CES 2012 – Where’s the Beef?
by Shaun Quigley, mobile practice director, Brunner
A Year of “incremental improvement?” 
LAS VEGAS — With Apple strikingly absent from this year’s CES, and with Steve Ballmer making Microsoft’s swan song at the world’s largest tradeshow, I had tempered expectations as I touched down in Vegas. And the show is delivering on that expectation: small, incremental improvements to things like TV and tablets.
Nevertheless, every tradeshow has a few golden nuggets. Here’s what we uncovered opening day.
App of the Day: EBay’s AWESOME augmented reality fashion app helps shoppers try on the product before they hit the store. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmYZ1YImWIw
Content Consumption and Co-viewing. People are watching more TV than ever before. That consumption is the result of co-viewing (or multi-screen viewing) on tablets, smartphones and an increasing number of “ultrabook” options.
Smart TV. Executives from LG and Best Buy acknowledged that 40% of TVs being sold in stores today are connected, with projections of 90% by 2015. The smarter the TV, the more social the viewing experience. The more social the viewing experience, the more integration points for brands.
Communications Planning. Demographics are out. Contextual relevance is in. Also, media flowcharts are killing digital’s ability to make smarter, faster connections with consumers. (Why? Because it’s a line item that’s easy to cross off!). Industry must find a better way to present media plans.
Mobile Strategy. Business goals are different when your consumer is in the kitchen versus the store. Location awareness must factor into the strategy.
3D Everything. Last year there were just a handful of 3D enabled TVs on the showroom floor. Today there are hundreds. Implication for brands: how can your product experience reach out and touch someone?
Shaun Quigley is the mobile practice director for Brunner, and lead’s the agency’s innovation incubator, BHiveLab. Follow him @Squigster
Posted on January 11, 2012, in Events and tagged advertising, app, Brunner, Brunnerworks, CEA, CES, Consumer Electronics, Consumer Electronics Association, DGC, DiGennaro Communications, digital, Ebay, Las Vegas, LG, media, Mobile, Quigley, Shaun, Shaun Quigley, Show, social, TV. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
Just a small point of clarification. Apple had never, officially, had a presence or exhibited at a CES, as far as I know.
Sure, its presence can be felt when it does things like announce the iPhone the week before CES, but other than that, not so much.
Lots of 3rd party Apple products, peripherals and accessories from the looks of things, including the iLounge pavilion and Thunderbolt devices.
It’s iMadness here, Nanther. Particularly in the iHealth vertical. Good point about Apple. It’s interesting that the other giants are starting to exit. From a marketing standpoint, CES has lost its fastball. It’s too big and therefore too unfocused. I get more value from shows like sxsw and OMMA global. But it is a wonderful learning experience. And the 3D games are da bomb!
I’ve been keeping my eye on the Triboro website (and their leftovers) for a while.