The 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially kicked off this morning in Las Vegas. Excitement for the event has been mounting for weeks, mostly contained within the tech world, but marketers interested in keeping pace with modern consumers may wish to take note of the various tech innovations and trends coming out of CES 2015.
Of course, not all of the trends and innovations at CES 2015 will directly influence marketing; but marketers should consider some of these tech innovations as answers to the industry’s constant challenges in the digital age.
Case in point: the exponential growth of mobile.
Marketers are continuously working to get this most out of mobile and tie it back to the bottom line. Mobile has, however, allowed brands to engage consumers and build affinity. Or consider how streaming is a constant threat to cable, and someday it may even eclipse cable TV. Bottom line, new digital platforms have reshaped how people communicate. And on order to keep pace with today’s consumers, it’s important to remain informed on these tech trends.
Here are some of the more imperative trends in tech space that, simply put, marketers can’t afford to ignore.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Facebook made big headlines in 2014 when it acquired Oculus Rift, the famous VR headset company that has captured the attention of gamers and general techies since the initial unveiling of its development kits in 2012. With the consumer-grade product scheduled to release this year, CES 2015 could be the last time we see the Oculus Rift at a trade show. Other companies have latched on to the idea of virtual and augmented reality in the wake of the Oculus Rift’s pre-release popularity, including Sony with its Project Morpheus.
Wearables
In some ways, the wearable race is encroaching on ridiculousness. Nevertheless, companies continue to invest in the fusion of the digital, the physical, and the practical. Expect more smartwatches, variations of smartglasses (a trend popularized by Google and its Google Glass project), and even smartrings.
TVs
It seems TV screen resolutions are rising in tandem with online video streaming, and these TV sets are becoming increasingly sophisticated and connected. As consumers and manufacturers continue to gravitate toward larger and smarter TVs, marketers could very well have yet another screen to optimize against in the coming months.
