WHAT: MINNEAPOLIS, JANUARY 11: The 2007 International Consumer Electronics
Show (CES) underway in Las Vegas is nearly 3,000 exhibits displaying the
latest innovations in technology, telecommunications, the Internet,
computers, entertainment, personal and mobile electronics, and media. New
gadgets are already creating buzz. But what are the hot consumer trends
behind the super-cool products on display at CES? What do consumers'
needs, wants, and demands mean for tech-savvy businesses in 2007 and
beyond?
Iconoculture Consumer Strategists Jonathan Steuer and Andrew Hawn are
available to decode the consumer trends influencing the exciting product
and feature developments making headlines at CES. As reliable sources in
technology and media, they can inform your feature stories to go beyond
gadget gawking to get at the beating, beeping heart of consumer
technology. Steuer and Hawn identify three related consumer-technology
trends among those emerging at CES in 2007:
WHY: CES is 2007's trend-setting technology kickoff -- the place to see
new products and features. Some may revolutionize how we work and play,
others may help once for-geeks-only concepts go mainstream, while still
others may die quiet deaths on stockroom shelves. Iconoculture's consumer
technology and media experts go beyond the new products to analyze,
synthesize, and discuss what's driving consumers -- the ones who
ultimately decide what's hot, what's promising, and what's bound to flop.
Shoot, Edit, 'n' Share Media on the Go: Gadgets have morphed into
stand-alone studios to optimize lighting, cut and arrange video, and
easily upload pictures, movies, and audio for sharing. Torqued cellphones
and a more connected class of handheld devices let busy creative spirits
share their stories on the fly, without returning to their desktops. Watch
for the techno-gap to close as regular Joes and Janes seek to shoot 'n'
share their stories; technologies once limited to early adopters will go
more mainstream.
Social and Mobile Media Discovery: Media mavens are seeking each other's
opinions when it comes to choosing songs, CDs, DVDs, and books. Internet
developers have responded with search tools that let consumers get inside
each other's heads and hearts to find new artists, similar movies, and
other choices of like-minded souls. Media-enabled cellphones let them take
it to go as consumers join mobile, morphing communities to conveniently
share and discover new passions.
Atomic Convergence: Consumers crave access, choice, convenience and now
flexibility in their media. Viewers hop from (TV) screen to (laptop)
screen to (mobile) screen as old-media lines explode. Spurred by freshly
minted media partnerships and video available from multiple sources (e.g.,
online, broadcast, cable and user-created), empowered viewers are
voraciously screen hopping through an ever-expanding universe of content.
Source of frustration: Finding and viewing content online and across
platform-hopping devices.
WHO:
-- Jonathan Steuer, VP, Consumer Strategist, Technology/Consumer
Electronics has over 14 years experience in the technology industry,
including tenure as a CNET executive. He holds a PhD in
Communication Theory and Research from Stanford University and an AB
in Philosophy from Harvard College.
-- Andrew Hawn, Senior Director, Consumer Strategist,
Media/Entertainment has over 13 years experience in multimedia
communications and as a journalist with a deep expertise in gaming.
He holds a BA from The University of California, Berkeley.
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO SET UP A BRIEFING, CONTACT:
Laurie Healy, Sr. Director, Corporate Marketing
612-642-2207
lhealy@iconoculture.com
ABOUT ICONOCULTURE:
Iconoculture, the leader in strategic consumer advisory services,
delivers consumer understanding to marketing decision makers at F1000
companies, their agencies and advisors. Iconoculture enables business
growth and innovation, using our unique observational research approach and
translation capabilities of world-class researchers and strategists.
Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Andrew Hawn
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=43152
Jonathan Steuer
http://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=51033
SOURCE Iconoculture
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