A series introducing CES from the perspective of members of the global Dentsu Group. The third installment features Jeff Tan, Vice President of Strategy at Posterscope USA, a global network brand specializing in the OOH (Out-of-Home) advertising sector.
This year's CES showcased a veritable explosion of connected devices. For the advertising industry, this signaled significant potential for scaling up data mining and delivering highly immersive, personalized experiences through Out-of-Home (OOH) media. We'd like to highlight technologies particularly relevant to the advertising industry from an OOH perspective.
Wearable Technology
This category is currently experiencing explosive growth, with an annual growth rate of 20% projected over the next five years. Wearable products will continue to improve in quality while becoming more affordable, positioning smartphones as hubs for intelligence and connecting more closely with consumers.
Intel's "Curie" is a button-sized processor designed for integration into a wide range of products, priced for mass-market adoption. Furthermore, Intel's "Memory Mirror" allows users to view themselves from 360-degree angles without moving in front of the mirror, displaying previously tried-on items without needing to change clothes. This is expected to revolutionize the in-store experience.
Samsung's new smartwatch features direct network connectivity without requiring a smartphone. Meanwhile, Fossil, Swarovski, and Tag Heuer have launched high-end smartwatches emphasizing fashion appeal.
The proliferation of wearable technology will yield increasingly rich consumer data, enabling better results for both traditional OOH and digitally-driven campaigns. Posterscope is already seeing remarkable outcomes, including a 200% improvement in brand KPIs.
Video recording devices
Consumer-grade video recording devices continue to improve in quality while becoming more affordable and mobile.
Polaroid, once disrupted by GoPro, is now disrupting GoPro. Polaroid's cube-shaped HD camera, the "Cube," boasts a compact size with sides measuring just 35mm. It can be attached to almost anything, offering high quality, ruggedness, light weight, and waterproof capabilities.
Ricoh's digital camera, the "RICOH Theata S," captures full-spherical images using two fisheye lenses. About the size of a TV remote, it enables anyone to easily create high-quality 360-degree video.
These new devices will generate astonishing quality UGC (user-generated content), allowing advertisers to adapt and curate it for all screens, including mobile and OOH. Full-motion digital OOH has the potential to become a content platform enabling both brand messaging and user participation.
High Immersion: VR and AR
A new wave of products related to VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality), which offer high immersion, gained significant traction.
For the mass market, Samsung Galaxy's head-mounted display "Gear VR" offers an affordable entry point into the VR world. Oculus Rift is finally launching this year. Other notable new products include Leap Motion, AR giant Magic Leap, and Microsoft's "HoloLens."
These technologies enable interactive, immersive, and impactful storytelling in experiential marketing. Posterscope's experiential agency psLIVE ran a campaign in London using Oculus Rift. Commuters were "teleported" to a beautiful resort park while still at the station, enjoying the thrilling aerial adventure of sliding down a wire suspended high above.
Smart Cars
The CES venue became a showcase for semi-autonomous driving. At the core of the exhibits were smart displays connected via high-speed LTE wireless standards and the personalization of displayed content. Cars are now both connected devices that collect consumer behavior data and media that disseminate information. For the advertising industry, the time has come to view cars as a new format for digital media.
Groupon and Chevrolet are leveraging location-based technology through Groupon's OnStar navigation system to provide drivers with timely offers for nearby Groupon deals while on the road.
Consumer data generated by vehicles enables advertisers to enhance targeting precision. This particularly expands the potential for roadside OOH advertising that drivers are currently passing by.
Implications for the Advertising Industry
CES offered three major implications for the OOH sector.
First, as users increasingly expect high-quality experiences regardless of indoor or outdoor settings, VR's importance within the OOH ecosystem is growing. Second, wearables provide advertisers with diverse and extensive data points. Finally, digital media can now become something beyond our imagination. Everything, from cars to changing rooms, can become a highly immersive experience.
We should view everything as an opportunity to connect with consumers, unbound by traditional formats.
Dentsu Group's Perspective on CES [3]
