Key emerging trends at CES by AdAge Digital

Great article at AdAge Digital on the key emerging trends at the International CES last week in Las Vegas, written by David Berkowitz - VP of Emerging Media at 360i (the digital agency we work with on Oreo and Club Social)

http://adage.com/article/digitalnext/scoring-5-trends-marketers-ces/239176/

Health & Fitness at the CES Las Vegas

I just got back from three fantastic days at the CES-Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, immersed in the wonderful world of technology and its implications to every aspect of our lives.  One area of the show  that impressed me was the one dedicated to Health and Fitness.  This is a mega category that has become incredibly dynamic in the past year, fueled by the growing need for people to rethink the way they live their lives in light of alarming stats on obesity and other conditions due to sedentary behaviors.

As a user of the Nike+ Fuelband, I appreciate the ability to track how active I am during the day.  It was nice to see how Fitbit has taken the concept a little further with the Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, that also tracks weight and body fat index, synchronizing the data wirelessly to your wristband.

Its great to see a product concept that addresses a deep consumer need, truly helping people achieve their personal goals in terms of weight and fitness.  It's technology getting very personal.

This is  a video explaining the concept...

Another case of the big guy acquiring the challenger

The story keeps repeating itself.  No matter how consolidated a category may seem to be, there's always room for new ideas, a little disruption to shake things up.  Another case of the big guy acquiring the challenger.

I remember how fascinated I was when I first heard about the carsharing model.  There's obviously a much bigger movement behind it.  You get a sense that in many markets around the World, people are going through a certain consumer hangover.   Here in Brazil, in the past years, a combination of greater access to credit, lower interest rates, growing consumer confidence, a strong currency, led to a dynamic consumer market.  All good.  However, many people woke up with more bills to pay than they had originally expected.

Do we really need to own everything we have?  Are there alternative models?  Zipcar proved that people are opened to experimenting new models that redefine ownership and, in this particular case, the traditional rental business.  Let's see how the carsharing movement evolves under new leadership.

Getting ready for the 2013 International CES next week

In a few days, I'll be going to the 2013 International CES-Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  My first time.  I'm sure it will be an awesome opportunity to see how new trends, technologies, apps, gadgets can inspire us to identify new and exciting ways for our brands to connect.  I'm particularly interested in the areas of mobile marketing, geomarketing, and solutions to elevate the in-store experience.  However, I'm also hoping that something completely unexpected makes my list.

What I find absolutely fascinating in these types of events is, after being exposed to many technologies, trying to connect the dots.  How can the technology behind the digital wallet be used as the backbone of a mileage-type program for consumer goods or how can we leverage the penetration of mobile devices in emerging markets to accelerate open innovation?  With a little imagination, what seems at first to be unrelated, can suddenly become a huge opportunity to innovate in the way we activate our brands.  Spending time at global events like Anuga, Cannes or CES, is wonderful to step away from our day-to-day to imagine how new ideas can influence behavior... and open new business opportunities.

I couldn't think of a better way to start a new year....