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A Reference Guide to CES 2015.
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CES MAY BE OVER.
BUT THE FUN IS JUST BEGINNING. There’s no better way to say it: CES was absolutely amazing! From the ONE show to custom tours with Shelly Palmer to insightful and engaging presentations, our days together were an enormous success. Thank you for spending your valuable time with us at CES 2015. There were so many memorable moments from the event, it’s nearly impossible to recall them all. So as the new year kicks into high gear, we wanted to ensure you have the very best of CES right at your fingertips—for reference and review. In the following pages, you’ll find some popular highlights from the floor as well as access to each of the presentations we delivered during the event. As we try to keep pace with technology and a breed of consumers that are more empowered than ever before, surrounding ourselves with the right partners is a key component to success. We feel very fortunate to have found this level of collaboration and commitment in clients, like you, and look forward to a very prosperous and innovative year.
DAY 1:
Plugging in DRIVING IS SO OLD SCHOOL Self-driving cars are on the radar of major automakers who are looking to turn the car into what the chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz cars, Dieter Zetsche, called a “luxury carriage that could provide a peaceful, relaxing oasis for riders.” Similar messages were heard from Raj Nair, chief technical officer at Ford. Nair mentioned in his keynote that he expects some manufacturers to introduce completely autonomous vehicles within five years. He sees Ford following a gradual rollout of self-driving cars, with early efforts focusing on high-definition mapping to provide more favorable environments for obstacle sensors. Early models will only be partially autonomous, according to Nair. The increase in autonomous vehicles is also ushering in a push for greater in-car connectivity. Companies like LG are currently working to develop a means to connect more smart devices such as tablets and wearables in a seamless manner.
pcmag.com
TODAY WILL BE THE SLOWEST “ RATE OF TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE WE'LL EVER EXPERIENCE.”
WEARABLES, SMART HOMES, AND... FLOWER POTS? One of the hottest topics of 2015 is wearables. With the impending release of the Apple Watch, other manufacturers are rushing to refine their smartwatches and activity trackers. One brand, Withings, released a new smartwatch called the Activité Pop. Not only is it simple in both design and features, it also appeals to the wallet. The established wearable device manufacturer, Misfit, who makes the Shine activity tracker and Beddit sleep tracking pad, is taking a step into the smart home device realm. With Bolt, a Wi-Fi connected light bulb and direct competitor to the Philips Hue bulb, it can sync up with other Misfit devices to help control color, mood lighting, and sleeping cycles.
pcmag.com
Lastly, the French drone maker, Parrot, released a Bluetooth connected… flowerpot. Using the accompanying app, you can get readings on water levels based on plant type and soil saturation. While it may seem trivial, maintaining plants with as little work as possible seemed to draw in quite a few crowds.
WITH THE INTERNET OF THINGS COMES INFINITE POSSIBILITIES B.K. Yoon, one of Samsung’s three co-chief executives, shared three critical concepts Samsung is currently working toward: openness, togetherness, and collaboration. This is Yoon’s vision for the Internet of Things (IoT), a term used to describe the connection and collaboration of all devices, regardless of platform. As the world progresses towards greater connectivity, especially in home devices like TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and even light bulbs, the IoT becomes increasingly essential for communication. According to Yoon, “We must not have walled IoT gardens. We need an open ecosystem so that IoT devices work together, and we need to collaborate across industries.”
wsj.com
The interest in IoT technology is making quite the splash. In fact, market research firm, IDC, is predicting that the worldwide market for IoT solutions will grow from $1.9 trillion in 2013 to $7.1 trillion is 2020. Just imagine the possibilities for innovators, consumers, and marketers!
DAY 2:
to drones—and beyond PEACEKEEPER FOR THE FAMILY ROAD TRIP IS FINALLY HERE Tired of those never ending road trip arguments over who gets to choose the music? Don’t fret – Harman’s Individual Sound Zone (ISZ) technology is here to save the day… and your sanity. The premium global audio, visual, infotainment, and enterprise automation group unveiled its groundbreaking technology at CES – and needless to say it turned heads. ISZ technology allows people to listen to different things in the car, all while leaving the experience of the other passengers in the car the same. Using a combination of directional speakers and noise cancellation technology, ISZ divides the cabin into individual listening areas so that everybody can enjoy his or her own music choices, movies, and private phone conversations. The technology has the potential to drastically change how we hear the outside world, particularly as it is adapted into apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, office buildings and other everyday environments.
theverge.com
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CRAWL, WALK, RUN.
