(By Buzz Knight) Once again, industries of all type descend upon Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show. For some it’s just a getaway to satisfy a gambling itch, and for others it’s to satisfy the curiosity itch.
If you are in a leadership position of any type, curiosity is critical to how you shape your business during thriving times and challenging ones. That is one of the reasons I LOVE coming to CES every year, and I hope to paint a picture of what’s happening here, whether you are in attendance or not.
Trends are shaped with the help of the show, and it’s important for every business to stay on top of what is around the corner. I’m actually surprised more folks on the sales side of the radio business don’t show up as a learning journey to prospect new categories. There are numerous emerging. The media has a birds eye view of the show right before it begins and Steve Koenig/VP Research for The Consumer Technology Association led off the festivities with his ‘Tech Trends to Watch” presentation.
Here are some headlines:
ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION
- This will be a big focus at CES 2023.
- Global challenges have helped develop this sector.
- Supply chains remain vulnerable today.
- With a recession likely in 2023 this will foster Automation and Visualization with the help of what Steve Koenig called “Advanced 5G.”
LOGISTICS AND WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION
- The challenge of a labor shortage has created this category.
- Speed, Safety and Savings will increase productivity.
CYBERSECURITY ECOSYSTEM EXPANDS
- Innovation in cybersecurity has led to significant growth and diversity in what impact this will have.
- A rapidly expanding category with more importance than ever in the world we live.
THE METAVERSE IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK
- Steve Koenig used as anew term here: “MOT=The Metaverse of Things.”
- Consider MOT as the next generation of the internet, with big implications for the retail space.
- I can’t help but think that radio entities should get smart very quickly in this area as a service to existing clients, but also to nurture new clients.
- One company he mentioned is “Touchcast” which is creating a virtualized space concept with a live person.
- Another company he highlighted is OVR, which specializes in “digital scent technology.”
Can you say Smell-o-vision? - An elevated sense of immersion is coming.
- As I mentioned in yesterday’s article, Metaverse is moving from marketing hype to reality pretty quickly.
TRANSPORTATION THEMES
- EVs and the evolution of the electrification system
- Steve highlights the advancement of battery technology and charging technology as a few examples in this area.
- Advancement of Autonomy: As a result of the labor shortages, we are seeing rapid advancement in self-driving trucks. John Deere is also well poised to capitalize on the labor shortage problems with their self-driving tractor.
- Transformation of the in vehicle experience: This includes “screenification,” which continues to expand rapidly.
- Radio needs to further grow their video capabilities to compete for screen time.
- Morning shows that already have a video strategy are way ahead of this battlefield
- Steve Koenig refers to cars as “marketplaces” with the capabilities of voice control continuing to evolve.
- Automotive companies are salivating at the opportunity to capitalize on car features as services that will be subscription based.
- He certainly caught my attention when he raised the possibility that some car companies could possibly charge for AM/FM as a feature service.
HEALTH TECH
- Remember the character Bones from Star Trek? He was Dr. McCoy from the Starship Enterprise, and some of what he deployed is becoming reality.
- It feels as if Health Care as a result of the last few years of pandemic living is exploding and will be a big focus here at CES 2023.
- The concept of a “Home Health Hub” that works in Digital Therapeutics, Telehealth and Fitness Tech is rapidly growing.
I got an extensive preview of CES 2023 by attending “CES Unveiled.” It’s kind of a mini-CES covering everything from the “Health Hub” concept to Smart Home Technology. There was even “Bird Buddy” which is a smart bird feeder. For someone like me who has a podcast called Takin A Walk, there is an intriguing new app called “We Ward,” which utilizes a point rewards system for those who enjoy walking.
Anything is possible at CES 2023, and tomorrow I will provide more surprises on the journey. (Deciphering game changing versus a dud will continue to be the challenge.)
Buzz Knight is the CEO of Buzz Knight Media and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
