, the security risks tend to increase exponentially. If data security was already a big topic of discussion in 2015, with the integration of more devices that talk with one another in our lives, that conversation will only tend to become more complex - and consumers will be more wary than ever of which companies can truly be trusted with their personal data.

© darwin Bell

More tech that’s less noticed

With increasingly cheaper devices, having connected tech around the house will eventually be the equivalent of having electricity - indispensable in the modern world, yet few people will really make a big deal of it. Great technology fades into the background and as more devices are connected and contextually aware, consumers will tend to notice them less and just take them for granted, expecting them to work at all times with little to no effort (just think of how many times you think of your home router or microwave). © Paolo Margari

What does this mean for brands?

Ride the binge wave, man

As people gradually get more free time, entertainment will play an even bigger role in their lives - just look at the lion's share of attention that Netflix, Amazon Prime or Steam get, or the continuous explosion of mobile video and social networking. People crave to be entertained and, even though there's a clear surplus of content and shorter attention spans than ever, brands who can create something worth binging will be in a sweet spot for the future.

© Andrew

Integration is the brand

Great products will tend to become more about how they integrate with services than just how they perform on their own. As the future becomes more connected, we move from 'what is it?' and 'what does it do?' to 'what can I connect it with?'. Brands that already do a good job in integrating what defines them, such as their communications, distribution and customer service, will need to adapt to make sure their products become more integrated - either by creating a new platform for utility or feeding into an existing one. © regan76

Customer service will matter more than ever

Despite all the quality testing, there is always a risk of something not working as it should - or limiting other connected devices from working properly. And in a world where everything is more integrated, that may create an impact that goes way beyond that single product (just look at Philips Hue). When that happens, the brand that's responsible will likely suffer the biggest backlash and will need to be able to respond quickly and assertively. More connected devices means more things can go wrong - and when they do, brands need to be able to deal with it. © Lyza

Further reading

Watch: Segway announced a robot butler http://bit.ly/1N7xx03 Read: Smart robot Pepper is now powered by IBM Watsonhttp://bit.ly/1OidRdY

Read: Whirlpool’s new smart appliances integrate with Amazon Dashhttp://bit.ly/1N7xzF1

Read: Control spoilage with Samsung’s smart fridgehttp://bit.ly/1Zu6OHl

Read: A universal remote that morphs depending on where it’s pointinghttp://bit.ly/1PbLY4q

Read: Coin and Mastercard want to turn anything you wear into a payment devicehttp://bit.ly/1niBhqO

© melina1965

The future of immersion

The trend in a nutshell

The way we consume entertainment is becoming increasingly immersive, but it's no longer just about high quality video. As Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality devices mature and their use cases become more obvious, the introduction of haptic devices promises to bring touch to an already visually powerful experience. The battle for the senses is upon us - and consumers might just love the brands who hit the most targets.

© Frédéric BISSON

How might this change people’s lives?

VR is less virtual, more real

As Oculus, PlayStation and Valve reveal more details about their product offering and availability, consumers will have bigger contact with these products in retail and online environments, breeding further familiarity with their potential. If in 2015 VR sounded like a promising new ecosystem, now we start to see more concretely how that might just change entertainment forever.

© Nick Hobgood

Integrated sensory experiences are the next frontier

Virtual Reality is a big step for video, but entertainment is bound to become more sense-led as haptic devices might become more prominent. Nadi's yoga pants product signals an interesting use case, but it may be a matter of time before consumers experience (and desire) not only watching a real-time shootout in their console, but also feel the impact of when they're struck in-game or pushed whilst watching an action movie.

© Wouter de Bruijn

There are more tools than ever

While VR and other sensorial technologies make their solid first steps, other more established pieces of tech are becoming more available and affordable than ever. With action cameras and video-recording drones hitting mainstream, access to these tools will mean bigger creative possibilities for brands and consumers. Consumers are expecting more immersion in how to consume content - but also in how to create it.

© Eduardo Siquier Cortés

Expectations will rise

As these immersive experiences gradually become more available and talked about, there will be a rise in consumer expectations regarding what's considered truly 'entertaining'. If cross-device binge watching is threatening the scheduled model of television, soon immersive cross-sense experiences might just threaten the underwhelming experience of 'just' watching a video with headphones on.

