CES2016: Advertising and Marketing Opportunities Continue to Improve

As expected, this year’s consumer electronics show did not disappoint with a vast display of new electronics products, gadgets, systems and digital services from hundreds of brands debuting at the show. Products ranged new 8K TVs from the likes of Panasonic and LG to the releases of the unexpected as well as the unknown including SMARTWheel, a steering wheel cover that alerts drivers when they exhibit distracted behaviors on the road. Other product debuts included a variety of smart home products, a 360-degree action camera from Nikon and several virtual reality headsets, with each exhibitor taking up a fraction of the Las Vegas show’s 2.4 million square feet footprint.

Perhaps not always intended on the part of electronics providers, one thing is becoming increasingly clear – digital advertising opportunities are continuing to improve for brands and marketers. Many new smart and connected devices are primed for offering new types of advertising. Whether it’s refrigerators in connected homes or the audio system in a connected car, an online digital presence and screen are infiltrating more and more parts of everyday life.

A series of digital marketing sessions titled ‘the Chief Digital Officer Global Forum’ honed in on these findings. CMOs, CIOs and CTOs representing brands like Under Armour, American Airlines, The Weather Company, Disney and Visa partook in a panel discussions. Each company acknowledged their firm commitment to innovating in the consumer technology space for the benefit of their expanding consumer base’s needs.

While traditionally not thought of as a technology company, Disney’s CTO, Skarpi Hedinsson, noted that as marketers, there is a responsibility to reach and engage with consumers across every screen that they would want to reach out to a respective brand on.

Another key contention was the importance of constant data collection. Every chief digital officer noted the need to aggressively collect and aggregate data and leverage it to make future decisions from analytical findings. Under Armour’s head of North America Media and Advertising, Doug Ziewacz, added that while people may view the brand as a sports apparel retailer, the company defines themselves as a technology company.

That focus and drive to regularly analyze customer needs through technology, data and expanding screen and device usage is what these companies anticipate will keep them thriving for years to come. With those key considerations in mind, major brands and advertisers are primed to leverage devices from the CES showroom to better reach their consumers and ultimately sustain success.