A Typical Day In The Internet Of Things

My morning starts as it usually does with my smartwatch gently buzzing my wrist.  I touch it just before my smartphone emits a later ring to remind me to rise.  As I head down the stairs and into the kitchen, I announce to my coffee maker, "start brew" as I walk to the door with today's trash to place it outside for pick up.  The door sensing my closeness, unlocks. Oh how I wish it would open automatically...maybe some day.  As I head to the curb, the door locks behind me, but not to worry; as I return, the door once again unlocks and allows me reentry.  As I enter, my smartwatch buzzes me with some breaking news.

With coffee in hand, I open my tablet to read my morning paper and catch up on any early emails.  It feels a little cool in the house, so I simply say "turn temperature up two degrees" and the HVAC system quickly begins to raise the thermometer setting in the house.  No matter, when everyone finally leaves this morning, the thermometer will automatically adjust to a preset higher temperature.

Its off to the gym.  As I enter my car, my smartwatch tells the car to engage the engine and off I go.  Driving along, I receive a text on my smartphone which is automatically moved to my car screen.  A quick glance and back to the road.  At the gym, I decide on a quick swim or jog today, either way, I can see my heart rate rise and count the distance I've traveled.   I'm also counting calories I've burned as well as eaten on this diet.  A quick bit at their snack bar, paid for with a swipe of my smartwatch over their payment machine.  After the gym, its off to work. 

A long day in the office finally brings me home.  In the car, I speak into my smartwatch to tell my home to cool down the house prior to my arrival.  The front door once again unlocks as I approach.  And as I enter, a preset radio begins to play.  But I am in the mood to watch some television.  "Radio off" I announce, then "TV on".  I follow that command with "Channel NBC" and watch the news.  The cable box knows it is me watching via my smartwatch proximity to the cable box.  Sitting on my couch, I speak "Oven on 450 degrees" as I start to consider making dinner.  The refrigerator counts that I have removed a steak and automatically adds to the grocery list on my apps.  I decide to buy more spices as well and command "grocery list add garlic powder".

As night approaches, I command "Turn down for bedtime".  The drapes in the living room close and the HVAC system changes the temperature for night.  A full day, but one made simpler with the internet of things. 

Three Digital Marketing Trends

It is hard to disagree with the article in ClickZ entitled These 3 Digital Marketing Trends Are About to Change Advertising except to say that it already has.  The three trends cited are programmatic ad buying, real time marketing, and native advertising.  We live in a world of immediacy where information is value.  Our digital landscape has enabled us to not only buy and sell in real time, but to also know more about the consumer then ever before.  And the power of this demographic, psychographic, and sociographic information allows for a more targeted, more customized, more specific ad and marketing message. 

And as real purchase data gets migrated into all this big data, it will only grow more powerful too.  The question is will consumers remain apathetic to the acquiring of all this data through cookies and other means, or will they want to reclaim more of their privacy? Do consumers like that sites feed them display and video ads shortly after a search on best vacuum cleaners perhaps?  Or will they find it a bit unnerving.  Data and research are powerful tools that power programmatic advertising, real time marketing, and even native content marketing.  Its use makes the technological elements that much more useful and effective.  As to trends in the future to look for, my bet is on the rise of e-commerce purchases to future advertising. 

How Are You Getting Your News?

With the recent passing of Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall, it struck me how we are getting our news.  While some continue to use TV and radio for breaking news, the rise of social networking and digital feeds has taken over as the first source of information.  Some heard through push notifications from their Breaking News app, others from their Twitter or Facebook feeds.  It has become our primary source for news and information, literally moments after it happened. 

At the same time, we also find ourselves questioning the info.  Is it a hoax or true?  Do we accept the first tweet as gospel or wait for more verification to authenticate the story.  Because social networking is open to all to post, we don't trust it as much as a more verifiable news outlet.  The adage, trust, but verify, is often taken into consideration.

The other thing I noticed was how quickly online sites used this breaking news to remind us of the great work left behind.  Huffington Post, Buzzfeed , and others quickly created articles like 17 of the most memorable Robin Williams movie quotes and 10 Robin WIlliams TV appearances you forgot about.  We find ourselves both mourning as well as celebrating a life. 

As we have become more and more connected, we expect news and information to be delivered instantaneously.  No longer can we wait for the morning edition of the newspaper to arrive to learn more details or wait till the nightly news on TV for latest updates.  Our smartphones and tablets have become even more important to us in receiving content.  But don't be naive that it is entirely truthful either.  Given the speed of sharing, not all the facts may be in. 

Not Likely To Add Facebook's Messenger

Yes, I too have been asked to download and launch the Facebook Messenger app to converse with my Facebook friends.  And I like many it seems have not launched the service on any of my devices.  Those that really want to text, email, or talk know my email address, cell phone, and hopefully my other contact information too.  Frankly, one more messenger service does not make my life easier. 

When the message app was inside Facebook, it did enable another way to connect to a friend.  But admittedly, I didn't use it that much.  If I didn't post a Happy Birthday message on their wall, it was a message to wish them congratulations.  And like Facebook, when I use the message app inside LinkedIn, it quickly enables a one on one conversation; but I would be equally concerned if LinkedIn tried to create a separate messenger app as well.  Then, it back to the email and text route. 

