CES 2012: 153,000 PEOPLE WHO DON’T GIVE A %&*# ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS

OVERVIEW OF CES 2012

CES IN FLUX: OUR POINT OF VIEW

TRADESHOW TRENDS#1: CURATION IS KING#2: WANTED BY ATTENDEES: STORIES#3: THE TRADESHOW FLOOR IS BORING#4: GRAND MARSHALS AREN’T AT THE PARADE#5: TAKING THE “CE” OUT OF CES#6: CELEBRITIES CAN’T SAVE YOU, BUT THEY

CAN KEEP PEOPLE AWAKE

TAKE-HOME TIPS#1: FOCUS IN: INFLUENCE IS EVERYTHING#2: STOP BUILDING CITIES. START BUILDING

EXPERIENCES.#3: COLLABORATE AFTER AN ERA OF SILOS#4: MEASURE & OPTIMIZE TO SHOW VALUE

JACK MORTON WORLDWIDE

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There certainly was no lack of people, exhibitors, media coverage or exhibit space. There was definitely a lack of taxis for attendees. But public opinion on broader questions relating to the International Consumer Electronics Show is mixed. If you talk to analysts and attendees, you’ll find yourself on a mental seesaw about CES, still left wondering, “Is it worth my brand’s time and resources to be there?”

It’s a valid question. The answer as we at Jack Morton see it? First, CES is only worth it if your brand is willing to toss out the formula that has driven traditional exhibiting for the last 45 years.

Second, brands must pursue strategies that take into account — and leverage — four major lessons that clearly emerged from the show in 2012:

1. Focus In: Influence Is Everything2. Stop Building Cities. Start Building Experiences.3. Collaborate After An Era of Silos 4. Measure & Optimize To Show Value

We’re having conversations with our clients about how they can derive value from the modern CES — the CES dominated by trends that we expect will continue to proliferate to other major events as well. This document is meant to provide an overview of our insights from the team members who attended the show, our history of building brand experiences at the show and the lessons we hope brands will take heed of for the 2013 International CES.

OVERVIEW: CES 2012

In 2012, the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was made up of a series of contradictions. With over 153,000 attendees, the show broke its 45-year attendance record, while one of its largest exhibitors, Microsoft, made this year its last. There were over 20,000 new products debuted at the show, but no product stood out as a game-changer. A record-breaking 3,100 plus exhibitors were present, but few succeeded in capturing the minds and hearts of attendees. Ultrabooks were touted as the megatrend, but analysts agree that there’s nothing new there. After all, the MacBook Air (essentially an ultrabook) premiered in 2008.

The show has “consumer electronics” in its name, but increasingly, it’s not about consumer electronics at all.

Then again, isn’t that the path that some of the most successful institutions — event or otherwise — have followed? South by Southwest (SXSW) was once about music and now it’s about film, interactive and much more. MTV was once about music videos on television and now it’s about Long Islanders pretending to be from New Jersey and fist-pumping. The TED Conference was once only about Technology, Entertainment and Design and now it’s about ideas worth spreading.

The bottom line is that CES (like many institutions that, yes, are worth brands’ time) is evolving. The reviews of the 2012 show from the media, influencers and attendees are mixed. Some asked, “Is CES on its way out?” Others asked, “What am I going to tell my friends was the coolest gadget I saw?”

But at Jack Morton, we’re asking “How do brands derive value from the next generation of CES through brand experience?” After all, interest in CES isn’t going anywhere. Media coverage was up more than 33% for 2012 and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is already counting its committed exhibit space and a slew of new exhibitors in anticipation of January 8-11, 2013.

Will your brand be ready to make the most of it?

CES IN FLUX: OUR POINT OF VIEW

Ben GrossmanDigital Strategist

TRADESHOW TRENDS

CURATION IS KINGThe CEA made it no secret that 2012 set a numerous records for CES, but that left many attendees feeling overwhelmed and lost in the 1.861 million net square feet of exhibit space. It’s a tall task for any attendee—industry expert or otherwise—to sift through the 20,000 new products that debuted at CES this year. Out of the confusion emerged a major trend that set the tone for press coverage, social buzz and word-of-mouth stories before, during and after the show: curation is king.

Using vehicles including live on-site events and the dispensation of awards, certain organizations were able to take a stab at picking through the technologies and products being displayed at the show to surface the best of the best. Attendees appreciated it and responded the concept of a pared down product showcase that got them away from the exhibit floors and hoards.

Here’s a review of just a few of the curation forces present at CES 2012:

LAST GADGET STANDING By far the most energetic event (party or otherwise) we experienced at CES 2012, this event features a live head-to-head competition between 10 products (pre-selected via online vote) that give four-minute quick pitches to win over the live audience. Hosted by Jon Hein and Gary Dell’Abate of the Howard Stern Wrap Up Show, the competition is now in its 11th year. The winners this year were the Lytro camera and Swivl iPhone swiveling docking station. Read up about them both—they’re pretty cool.