© UT Connewitz Photo Crew

What does this mean for brands?

Huge opportunities for first-movers

With immersive experience companies and products still in their infancy, there's more opportunity for brand partnerships than ever. The novelty factor of what's possible is still present, so brands who do develop truly immersive experiences with the support of VR, AR, drones and other sense-powering tech will likely get the industry attention they deserve.

© Andrew Menage

Video is exploding but it shouldn't act alone

The explosion of video content is nothing to be overlooked, but research shows that activating more than one sense at a time delivers a much more memorable experience. Brands need to look beyond just video and think how their next experiential campaign may blend video with taste, smell or touch, for consumers will expect more and more stimuli when they seek entertainment - and those who deliver it will be in a prime position to lead the market.

© Jordi Sanchez Teruel

It doesn't have to be all big budget work

At its current stage, a great VR experience requires big budgets, but immersion can be achieved through other, more affordable means. As the technology progresses, we'll see increasingly cheaper devices which will give brands more options to dazzle their consumers with something special. Whether it's via new use cases for drones or ground breaking new ways to tell a story through an action cam, big budgets don't necessarily define how to innovate.

© Hillel Steinberg

Further reading

Read: Oculus unveils first consumer product http://bit.ly/1ZuaoRJhttp://bit.ly/1OPpQRA

Watch: Comparing Valve VR with PlayStation VRhttp://bit.ly/1N7A8qL

Read: These trousers will correct your yoga stances through seamless haptic vibrationhttp://bit.ly/1OPpVVt

Watch: Nikon’s first action camera also shoots 360 videohttp://bit.ly/200A85c Watch: You can now scan your face and put it in Fallout 4http://bit.ly/1niEab1

Read: MSI’s gaming laptop lets you play games with your eyeshttp://bit.ly/200AbOt

© Danipuntocom5

A one-sheeter for future thinking brandsDrive the in-car experience. In a self-driving environment powered by Android Auto, CarPlay and others, people will have more time for themselves. Ask yourself: how can you integrate your products or services into this connected world? If driving is about to open room for more leisurely moments, leading brands will know how to integrate their offering to truly drive the in-car experience, whether it’s by betting on entertainment or plain contextual utility.

The screen real estate wars will get more intense. As consumers rely more on utility apps and their smartphones to power their cars, transportation will become more screen-led than ever. With more screens comes more competition for people’s attention, since by freeing up their eyes from the road there is an attention gap to be filled. With that will come fierce competition and consumers will be more demanding than ever, but the brands who stand out will be in a prime position in this connected future.

Context? It’s complicated. If sorting out how contextual services play a role in a single mobile device is tricky, adding the integration of that same device with your car, your house and other aspects of your life just increases the size of that challenge. In short, the 'context is king' discussion just got way more complicated. And yet, the brands who do sort it out will be in a prime position to have a truly impactful, ongoing reason to exist in consumers' lives. If our cars are to become smarter and more useful, consumer expectations around context and usability will naturally go up.

Ride the binge wave, man. As people gradually get more free time, entertainment will play an even bigger role in their lives - just look at the lion's share of attention that Netflix, Amazon Prime or Steam get, or the continuous explosion of mobile video and social networking. People crave to be entertained and, even though there's a clear surplus of content and shorter attention spans than ever, brands who can create something worth binging will be in a sweet spot for the future.

Integration is the brand. Great products will tend to become more about how they integrate with services than just how they perform on their own. As the future becomes more connected, we move from 'what is it?' and 'what does it do?' to 'what can I connect it with?'. Brands that already do a good job in integrating what defines them, such as their communications, distribution and customer service, will need to adapt to make sure their products become more integrated - either by creating a new platform for utility or feeding into an existing one.

Customer service will matter more than ever. Despite all the quality testing, there is always a risk of something not working as it should - or limiting other connected devices from working properly. And in a world where everything is more integrated, that may create an impact that goes way beyond that single product (just look at Philips Hue). When that happens, the brand that's responsible will likely suffer the biggest backlash and will need to be able to respond quickly and assertively. More connected devices means more things can go wrong - and when they do, brands need to be able to deal with it.

