Technology is getting smarter. And our marketing agency in Chicago is adapting rapidly. Automobiles, homes, and clothing are more interactive than ever, and wearable electronics are using sensors to collect data on users and their environment. As connectivity becomes more common, advertising agencies will have rich data sets to use for quality engineering and consumer marketing.
Where are the Wearables?
When Fitbit entered the market, wearable fitness trackers were largely based on decades-old pedometer technology. Fitbit created devices that were smarter than pedometers, with an appealing aesthetic and connectivity that revolutionized wearable technology for the average consumer. Now, society is beginning to see the true benefits of wearables. One study reported that those equipped with some kind of wearable technology saw a 8.5% increase in productivity and a 3.5% increase in job satisfaction.
Samsung created the first smartwatch, updating wrist technology from the Casio calculators of the 1970s. As with Fitbit, the functional innovation, appealing design, and connectivity started a trend for electronics companies worldwide.
Wearables include precise sensors for heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, and motion tracking for fitness and health. Athletes can analyze the power and efficiency of their movements, and health professionals can monitor patients remotely for faster emergency response.
Think Bigger
Wearables may be the most intuitive IoT devices that come to mind, but home appliances, vehicles, and all types of products are evolving with technology. Mattel’s “Hello Barbie” is one of the first electronic dolls with smart learning—and devices even exist to monitor the temperature of very young children to alert parents in case of a fever.
The Amazon Echo, iHome, and similar electronics provide a smart virtual assistant for homes and apartments, and the connectivity with Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant mean that software advancements can develop functionality indefinitely.
Inside of our cars, technology can help route around traffic, sense hazardous conditions, and even provide automatic parallel parking. Our homes can have refrigerators, appliances, and thermostats that are energy efficient and predictive.
How and Where is the Data Being Used?
It’s obvious that the potential data collection is massive, with an estimated 50 billion internet-connected devices existing by 2020, but companies are just starting to tap into the potential of IoT analytics. Marketers are at the forefront of innovation, and the data has considerable consumer and business side uses.
For consumers, benefits of smarter devices include rapidly, real-time developing features and functionality. Machine learning can recognize speech patterns and predict or recommend services for users. Smart IoT technology gives consumers a chance to learn more about themselves and make better decisions, but they’re not the only ones who benefit from analytics.
Businesses and marketing professionals can learn important usage information to innovate and improve products. For example, businesses can track the most popular times, days, or seasons for usage and create marketing campaigns that take this data into account.
Sensors can also track what type of usage occurs—especially for virtual assistants. If a virtual assistant regularly answers queries about local shops and restaurants, business owners can use targeted advertisements to reach these consumers when they are most likely to be making dinner plans.
What Will This Mean for the Future?
As a premier Chicago digital marketing agency, our data-driven creative approach was born ready for the IoT revolution. Smart technology will be a driving force in 2017, and we’re proud to be one of the first digital marketing firms in Chicago to bring IoT data analysis into the future of marketing.
