• by Scott Curtis , March 11, 2015

More than 90,000 marketing and tech professionals checked out the latest gizmos and gadgets at the 28th annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month. Here’s what the new trends and technologies can mean for marketers. 

WEARABLES DIGITIZING THE PHYSCIAL WORLD Wearables are moving from gadgets that entertain early adopters to more mature devices that deliver tangible value. Child trackers allow parents to always know where their kids are, while the elderly now have wearables that alert loved ones if they’ve fallen. Wearables also help marketers digitize more of the physical world, creating additional data for advertisers to leverage to make more informed targeting and content-delivery decisions. 

NEW WAYS OF INTERACTING Touchless control now lets consumers use gestures and eye movements to manage their smart products; haptic feedback, augmented reality and virtual reality are also gaining momentum. Competing technologies will lower prices so these devices can enter more homes and lives. Creative is primed to become more immersive as these technologies gather pace and maturity.

REDEFINING RETAIL Smartphones are redefining the retail experience and providing insight into evolving shopping behaviors. Near Field Communications -enabled screens and interactive robots create in-store interactions that put the consumer in control of their experience. Mobile payments will simplify the purchasing process and give marketers a 1:1 view into advertising’s effect on previously unseen non-digital sales.

INTERNET OF THINGS MOMENTUM Connected home and the Internet of Things continues to gain steam. People can now use smartphones to control and measure more aspects of their home, travel and health—bridging the gap between inanimate objects and the digital world. In the future, marketers will use this data to create more bespoke advertising experiences. 

SMART TECH SPREADING Across industries, smart hardware and software are becoming more pervasive. Pill sensors allow doctors to monitor patients’ medication intake and tablets refresh the education system by gamifying classroom learning. As we move toward a truly connected world, remember not every space is a place to insert a brand message. First, understand the consumer journey and then seek opportunities that add the greatest brand value.