TREND #1:

CURATION IS KING (CONTINUED)

CES INNOVATION AWARDSThe CES Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are awarded by the CEA. Each year, the organization prompts consumer technology manufacturers and developers to submit the products they’ll be featuring at CES to be judged by a panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade press. Honorees are announced in November, well in advance of the show, but CES features several showcases of the results.

LAUNCHFEST SHOWCASECatering to a new contingent of CES attendees, iHollywood Forum’s event is now in its fifth year and includes a networking dinner, program and (of course) a party. This year, the stated theme was LaunchFest Showcase, focusing the event on celebrating the launch of startups, new business strategies, new products, and new services. The unstated theme? Schmooze, schmooze, schmooze.

MASHBASH & PINTEREST Mashable, the digital culture and technology-focused news site, has experimented with a couple different involvements with CES in the past. The publisher tapped into hot new social curation site, Pinterest, to develop a “Best of CES” board: http://bit.ly/PinterestCES.

The company also produced MashBash, which celebrated Mashable Awards winners and trends at CES. Moving away from its previous awards show-style event, this year Mashable went for pure party: 1OAK Nightclub was DJed by San Francisco-based duo A Plus D.

TREND #1:

WANTED BY ATTENDEES:STORIESCES attendees widely come into the event with one expectation: they’ll leave with stories to tell. For journalists, it’s part of their job. Marketers need to report back on the latest trends. Enthusiasts need to tell their friends what’s hot. But there have been quite a few attendees of the 2012 CES who left feeling a bit empty handed. Some even claimed that CES is on its way out.

In the storytelling society we live in, brands at CES must think about what experiences they’re creating and how they’ll be talked about—in the traditional media, through social media and even face-to-face. This year, two exhibitors stood out very clearly for having done just that.

GALAXY NOTE:Samsung may have bought massive billboards, wrapped countless buses and placed tons of in-show signage to make the point, but it’s safe to say most attendees now know that the Galaxy Note is here!

Live artists at points throughout the show (multiple exhibit spaces and event at live events) showed off the tablet/phone’s functionality by drawing caricatures of attendees, while they waited, on the device itself. Participants certainly had enough time to type more than one tweet, while they waited in a line longer than some of the cab lines (and that’s saying something) to have their likeness drawn with a stylus. What better a way to trigger social buzz and conversations back home?

TREND #2:

WANTED BY ATTENDEES:STORIESMICROVISION’S PICO PARTIES:Polishing up an idea that Microvision premiered at the 2011 CES, its team walked around the exhibit floor and up to taxi lines to host Pico Parties. Using the company’s SHOWWX+ HDMI, representatives projected the contents of their iPhones up on walls to provide an experiential brain-break from the CES hub-bub. From Lady Gaga videos to handheld games, attendees enjoyed the experiences and said so publicly and are sure to bring their experiences with the mini laser-powered projectors.

TREND #2:

(CONTINUED)

THE TRADESHOW FLOOR IS BORINGIt’s a bold statement, but we’re willing to put it out there because, by and large, attendees agree. With the exception of a few truly compelling experiences, the hoards of people attending CES 2012 found the most exciting products, content and experiences off the floor.

The contributing factors to that phenomenon are varied, but include the following facts of life at CES:

1. The exhibit floor is overwhelming. Too many products, people and exhibitors make attendees feel hopeless in their quest to conquer the show.

2. The abysmally low density of impressive brand experiences meant that on-floor attendees were hard pressed to find something that really captured their attention and engaged them. That’s a lot of walking with very little pay-off. Exhibitors in 2013 will have an opportunity to stand out in a big way by creating exhibits that function as rich brand experiences.

3. Curators provide lots of value (as previously discussed) and, often times, a lot of fun elsewhere by paring it down to the highlights.

Away from the rest of the 153,000 attendees that descended upon Vegas, we’ve identified a few of the trends in exhibiting without an exhibit.

TREND #3:

THE TRADESHOW FLOOR IS BORINGOFF-SITE MEETINGSIt’s not new, but it is increasingly prevalent. More and more brands are choosing to host off-site meetings and events in suites that are beginning to act like mini-exhibits. Brother International, IBM and Intel took attendees to other destinations (many of which are still, in fact, hosted and sanctioned by CEA).

TRANSITNokia extended its “Amazing Everyday” slogan by installing mini-brand experiences at each of the Las Vegas Monorail stops, which are used heavily by attendees to get to the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) and between hotels. The presence, touting the Nokia Lumia, featured a new (hardly amazing, but yes entertaining) eye-catcher each day of the show, ranging from break dancers to free coffee. Nokia also supported its campaign with billboards, in-show promotions and bus-based experiences.