Eugene Becker, Exelate
3D PRINT VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING Many people left CES buzzing about 3D printing's impact on the show and how it’s transforming so many aspects of modern life. Examples included 3D printed furniture from Makerbot, as well as a 3D printed nylon dress fashioned by Nervous System. No space was left untouched as 3DSystems showcased its CocoJet chocolate 3D printer, and Open Bionics displayed functional 3D printed arms and hands to demonstrate that prosthetics can be produced easily and affordably.
tech.firstpost.com
“It’s like you can print anything you want, as long as it’s made of plastic,” said Dr. Jennifer A. Lewis, the founder of Voxel8, which unveiled the world’s first 3D electronics printer. With the ability to print both plastic and conductive material, allowing circuitry and the physical structure of an object to be printed simultaneously, this printer will likely revolutionize the way hearing devices and other electronic wearables are manufactured. The game changer? More consumer friendly printing tools are becoming more readily available allowing anyone to create something remarkable to 3D print. The possibilities are endless!
DRONES, DRONES AND MORE DRONES Drones. They come in all shapes and sizes. Some can fit in the palm of your hand, while others can sprawl across your entire kitchen table. CES offered up a virtual buffet of remote-controlled flying robots ranging in size from one with the footprint of a business card all the way up to a giant model that's being contemplated for military use. All the drones on display can fly, suspend, and have some sort of remote control – but each has their own unique ability that distinguishes them apart from each other.
pcmag.com
Patrick Moorhead, principal technology analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy, told ABC News that he estimated there were at least twice as many drones from the previous year at CES. “What it comes down to is the fascination with any type of object that can be controlled like a robot,” Moorhead said. “What makes drones so awesome is, historically, it had been so hard to operate anything that can fly.”
DAY 3:
sights and sounds of our last day REALITY IS GETTING... VIRTUAL? 2015 could be the year that virtual reality makes it into your very own living rooms. At least that’s what innovators are saying. Several start-ups and many of the biggest names in technology connected at CES to show off their virtual reality headsets – and the response was unreal. Headlining the event was Oculus’ latest virtual reality prototype, Crescent Bay, which received raving reviews by a TechCrunch reporter, calling it “a whole different class of experience” that “truly transports you.” As the first virtual reality experience that doesn’t cause nausea, CEO, Brendan Iribe, is confident that Crescent Bay will meet the minimum standards necessary to hit the market.
nypost.com
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More significantly, in an effort to appeal to a wider audience, virtual reality technology was showcased outside of the video gaming realm – transcending its original roots and defying old stereotypes. Startup, Altspace VR, revealed virtual spaces where friends can feel is if they are conversing together in the same “room,” even if they are on different sides of the country. Just think of what that will do for corporations with offices worldwide!
WE'RE TRAILING FUMES OF DATA AS WE MOVE THROUGH LIFE. HOW WILL BRANDS USE THIS EVENT-LEVEL DATA TO OPTIMIZE THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE?
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Kelly Wenzel, Centro CMO
THE NEXT GENERATION OF TVs ARE IN FULL VIEW The most talked about trend of this year’s show was 4K TVs – with Sony, Samsung, and LG all revealing models featuring ultra-high-resolution display technology. Although not exactly new, many observers are referring to this year’s show as the “coming out party” for 4K TVs, which are projected to drop drastically in price this year.
geekwire.com
Samsung, the industry leader in TV manufacturing, unveiled a range of 4K and HDTVs, a few of which will run the operating system for its new high-tech washing machine. LG, the number two TV maker, announced seven new TV sets that are 4K, ranging in size from 43 inches to 105 inches with a wide variety of price points. Industry leaders Panasonic and Sharp also released similar 4K models. Be sure to keep an eye out for these affordable, super TVs – coming to an electronics store near you!
HI-RES AUDIO IS MAKING SOME NOISE Audio buffs, rejoice! The Walkman is back – and with it, a new high-tech makeover. Sony was one of two companies who made waves at CES with the unveiling of high-resolution music players that offer much more superior quality compared to CDs and compressed MP3 sound. Sony’s new Walkman is a high-end version of a model the company released in 2013 after retiring the classic cassette player in 2010. Mirroring Sony’s footsteps was Pono Music, a company who also released a high-definition Walkman-like device. Branded as Neil Young’s PonoPlayer, the gadget is equipped with a high-end digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and offers a far greater listening experience than that of iPods and other MP3 players.
smh.com
The bad news? Both of these products come at a hefty price. The bright side? Five years from now we might be introduced to the budget-friendly version of these products – similar to what happened with 4K TVs. But we’ll just have to wait and see.