For those that have made the switch to the Facebook Messenger app, the comments have been less than kind.  Per Huntington Post, "Since Facebook started forcing people to switch over, Messenger has climbed to the top spot for free apps in the Apple App Store. That said, the newest version of the app has a terrible 1-star rating."  At this point, I don't plan to download it. 

When Distribution And Content Can't Work Together

It has become fairly typical to see a content network and cable operator fight over license fees with drops of service and consumer pr to drive a settlement.  It is less so in the world of retail.  A product can't negotiate shelf space in a brick and mortar store and ends up off the rack but the consumer rarely comes between such negotiations.  But in the world of digital and the convergence of retail and content, the consumer is actively included once again.

I speak of the public negotiation going on between Amazon and Hachette, a book publishing company, and a second one now emerging between Amazon and Disney over DVD content.  Amazon is not new to this strategy.  Per the Wall Street Journal, "Amazon briefly cut off pre-orders of physical versions of movies from Time Warner Inc.'s Warner Bros. studio earlier this year before reaching an accord. During contract talks several years ago, Amazon halted customers' ability to buy books from publisher Macmillan."  It is simply unusual to see such negotiations in the retail world being so public.

And while this is playing out in the press, with letters from authors and articles daily, I am most surprised how quiet Amazon's competitors have been.  Where is the marketing and public relations arms from Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and others touting that they indeed carry all these items and at great prices, too.  Certainly, timing is everything and sometimes it makes sense to kick them when they are down.  And lastly, its much easier to find another retailer carrying a DVD or book than it is to switch cable providers.  Just a couple months ago, that is exactly what Stephen Colbert told consumers to do.   While consumers have gotten involved in retailer quarrels, mostly to boycott products, it is a new world when consumers are being involved in retailer and content negotiation issues. 

Netflix v. HBO

One is a cable premium network, the other is a digital streaming service, one requires a cable subscription, the other access to broadband.  Yet both deliver original and licensed content in a subscription format.  As the leader, HBO has normally had to compete with other premium channels including Showtime, Starz, and the upstart Epix on the cable platform, while Netflix sees more competition from Amazon and Hulu.  And as the two services try to crossover into each others space, there is competition brewing between Netflix and HBO.

For HBO, their push into digital is the successful HBO Go app which lets cable authenticated subscribers stream and watch content on their mobile devices; For Netflix, it is access on OTT boxes, including TiVo, who now has some cable MSOs accessing it along side cable premium services.  And as each financial quarter is announced, competition extends to their balance sheet.  "The company's founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday that for the first time, Netflix has pulled in more subscriber revenue than HBO over a three-month period."  While HBO still has more profitability, it has also been doing it a lot longer.  But Netflix continues to disrupt the business model and for that HBO and the other premium cable services need to keep pushing their value and content advantages. 

T - Mobile May Have Other Suitors

Sprint decided to pull its bid to merge with T-Mobile, either because it doubted it would receive FCC approval or simply felt it wasn't a good fit.  But T-Mobile may not be single for long.  Speculation comes that Charlie Ergen and his Dish Network might once again be interested in pursuing a telecommunication company.  Last year he tried to obtain Sprint but lost that fight; T-Mobile might be the next best thing. 

"After buying up billions of dollars worth of spectrum over the past several years, Dish has been scouting for a partner to enter the wireless business as its core video business has matured" according to the WSJ.   At the same time, Dish has been securing more streaming programming partnerships.  On Tuesday they announced a new deal with A&E Networks that includes streaming rights.  It follows a deal in March with Disney Networks.  An acquisition of T-Mobile gets Dish closer to delivering a nationwide streaming service model. 

With AT&T planning to acquire DirecTv, a Dish T-Mobile merger would help to keep them competitive, albeit still smaller in scope and size.  It does help improve the competitive landscape in what is more than just a cellular business model these days.  Broadband access is everything and choice is already limited.  It seems to me that Dish and T-Mobile would be a strong synergistic match. It also brings another legitimate entity into the streaming space. 

Content And Distribution Mergers Kaput

Its summertime and perhaps all the flurry of activity to merge media companies was more hope than reality.  On both the content and distribution side of the business, two attempt to merge operations has failed to materialize, for now.  Last night, Fox has decided to not go after the Time Warner business and Sprint has withdrawn its plans to acquire T-Mobile.  The FCC now can concentrate on fewer remaining acquisition efforts, Comcast - Time Warner Cable and AT&T - DirecTv. 

Still the notion of consolidation is a sound one, assuring an immediate pop in market saturation and more leverage against other bigger entities in the competitive landscape.  That these two deals have failed to materialize could open the doors for other mergers to move forward.  Or simply cause the media industry to pause and reconsider the strategy.  It is the dog days of summer and perhaps all will be refreshed to do battle post Labor Day. 

Gannett Follows The Non Synergy Strategy

Just a day after Tribune, a week after Scripps, and a few months since Time Inc spun off from Time Warner, Gannett has announced that it too will spin off its print business.  While announcing the purchase of cars.com, Gannet decided the time was right to put its publishing arm, including USA Today, into a separately run company.  And while timing of the separation hasn't been announced, it simply confirms that broadcast and digital operations see no room in their 21st century companies for old fashioned print content, despite the potential value of its news gathering and future web subscription businesses. 

So what happens post break up to these publishing companies?  Do they themselves seek to merge together into few, bigger organizations, relying on economies of scale and fewer rivals to attain better market penetration?  Or is it simply the first step in the eventual loss of these notable brands?  One thing is for sure, more of these announcements will come.