EVENTSAmazing parties have become a part of the heritage of CES, but new side-conference series are now emerging and attracting audiences away from the major Keynotes and exhibit floor. Lenovo once again hosted its ultraluxe influencer lounge and party at Aquanox. Ad Age hosted technology and creativity-focused conference-style sessions at Venetian. Klipsch of Voxx International hosted a live, private Young The Giant concert at the Hard Rock Café.

TREND #3:

(CONTINUED)

GRAND MARSHALS AREN’T AT THE PARADEWhile covering the show prior to its breaking 45-year attendance records, the media couldn’t stop talking about the historic absence of Apple and Microsoft’s announcement that this would be its final year. Certainly it’s a concerning issue for CEA. The fact of the matter is that one of the most valuable aspects of CES has been its ability to bring together manufacturers and buyers, but that distribution model is dying with the advent of electronics and technology companies that sell directly to consumers (Amazon and Apple are masters of it).

Meanwhile, Apple’s exclusive owned events have set a precedent for technology companies’ abilities to leverage the 24/7/365 news cycle to their advantage. Microsoft has indicated this is the direction they’ll move in, Amazon’s Kindle launched at an Apple-like launch event and Apple itself has said it doesn’t see CES as a fit for the brand.

Creating an eerie tension, however, is the fact that these companies are the grand marshals of the consumer electronics industry. A halo effect permeates CES each year, with companies from around the world appearing with gadgets that complement the iPhone, Kindle and Kinect. In fact, CES has already sold 95,000 square feet of exhibit space in the 2013 iLounge Pavilion (within three hours of it being available), which is completely dedicated to iPhones, iPods, iPads and other Apple-related products. But, just like a parade without a grand marshal, CES somehow has ended up as a big mass of people, trying to march forward with purpose, but floundering in waiting for ultimate direction.

TREND #4:

TAKING THE “CE” OUT OF CESThough attendees may have missed some of the 20,000 new products debuting at CES, it was hard to miss the fact that there were a couple of exhibitors that didn’t seem like they belonged. At Jack Morton, we think this points to the future of CES… one that isn’t as focused on consumer electronics. Why? The overwhelming sentiment of consumers today is that they don’t care about the specifications of new products. 3D has failed to gain traction, folks love their smartphones and the reality of a “fully connected me” or a “kitchen smarter than we are” is a long time off.

People do care about what kind of lifestyle their devices enable. Increasingly, that lifestyle is tied to brands beyond manufacturers, which is why entertainment technology-focused companies made a big splash at the show this year.

Facebook functionality was launched in thousands of devices. YouTube hosted a keynote to pitch the concept of online, streaming video channels with original content, promising proliferation of channels tantamount to that of phone apps. Google made a significant announcement about a new feature called “Search, Plus Your World.”

TREND #5:

TAKING THE “CE” OUT OF CESSo if you take the “CE” out of CES, you’re left with “S,” or “Show.” Which, in the end, makes quite a bit of sense. Showing people what their lifestyle looks like, with a technology layover, transcended devices, specifications and manufacturers in exhibits from CES surprise exhibitors UnitedHealth and Lowes. Both had standout exhibits that showed the type of brands and exhibitors who could lead the next generation of the tradeshow:

UNITEDHEALTHThis brand, known for its health insurance, combined some meaningful curation of new health-focused technologies with an exhibit that showed off a healthier lifestyle. From an interactive Motorola MotoActv fitness gaming system, to OptumizeMe, a mobile-fitness-challenge mobile application, UnitedHealth hit a home run in showing a company that truly gets the future of its consumers.

LOWE’S“We’re on a journey from home-improvement retailer to home-improvement company,” said F. Lawrence Lobpries, director-consumer marketing for Lowe’s. The brand’s focus on creating an experience that showed consumers how technology can be used to seamlessly improve their home improvement projects impressed attendees, without seeming out of reach. Highlights included the online MyLowe’s home-improvement management tool, which includes purchase history, owner’s manuals, warranties and even paint colors. Another favorite for weekend warriors was the mobile application, which shares instant peer reviews, how-to videos and barcode scanning.

TREND #5:

(CONTINUED)

CELEBRITIES CAN’T SAVE YOUJustin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Snooki, Ludacris, 50 Cent, Wil.i.am, Wayne Brady, LL Cool J, Jillian Michaels, Ryan Seacrest, Will Smith, Anya Ayoung-Chee, Kelly Clarkson and many more celebrities made appearances at CES. What is now becoming a time-honored tradition at the tradeshow might also be giving the brands that bring them false hope. If your products aren’t worthy of being remembered or talked about, plugging in a celebrity to attract attention has proven to be a major miss (and a waste of resources) in recent times. That’s not to say, however, that they won’t keep your audience awake.

