What I hope is different this year at CES

Unless Omnicron changes everyone’s plans, I’ll be at #CES2022 in January, and while I was originally going to do the traditional “predictions” blog- talking about new technology, AI, supply chain, data, and automation, but instead, I decided to focus instead to see how companies are adapting to shifts in the consumer landscape- a new moral fiber and set of expectations and opportunities never before seen on this planet. Here are some of the trends I believe will be driving everything from new business models to the creation of entirely new products and services. Some digital, some physical, some real, and some virtual.

Relevance as currency

Brands are struggling to stay relevant in a highly competitive environment where same day shipping and convenience can trump brand loyalty. To get really close to consumers, brands need to become hyper relevant and meet the consumer where they are. Marketing has shifted to Instagram, YouTube, and Tik Tok, and consumers have a renewed affection for saving the planet. Greenwashing statements of the past just won’t cut it and the desire for real climate change is attracting the loyalty of the masses. Patagonia just donated all their profits from Black Friday ($10mm) to climate activism and the news of this can be seen from Instagram to LinkedIn. Vaccinations have divided the population into those that prioritize community well-being over personal choices (or at least wanting to be perceived this way), and how will this “we not me” impact brands and what products and services they develop, or will the impact only be seen in marketing. I’ll be looking at how brands are trying to create a deeper connection with people.

Metaverse- WHAT?

Anyone over 50 who learns about the metaverse will likely think, “WTF are people talking about?” Facebook has rebranded to @Meta, Crypto currency is gaining traction and @RTFCT just got an investment from @Nike to sell virtual footwear, and the term “digital twin” (a digital representation of not only your looks, but your personality, preferences, history, etc) is becoming more commonplace. So, what is the metaverse anyway? You’ve likely already been a part of it if you’ve been on a zoom call- a virtual gathering of people sharing an experience. According to NVIDIA, the technology that helps make the Metaverse possible says “The metaverse is a shared virtual 3D world, or worlds, that are interactive, immersive, and collaborative. Just as the physical universe is a collection of worlds that are connected in space, the metaverse can be thought of as a bunch of worlds, too.” Imagine however a future where your digital twin is inside a virtual world that has many of the same products and services as the real world. You (your digital twin actually) can shop, dress, travel, work, and play. Hence the $85 new RTFKT shoes you can’t live without in your virtual world. Will traditional companies jump on this bandwagon? Will @L’Oreal have virtual makeup and hair styles for your avatar in the Metaverse? Will Levis and Northface sell virtual clothing? Will Tesla sell virtual cars so you can impress your friends when you show up for your virtual lunch? Let’s see how the Metaverse appears at CES.

Connect me but don’t stalk me

Connected products have the potential of being smarter, more personalized, and provide new experiences not otherwise possible. A connected car can help you find the nearest station, tell you when your car needs service, when you’re driving tired, or help you call for help in an emergency. Nest lets you optimize the comfort of your house and gives you control from anywhere in the world, and Purina developed Petivity, a product that sits under the cat’s litter box and tracks the health of cats, notifying the owner if a problem is detected. Connected devices have the potential of delivering incredible services, but in order to achieve a higher level of relevance and functionality, these systems need to know more about us to become hyper relevant and personalized. IOS15.2 is providing more user controls and people don’t want to be tracked. How will companies balance the need to personalized experiences with a consumer’s growing desire not to share any important data?

“Blank” like a pro

Whether it’s Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000hr rule to become and expert or 1000 hours, doesn’t really matter- most people want to become an expert in about 10 minutes. We watch YouTube and think we can do surgery, read WebMD and think we’re a doctor, and buy mountain gear and think we can summit Mount Everest. We are an impatient species by nature, and we want expert results regardless of our expertise. In 1990, I worked on a project for J&J to improve the outcomes for knee replacements. We learned every doctor is different, training differs, and manual dexterity differs. How could we develop a set of tools that would have a perfect outcome every time regardless of the surgeon and their skill? The same morphology holds true for consumers- how can companies provide a method for consumers to obtain a professional outcome regardless of skill. Stitchfix gives us AI support to pick clothing specifically for us, Lowes gives us design guidance and visualization of products in our home, SharkNinja lets us cook foods like a chef, and @Whoop gives us intelligence into our performance only before seen by highly managed professional athletes. I’ll be looking for other examples in personal care, beauty, automotive, and any type of DIY will let us all achieve amazing results without necessarily having the expertise of a pro.

Just for Fun

Let’s not forget that CES will be the first gathering for many and I’m sure we’re all going to be thinking the very same thing- how can we meet, learn, and experience everything CES has to offer and still maintain our health. I won’t be shaking hands, so please don’t try. I’ll keep my distance, so please don’t be offended. I have a number of friends and colleagues attending so I hope to share some time with them, walk the exhibit halls, and see some new and unexpected things. I’m going to try the Smarteye / Affectiva demo in the Westgate Hotel, checkout the always fun P&G booth with its robot toilet paper shuttle, meet customers and clients in the Capgemini Invent suite at the Venetian, and hang out with the always fun Synapse crew at night. Please let me know if you’re attending and let’s see if we can connect.