“Is the Internet of Things Marketings Next Big Thing?” As a child, The Jetsons was one of my favorite cartoons. It gave me hope for a future and seemed like a perfect utopia -- much preferable to its stone-age counterpart, The Flintstones. I thought surely by the time Id be a high school student in 1992-1996, Id have a Skypad apartment, flying car and a robot maid! In 2014, Im disappointed to report that I dont even have a dog named Astro, let alone a flying saucer. However with all the fuss about wearable technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) lately, and at this months Consumer Electronics Show (CES), I think were inching ever closer. I have to wonder what its implications are for communications professionals and my clients. The sensors inside these smart devices track a ton of data. Think about a fuel band, for instance. It is monitoring your heart rate, steps taken, calories burned and hours slept. That data can empower people to take actions to improve their health. If we can use big data to improve ourselves on an individual level, how can businesses use it to improve their marketing? Heres an example: Before we know it, well be able to buy Google Glass. Its marketing applications and impact on search will be limited at first, but I predict that will change rapidly. One clue: A recently released Glass app, Glashion, enables users to snap clothing and accessories of passers-by and complete a comparison shop. Think about what those possibilities mean for marketers! Big data sets are going to become even more important to businesses. There is real power in tracking consumer preferences in real-time. I predict that marketers will finally be able to adjust messaging and awareness tactics to a precise target audience, and directly track success, all in an instant. We also have to consider how comfortable consumers are going to be with companies tracking their preferences and actions. It will surely feel Big Brother-ish to some. Data breaches will happen. In light of Googles recent acquisition of Nest, a smart thermostat maker, some are already feeling squeamish about the IoTs potential for privacy invasion. That means companies involved in the smart marketplace should dust off their crisis communications plans and PR professionals should be prepared to address critics. For now, Im excited to see where the IoT will take us, both on a personal and professional level. (No Rosie the robot maid, but maybe a DJ Roomba iRobot?) Comments are welcome!!! Contact me to check out my website!!!!
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 23:11:58 +0000
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