Wearable technology has been around since the invention of the hearing aid, but only became part of the digital world when the calculator watch came into play during the 1980’s. Coincidentally, mental arithmetic scores went up significantly that same year…

In this age of widespread interconnectivity, wearables have become a potentially powerful platform for tech-savvy marketers to capitalise on. In this blog we will look at three of the most recent examples, as well as a couple of interesting predictions.

Snapchat Spectacles

SnapChat spectacles

Snapchat is already a hugely successful advertising platform and has grown considerably since they rejected Facebook’s takeover offer.

Not just for face swaps and flattering filters, SnapChat are now looking to move into the wearable tech market. The arrival of SnapChat Spectacles could be the first example of a wearable device that can be used to deliver targeted advertising.

This has already been proven on the mobile app with Shock Top beer gaining 12.5 million views from one ad, Taco Bell getting a 100,000 views regularly and Gatorade super bowl campaign producing an 8 point jump in purchasing interest.

They also look pretty fashionable and are appealing to a different, much younger audience than Google Glass, while also being much more affordable.

How could you use SnapChat? Start with setting up your own page, even the Whitehouse is getting involved!

Pilot by Waverly Labs

Waverly labs

Pilot claims to be a new kind of wearable technology; being the world’s first smart earpiece which translates between users speaking different languages as well as wirelessly streaming music.

So as much as Snapchat is a fantastic platform for delivering visual content, Pilot could be equally as effective within the audio space. Waverly Labs, the company behind Pilot, already have plans to partner with music streaming sites which will widen their offering and open up potential advertising revenue. Using GPS tracking and even picking up keywords in a conversation i.e. where is the nearest hotel? could also be lucrative for the company and prove incredibly useful for users on the go. 

Apple Watch

Apple watch

Tech Watches are already becoming common place, often acting as an extension of consumers’ mobile devices with call notifications, text messages and emails pushed through onto the watch screen to be viewed.

In the age of the micro moment, with consumers interacting with their devices thousands of times a day of times for mere seconds, marketers have been presented with a further challenge. Not only do we now have a short window of time to engage with an email message, but we have less space to do it in. In particular, the 1.5 x 1.2 inch screen of an Apple Watch leaves little room for superfluous content, with sharp punchy attention-grabbing subject lines becoming a necessity.

To be effective in this small space marketers need to get inventive. Emoticons, emojis and live countdown timers are all great ways to convey a message effectively over a short period of time in a small space.

The Future

It’s clear that wearables promise huge opportunities and is a channel that will only grow. But these opportunities come with fresh new challenges for marketers, adjustments to strategy and content will need to be made as will adjustments to attitude. Those willing to innovate and push the boundaries will find themselves well placed to excel in this exciting new channel.

 



Download the Pure360 Guide to the Email Maturity Model