What were the three big takeaways for marketers at CES 2017?

Since its launch 50 years ago, CES has played host to the biggest names in consumer tech. From smartphones to smart homes, it has acted as the launch pad for some of the most ground-breaking consumer products in recent years and has attracted forward-thinking marketers from all over the world. And this year was no different. Over 4,000 exhibitors filled the exhibition spaces, all vying for the attention of the 170,000+ attendees. With so much on offer it’s easy for marketers to get distracted by the underwater fishing drone or the numerous adorable robot helpers, but I’ve resisted the urge to go full geek and made a note of the top three tech trends that we as marketers need to pay close attention to in the year ahead.

Voice-activation is going to be big

I’ve been talking a lot about voice-activated devices over the last 12 months, but CES has highlighted just how big this tech is going to be for brands. Amazon’s Alexa seems to have really shone at this year’s event and all manner of products from cars, freezers and robot alarm clocks are now offering voice command services using this platform. ("Alexa compatible" was the universal sales pitch!)  For marketers, voice represents interesting challenges in the form of how it will impact search and whether brands should create voice apps for the wide range of voice-enabled devices. Voice will also require brands to develop new personalities that bring a more human element to consumer interactions.

VR is coming, slowly

VR has been on the horizon for a long time and while not many people outside of those at tech events have actually experienced the most advanced of these devices, it’s still dominating the headlines. Big announcements this year came from HTC who announced a wireless headset and Intel who introduced a room-scanning device which can turn your front room into the flight deck of a spaceship. For brands, virtual reality presents itself as an opportunity to create some truly immersive content that takes consumers on a unique journey. I think there’s some work to be done to bring the tech to the wider consumer market but once established, there will be exciting opportunities for brands to explore here. Partnering with the right platforms and developers will be key to succeeding in this emerging and challenging landscape.

Smart cars and smarter homes

The home and car market are very big business at CES. Both now contain more tech than even before and with our appliances now becoming connected to the internet, marketers are now presented with many more messaging touchpoints. From making sure our products appear on the fridge-mounted display when customers ask for recipe ideas to the smart car which suggests a restaurant stop based on your mood, there are many ways that marketers can use these connected devices to reach consumers. As tech becomes more ubiquitous, the challenge for marketers will be to figure out how we can complement these experiences rather and add value, rather than simply using them as yet another way to attract eyeballs.

I’ve barely touched on the vast array of fascinating devices and tech that were showcased at this year’s event, despite following it religiously across social. But that’s the battle for us marketers. Tech will continue to emerge and evolve at increasingly rapid rates and it’s up to us to retrain and upskill at every turn so that we can stay on point. We are marketing in a digital world and tech is now very much the tool of our trade. I look forward to seeing how these trends play out across the year.