Key Presentation Takeaways:
The Notes You Need
Centro: Evolution or Revolution
Look how connected we are, and think about how that connectivity has changed over the past ten years, or even just five years. Executive Vice President, Scott Neslund, and Senior Director of Digital Innovations, Ryan Manchee, look at the new media landscape and everything that is happening in the name of digital. Millennials now hold the majority of consumption and buying power, and brands need to adjust accordingly. Keeping messaging relatable, authentic and contextual taps into the nature of the relationship between millennials and brands. As frequent brand switchers, millennials prefer local and unique angles. Understanding personalization and targeting will go a long way to cater toward this new powerful generation. Find the entire presentation here.
Google: Right Place, Right time Technology is advancing and the way we consume media is changing. To many consumers, advertising has become background noise. Marketers have to ask themselves — where are we during the moments that matter? How do we make this interaction better than the last? If your brand is present, usable and relevant in a key moment for the consumer, everyone wins. Find the entire presentation here.
Centro: Cross-Platform Data, Measurement & Targeting
There is so much data we now have access to. This is great for marketers, but what do we do with it? What does success look like and what are we comparing it to? Marketers will want to make sure they are turning that data into something actionable. We need to understand both the capabilities and limitations of consumer journey data to become better equipped to digest data measurement and strategy. Senior Vice President, Media Data & Analytics, Gunnard Johnson took a deeper dive in this panel discussion.
TubeMogul: Video Advertising Convergence
We all know video is growing, especially within the programmatic space. Metrics are evolving along with it, providing better KPIs and campaign insights. This creates new challenges, both real and perceived, around scale, quality, and measurement. However, sophisticated measurement platforms prevent challenges from being prohibitive to executing successful campaigns. Embrace experimenting with new metrics, and broaden your horizons. Find the entire presentation here.
Centro: Real-Time Bidding Trends
Matt Sauls, VP of Operations at SiteScout, looks at programmatic as it moves from adolescence to maturity; marketers have more and more opportunities for connection with technology-enabled products. There’s an acute need for education on how to simplify the process, enabling marketers to unlock the power of their data. Find the entire presentation here.
Shelly Palmer: Tech West Floor Tour
What we see as “emerging technologies” are still in their infancy, and we’ve got a long way to go. The way consumers interact with media and messaging is going to evolve, and marketers need to shift their goals and focus from delivery to experiences and consideration. The need to develop messaging to display across wearable devices and connected home devices is not far ahead. Creative campaigns will play to audiences that enjoy advanced technological experiences. How does the data new devices collect affect the message and its delivery? Be ready for implications on engagement and effectiveness.
Shelly Palmer: Innovation Series Breakfast
As individuals move through life, they create data that is telling and actionable. Think of how that data can empower both the consumer and the marketer. How can you create a data set that’s useful, living and functioning? Connection Example: All ten manufacturers came to CES with autonomous driving cars. Three years ago, the head of Ford thought he’d never see such a thing in his lifetime. Now, new technology in the cars is producing living data. It’s up to marketers to unlock data like this and make it useful.
Pandora: Engagement Redefined
Internet radio is bringing music everywhere — from TVs and tablets to refrigerators and cars. In fact, on mobile phones, people are spending more time listening to music than they are on Facebook or Google. As artists and listeners transform, so do advertising opportunities. Mobile ROI is specifically showing increases in the time users spend with the brand. Opportunities like sponsored listening give advertisers an opportunity to capture attention and spend time with the audience. In 2015, as marketers consider mobile, radio should remain in the consideration set for those focused on true engagement. Find the entire presentation here.
___ Brilliant minds in cross-channel attribution gathered @centro #CES2015. Major theme: brands need to get basics right
@kellywenzel
___ Amazing time at #CES2015 Inspired by the innovative tech & by the @centro clients who disrupt + push limits for positive change in mktg
@rmanchee
___ No matter how much science and data come into play, all advertising is still art. Creative counts. @Centro #CES2015 @olsonmike
___ Looking forward to some great presentations today from @MattDSauls @gunnardj @stevelatham @eXelate @Justin_Schuster @JLopatecki at #CES2015
@centro
2015 is your year. let’s make it amazing.