Huge opportunities for first-movers. With immersive experience companies and products still in their infancy, there's more opportunity for brand partnerships than ever. The novelty factor of what's possible is still present, so brands who do develop truly immersive experiences with the support of VR, AR, drones and other sense-powering tech will likely get the industry attention they deserve.

Video is exploding but it shouldn't act alone. The explosion of video content is nothing to be overlooked, but research shows that activating more than one sense at a time delivers a much more memorable experience. Brands need to look beyond just video and think how their next experiential campaign may blend video with taste, smell or touch, for consumers will expect more and more stimuli when they seek entertainment - and those who deliver it will be in a prime position to lead the market.

It doesn't have to be all big budget work. At its current stage, a great VR experience requires big budgets, but immersion can be achieved through other, more affordable means. As the technology progresses, we'll see increasingly cheaper devices which will give brands more options to dazzle their consumers with something special. Whether it's via new use cases for drones or ground breaking new ways to tell a story through an action cam, big budgets don't necessarily define how to innovate.

A one-sheeter for future thinking brandsDrive the in-car experience. In a self-driving environment powered by Android Auto, CarPlay and others, people will have more time for themselves. Ask yourself: how can you integrate your products or services into this connected world? If driving is about to open room for more leisurely moments, leading brands will know how to integrate their offering to truly drive the in-car experience, whether it’s by betting on entertainment or plain contextual utility.

The screen real estate wars will get more intense. As consumers rely more on utility apps and their smartphones to power their cars, transportation will become more screen-led than ever. With more screens comes more competition for people’s attention, since by freeing up their eyes from the road there is an attention gap to be filled. With that will come fierce competition and consumers will be more demanding than ever, but the brands who stand out will be in a prime position in this connected future.

Context? It’s complicated. If sorting out how contextual services play a role in a single mobile device is tricky, adding the integration of that same device with your car, your house and other aspects of your life just increases the size of that challenge. In short, the 'context is king' discussion just got way more complicated. And yet, the brands who do sort it out will be in a prime position to have a truly impactful, ongoing reason to exist in consumers' lives. If our cars are to become smarter and more useful, consumer expectations around context and usability will naturally go up.

Ride the binge wave, man. As people gradually get more free time, entertainment will play an even bigger role in their lives - just look at the lion's share of attention that Netflix, Amazon Prime or Steam get, or the continuous explosion of mobile video and social networking. People crave to be entertained and, even though there's a clear surplus of content and shorter attention spans than ever, brands who can create something worth binging will be in a sweet spot for the future.

Integration is the brand. Great products will tend to become more about how they integrate with services than just how they perform on their own. As the future becomes more connected, we move from 'what is it?' and 'what does it do?' to 'what can I connect it with?'. Brands that already do a good job in integrating what defines them, such as their communications, distribution and customer service, will need to adapt to make sure their products become more integrated - either by creating a new platform for utility or feeding into an existing one.

Customer service will matter more than ever. Despite all the quality testing, there is always a risk of something not working as it should - or limiting other connected devices from working properly. And in a world where everything is more integrated, that may create an impact that goes way beyond that single product (just look at Philips Hue). When that happens, the brand that's responsible will likely suffer the biggest backlash and will need to be able to respond quickly and assertively. More connected devices means more things can go wrong - and when they do, brands need to be able to deal with it.

Huge opportunities for first-movers. With immersive experience companies and products still in their infancy, there's more opportunity for brand partnerships than ever. The novelty factor of what's possible is still present, so brands who do develop truly immersive experiences with the support of VR, AR, drones and other sense-powering tech will likely get the industry attention they deserve.

Video is exploding but it shouldn't act alone. The explosion of video content is nothing to be overlooked, but research shows that activating more than one sense at a time delivers a much more memorable experience. Brands need to look beyond just video and think how their next experiential campaign may blend video with taste, smell or touch, for consumers will expect more and more stimuli when they seek entertainment - and those who deliver it will be in a prime position to lead the market.

It doesn't have to be all big budget work. At its current stage, a great VR experience requires big budgets, but immersion can be achieved through other, more affordable means. As the technology progresses, we'll see increasingly cheaper devices which will give brands more options to dazzle their consumers with something special. Whether it's via new use cases for drones or ground breaking new ways to tell a story through an action cam, big budgets don't necessarily define how to innovate.

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