Sony was widely panned by analysts for having disappointing releases over the past several years, but bringing Will Smith on stage to talk about “Men In Black 3” excited the crowd. But Sony’s keynote ended on a weird note as American Idol Kelly Clarkson sang “Mr. Know It All,” sending awkwardly honest messages to the crowd after a lackluster showing (“But ya don’t know a thing at all…”). Ryan Seacrest tried to shake up the infamously dry Microsoft Keynote, but Ballmer ended it on a sour note by screaming “Windows, Windows, Windows!”

Celebrity appearances that have impressed audiences in meaningful ways at CES include Lady Gaga (2010 and 2011) and Justin Timberlake in (2012). Lady Gaga’s appearance corresponded with her taking on the role of Creative Director at Polaroid, churning out a series of products called Grey Label. Justin Timberlake’s cameo with Panasonic tied into his larger endorsement of (and sizable investment in) MySpace… his humor was the only thing that had the crowd smiling in the face of an otherwise dry presentation of expected technology.

TREND #6:

(BUT THEY CAN KEEP PEOPLE AWAKE)

4 TAKE-HOME TIPS The Jack Morton team didn’t leave CES 2012 nearly as

pessimistic as many of the attendees. Sure – we wore comfortable shoes, drank plenty of water and stayed away from convention center food. But we also see a very exciting opportunity for the experience brands that will define and drive the future of CES. Freeing a brand from its specifications in favor of creating memorable brand experiences is liberating. North America’s largest yearly trade show is waiting for a grand marshal (or a few!). Here are a few thought starters to help your brand lead in 2013.

FOCUS IN: INFLUENCE IS EVERYTHINGOne of the greatest opportunities presented a CES every year is the chance to get in front of highly influential consumers, analysts, media and influencers who are the tastemakers when it comes consumer electronics. In fact, a minute 1.8 percent of online adults create 80 percent of peer influence impressions about consumer electronics, according to Forrester Research.

Focus on creating meaningful brand experiences for the people who influence the masses. Before you attend CES in 2013, assemble a list of key influencers you want to engage with during the show and develop a plan to do it.

TIP #1:

STOP BUILDING CITIES. START BUILDING EXPERIENCES.Historically, some brands at CES have focused on building small cities within the convention center—attempting to project importance and worthiness by the sheer number of square footage occupied by the brand. This year it became apparent that doing that without a broader brand experience strategy in place is a simple waste of money.

Attendees are no longer on the floor looking for products on display. They want a memorable experience related to the brand that they can walk away with. Find ways to create new experiences for consumers beyond your products core offering. Implement an experience you would be willing to stand in line for and that would make you think more of your brand

TIP #2:

COLLABORATE AFTER AN ERA OF SILOSSome of the most effective brands at CES 2012 found ways to cross promote their core offerings with another brand. UnitedHealth delivered on its brand promise by featuring technology that might define the future of health.

Mophie brought its cross-promotion with PRODUCT (RED) into its booth. IBM’s consulting horsepower and know-how was featured by BodyMedia when showing off its new FIT activity monitoring system. Lowe’s showed how technology could improve even the most mundane of home improvement tasks. What partners are worth talking to about CES 2013 strategy?

TIP #3

MEASURE & OPTIMIZE TO SHOW VALUEWhat would happen if your band experience got smarter, better and more effective every time it happened? What if what to change tomorrow—or next year—in your brand’s events strategy was not a question, but a well-researched answer?

Jack Morton believes that it’s nearly impossible to prove whether CES is valuable to a company or not if it’s not being measured. Before CES 2013, put a measurement strategy into place so that your brand experience can be optimized in real-time and year-to-year, driving to accomplishing your business objectives.

TIP #4:

CES 2013 IS APPROACHING. WHO WILL YOU WORK WITH TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE DO GIVE A %&*# ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS AND BRAND?JACK MORTON WORLDWIDE is a global brand experience agency. We have a track record of working with some of the most notable consumer electronics and technology brands, including Nokia, Samsung and Ericsson, and of creating some of the most notable CES experiences, including designing the brand experience for NBC Universal when it was named the first-ever Official Broadcast Partner.

We create experiences that strengthen relationships between brands and the people who matter most to them–thereby helping our clients become talked-about experience brands. Rated among the top marketing service agencies worldwide, we integrate live and online experiences, digital and social media, and branded 3D environments that engage and inspire consumers, business partners and employees. Jack Morton has a staff of 500 employees in the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific that drive our idea-led agency culture and is part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (NYSE: IPG).

More information is available online:Web site: http://www.jackmorton.com/Blog: http://blog.jackmorton.com/Twitter: http://twitter.com/jackmorton

CES 2012: 153,000 PEOPLE WHO DON’T GIVE A %&*# ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS