• by Jonathan Tatlow , January 15, 2015

CES has evolved from an expo for electronics to an exploration of technology. Here are four ways technology is driving transformation:

Technology is Transforming the Internet into a Web of Utility.

CES championed the web-as-special sauce, with the "Internet of Things" making most headlines. Now, the Internet is everywhere and available on everything: Familiar objects and devices are becoming more useful or convenient by being made "smart." The technology that wins is what will help us live easier, safer, more connected.

It's the Internet of everything: The home is getting smarter, with ADT and Lowes showcasing a world that's web-enabled, from lights to windows, vacuums to washing machines – automating tasks, providing remote access or integrating with other experiences. While not new, devices are more intuitive, more useful and inter-compatible.

The self is getting smarter as wearables and watches evolve toward more traditional design, such as Withings: a simple and beautiful connected utility that monitors health but fits how we live and how we use existing technology.

Every moment can be a connected moment with Intel Curie module, or Flic: Devices that remove the complexity from sensory technology and in so doing increase the versatility of what can be Internet-connected. Including ourselves.

Technology is Transforming the Power to Understand People as People

Tech and media-tech companies revealed an increasing ability to provide richness around audiences, using data and audience responses to create a greater fidelity of people's lives beyond demographics, i.e., insights around how people live, what they love, and what they want.

Understanding the nuances of our audience goes far beyond their age, address and then making inferences about needs. Pinterest is emerging as peoples' personalized magazine, using pins as signals of passions and plans that reveal what people want (and why they want them).

Devices are a constant in our lives. Where people are says a lot about who they are. PlaceIQ uses location as a signal of identity and intent. Using location-based intelligence, augmented with other data, enables us to understand audience context, needs or activity.

Emotions become observable using OoVoo Intelligent video software. The video software provider can detect, interpret, and react to how people feel about content, products or marketing they see in video.

Technology is Transforming the Nature of Content Consumption

The curation and delivery of content is shifting to meet what people want and how they want it, making it easier to watch only what they want, allowing them to interact across all screens.

TV is no longer just the device on our walls. Sling TV from Dish Network is untethering TV from the cable box and allowing people to stream select channels via the web at low cost and without a cable service commitment.

What was once passive content can be made interactive. Fuisz Media allows video to become immersive by creating an interactive layer on top of video, hot-spotting content and providing people with pathways for deeper exploration of what they're consuming.

Content adjacency is no longer the crutch for addressability. SambaTV takes advantage of multi-screen behavior and enables real-time targeting on a handheld device, based on what is being watched on TV.

Technology is Transforming How We Use Our Time

The use of data and devices is making it easier for us to do what we need to do, and tech is changing where we need to do it. CES provided a forum for some companies to provide a further-looking view into the future and what it means for human behavior.

Cars were another CES star. Whether merely connecting to your device (Apple CarPlay) or driving themselves (Audi, Mercedes), they are the next generation of tech devices. Brian Cooley observed "technology is the means to the end: It's about how we'll use the time we get back when not driving."

Digital experiences are getting increasingly "rea.l" Oculus Rift announced 3D audio, providing a spatial simulation, while Jaunt offers a low-tech alternative. Both point to a whole new world of show-rooming – without traveling for hours, you can experience new worlds without leaving your own couch.

What does it all mean?

First, the more technological we get the more human we have to be. The tech advances are impressive and the possibilities are endless. But marketers must avoid the risk of being tech-first. Tech is merely a means to an end, providing the opportunity to create more human-like connections, building trust and enabling brands to be meaningful in the life of their audiences.

Also, context matters – increasing cues about what people are trying to do. In the past we bought media, today we buy audiences and in the future we'll be marketing to the moment. Technology is providing marketers an increasing ability to recognize not just the person, but the context they're in: actions, environment, location--even their mood. This provides an opportunity to be increasingly efficient: focusing on the moments brands can be relevant, which equally requires them to be dynamic and adapt to that moment.

And there’s the question of relevance beyond messaging – how can you be helpful? The technology that features in people's lives and shapes their behavior is what they find useful. The same might be said of brands. Increasingly, in order to build brand relevance, marketers will need to think about utility: how to be useful while entertaining people, and how to make it easier for them to do what they already want to do.