Jeff Malmad is managing director and head of mobile and Life+ at Mindshare North America
By Jeff Malmad LAS VEGAS, NV – We live in an uber-connected world and, as marketers, we have entered the third wave of digital advertising. The first wave was the desktop Internet. The second wave was mobile, with applications and the mobile Web. And now the third wave is adaptive mobility, coming from the world of wearables, sensors and the Internet of Things. The smartphone is the gateway into this world, and much of what we are seeing at CES this week highlights this blossoming world of connected everything. Wearables and sensors. An area that we are bullish on, this technology saw a lot of growth in 2015, and it will only become smarter and more advanced this year, as we see a shift to smart watch devices that are all-purpose. And since Apple entered this market, many companies are moving rapidly to stay advanced in this new area. For example, Fossil Group recently acquired Misfit – a company that makes health tracking wearables – and plans to incorporate its technology into watches. Although the wearable space is a fragmented market, marketers can work with publishing partners to help connect this area at scale in a brand-friendly advertising environment. Lifestyle improvements from connected technology. From health and fitness trackers, to pet sensors, to the connected home, in the last few years we have begun seeing more ways that connected technology can improve your life. For example, there are new washers and dryers being released that have tech such as Amazon Dash built into them, so that your device knows how many cycles you have run and when you need more detergent. You will see technology such as this built into more smart appliances to make purchase decisions as frictionless as possible. Now all we really need is a self-folding laundry machine – that would be a game-changing innovation for us all. World of altered reality. Just place a screen on your face and indulge – that is where we will see the next big gaming and enhanced content experiences. This year we are experiencing more of that first-hand. For example, Facebook made Oculus Rift available for pre-order this week. Media companies and brands have already begun to develop content for both virtual reality – notably with Google Cardboard – and augmented reality, adding a layer of data and visualizations to real-world experiences with devices such as Microsoft’s Hololens or Magic Leap. That is not to count out television, though. When you think about it, TV is really what started it all, as the ultimate consumer escape. So any and all advancements in 4K-connected screens will be important to watch. But most importantly of all: we should all be excited for the R2-D2 remote controlled refrigerator, operated via a remote control and bringing you your favorite beverages. LAST YEAR, walking the floors of CES helped inspire some of the sensor-based campaigns that we developed in 2015, and continue building in 2016. At any moment, what you see on the show floor can plant a seed for brand – whether that is activated today, this year, or further into the future. CES is not just about the technology itself, but the energy, the ideas, and the unexpected wow moments. Jeff Malmad is managing director and head of mobile and Life+ at Mindshare North America, New York. Reach him at jeff.malmad@mindshareworld.com.