What’s Next for Connected Devices?

The idea of connected living is frequently associated with simplifying our lives through streamlining our devices. However, as people look for ways for connected devices to truly have a meaningful impact, there is a drive to move beyond simplification, towards meeting deeper human needs – the need for protection and assistance within our daily lives. In other words, the next wave of connected devices should help us address issues around our physical health, our mental wellbeing, our safety and security and allow us to better connect with our loved ones.

So, what are some of the latest devices that address these needs?

Cuptime, out of China, is a smart cup that allows consumers to track their hydration levels. The plastic cup connects wirelessly to a cellphone, allowing consumers to monitor their water intake based on their height and weight.

Vigo is wearable device that tracks alertness through blinking and body movement, which syncs the data to a mobile app. When Vigo detects tiredness, it ‘nudges’ the wearer via customizable smartphone settings, including gentle vibrations and energizing audio tracks.

Toymail a device I recently checked out at NY Tech Day, is a range of talking toys that allow parents to stay in touch with their kids when traveling. The wifi enabled ‘Mailmen’ sync with an iOS app that allows parents to record and save voicemail messages, which are played through the toy in each character’s voice.

Implication: Each of these products as well as a number of others, such as Nest, make it clear that the next phase of connected living revolves around helping consumers enhance their lives.

Reposted in Tribal Worldwide's Smoke Signals.

Contextual Integration Digs Deeper at the Contagious Now/Next/Why Conference

Last week I attended the Contagious Now/Next/Why conference. During the conference, it became clear that a key trend is influencing the effectiveness of campaigns across all mediums – the need for true contextual integration. Contextual integration, sometimes referred to as contextual relevance, is not new. And, as a result, consumers now expect complete, connected and consistent experiences from a brand, no matter where they are engaging. But, we, as marketers, have not yet been able to create this experience and therefore, we have not allowed contextual relevance to reach its full potential.

One of the key areas that must evolve in order to create real contextual integration is in the creation of personas. Current personas tend to be based around demographic data and a picture of who a person is holistically. However, this demonstrates a lack of understanding of human nature. People’s roles and needs shift depending on who is around, such as a mother of two who is a brand manager at a corporation will have very different needs when she is at home with her children getting them ready for school versus presenting key findings about her product line to her colleagues. Therefore, personas need to be viewed by context and with the change in context comes a change in the information that is relevant.

In other words, it’s time to plan around people. As marketers, data allows us to dig deeper to do just that.

Implication: Design brand planning around contextually relevant pieces of data: time, platform, habits, intent, persona, and events.

Reposted in Tribal Worldwide's Smoke Signals.