Wearable tech: is it time to look beyond the smartwatch?

Last year Apple embarked on its first foray into the world of wearable tech with the Apple Watch. Having already revolutionised the smartphone and tablet markets, the company looked odds on to launch yet another ground breaking product.

Fast forward 15 months and its journey into the world of wearables has proven somewhat challenging for the tech giant. Sales of the smartwatch started strong but slowed overtime, and the pressure is now on the Apple Watch 2 to perform. Only time will tell if the smartwatch will have its own iPhone moment.

So with Apple’s wearable future, for now, looking uncertain, and Google’s first launch long since dead (Google Glass anyone?) what’s next for wearable tech?

If you thought wearables were just watches that counted calories, then think again. The fitness world has of course already tapped into wearables in a big way with the likes of Nike+ and Fitbit dominating the ‘quantified self’ movement. At a competitive level, sports equipment manufacturers are producing nano-tech clothing which can adapt, for example, a swimmer’s physique to make them more streamlined.

However, the real future of wearables lies beyond just mere fitness and performance.

I believe a major area of development will be in medical treatment. Live biological data direct from the source (that’s you and me!) will be used to treat illnesses, with wearables acting as the connected interface between host and hospital. From the connected insulin pen which improves diabetes management to the implantable drug-delivery systems which reduce prescription wastage, there are so many ways that wearable technology can revolutionise healthcare provision.

And it’s not just illnesses that wearables can help to tackle. A sensor-laden glove developed by two German engineers can now transmit messages through the palm of a deaf-blind person, allowing them to communicate by touch with the outside world.

This for me is the very essence of what wearables are about: creating physically engaging experiences or interactions that can markedly change behaviours. And as marketers, we need to be aware of how these new devices can be used to impact behaviours and new needs among our consumers.

At first glance, it’s easy for us to simply dismiss them as just another screen or platform on which to display marketing messages. The opportunity here is far greater than that. Wearables allow us to have a constant connection with consumers through sensor-rich devices, providing us with an entirely new aspect of data and consumer engagement.

Finding out which wearables your customers are using, and how, will be key to leveraging this technology regardless of your sector. The brands that succeed here will understand that great care will need to be taken when handling personal data (both from a tech perspective and a marketing one) and will make their marketing work seamlessly with these devices.

It is still early days. But it’s an exciting time for wearable technology when you explore the huge range of products and devices out there - not just those that are strapped to your wrist. And after wearables, there will be implants… which as Shelley Palmer says, will be species changing. The journey to Robocop has started! 

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