CES Report: Using Gadgets to Drive a Message

The "CE" in CES stands for "consumer electronics," but there are a lot more than tech people at the show these days. For one, there are hoards of marketers. It didn't always used to be that way.

Advertising in today's mobile digital age was the subject of a second day Digital Hollywood panel, which brought together pros from media agencies such as Optimedia and IPG with reps from Comcast and Microsoft.

CES used to be about the latest gadget, said Andrew Ward of Comcast, but now those gadgets have become important to marketers. They're attending, and they're bringing their clients to the show to demonstrate why gadgets are important: because they lets advertisers connect with consumers in new ways.

For Greg Kahn of Optimedia, there's no longer an "old media" and a "new media," but just media. Marketers need to follow wherever consumers are going.

What's making that possible is that gadgets aren't just gadgets, but platforms. As Russ Axelrod of Microsoft explained, phones now come with platforms that can be used to deliver a message. That's a new development, and advertisers need to understand how to harness that. For the flip side of that, said Brian Lesser of WPP, advertisers need to know how people are consuming media on those devices. Focusing on the different abilities, strengths, and target audiences of each platform helps advertisers think creatively and deliver new messages.

The challenge is that a fractured landscape of devices and platforms means that creative work needs to be tailored to each one to be effective. The opportunity is that these platforms provide the chance to interact with viewers more deeply.

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net