On January 11, 2019 CES officially wrapped up their 2019 show. Being a technology enthusiast, (and fan of all things cool) I pay attention to what’s going on with consumer electronics. Personally I like to test new things out and professionally I spend time thinking about how the consumer market impacts my digital decisions.

CES is know for it’s massive TVs, smart kitchen appliances, robotics, and other interesting gadgets that fit into a number of markets. It’s where concepts are celebrated and major technological players reveal the cool, new things they’re working on.

This year’s showcase included a rollable TV that’s planned to hit markets this year. Smarter cars with larger and more detailed screens and integrations. Laptops for all things. Devices that can analyze your skin’s pores and more. Here’s a pretty good recap from cnet and another one from TechRadar.

The impact

Each week on this blog I post a quote and a more detailed post about digital strategy. Early on I shared a quote from a Think with Google post. The quote was simple, “Help me find you — wherever I am, whenever I want.” This quote is exactly why it matter what’s unveiled at CES each year. Audiences change rapidly. Therefore the role that brands and organizations play in the daily lives of digital audiences needs to change.

Does that mean you need to have a digital experience on all of the latest VR headsets or an AR app?

Not necessarily.

It does mean that you should be thinking about consumer trends when it comes to technology and the role that new devices and new experience could play when it comes to consumers consuming your digital content.

In July Amazon made up nearly half of the US ecommerce market. What does this mean? It means that nearly half of online consumers are buying from a single digital property (or family of digital properties). All signs show that number will increase to beyond 50%. When you take into account online shopping that starts on Amazon, even when the users do not buy from that platform, the number stretches even higher. If you’re a serious manufacturer or brand and you want to get your product in front of the most people online you at least have to consider selling or having a presence Amazon.

Trends that I’m watching

While the Amazon shopping trend is not a CES trend, it’s a digital trend that embodies this thought. In my opinion this is a trend that cannot be overlooked. Looking at CES there are some trends that I’m keeping an eye on.

1. Screens are expanding. They’re getting larger and put in more places. They’re becoming smarter and more interactive.
2. Smart Speakers. Amazon Echo and Google Home made splashes this year at CES. A couple of years ago the joke was “And it works with Alexa!” This is not a surprising trend as data shows that nearly half of American households have smart speakers.
3. AI. This can’t be surprising. I think everyone has heard of recommendation engines and artificial intelligence just being everywhere. The thing that is super interesting about AI is that the concept is not changing. The way information is collected and how the intelligence is gained is where there are major areas of growth.

As I’ve said before, I’m a practical person and I think most people are practical. I think about digital trends in terms of practicality.