Digital CES 2021: What I’m Excited For This Year

I’ve monitored CES for several years on behalf of clients. At first, I was a tad jealous that I was monitoring from afar, missing the energy and excitement of seeing new technology first-hand and being among like-minded people energized by technology and innovation. 

Once I read advice from past attendees, including advice to pack as if you had descended a tour bus at a UNESCO World Heritage site, “Have lots of snacks and water on hand, bring extra cell phone batteries, except to spend the entire day walking, so wear comfortable shoes,” along with reports of the crushes of people by the main exhibits, I gladly took my place on the sofa, next to my dog, observing from afar on social media (in my faux fur slippers).

This year, however, I’m getting the best of both worlds: attending CES in my slippers, with unlimited restroom and snack breaks, and no need to travel through the McCarron airport, which I’ve found to be dirtier than the dirtiest airport I ever encountered anywhere in the world.

Here are some of the sessions I’m following on Tuesday and Wednesday. You can follow along on my new Limelight PR Twitter account here. 

The 2021 Consumer Engagement Playbook

Speakers:

Carol Reed, WPP
Gabby Cohen, Harry's
Iván Markman, Verizon Media
Alyssa Raine, Walgreen Co

Will 2021 be the year when the potential of 5G is finally realized? As the cookie crumbles and marketers find new ways to coax insights from their customers, will addressability and personalization be truly achievable? Many long-awaited, hotly anticipated tech advances — and restrictions — of 2021 will usher in a new round of challenges and opportunities, and some savvy players are more ready than others. If you want to understand the consumer engagement playbook of 2021, spend some time with the people who are writing it.

The Commerce Conundrum: A New Journey

Speakers: 

Donna Sharp, MediaLink
Celiena Adcock, Honey - A PayPal Company
Deren Baker, Edge by Ascential
Brian Norris, NBCUniversal
Jen Wong, Reddit

The days of consumers following a predictable purchase funnel are long gone — especially after 2020. Consumer consumption habits have been reshaped, possibly forever, and that means marketers need to put purpose, innovation and agility at the center of everything they do. Explore 2020’s impact on the consumer journey, and how it has triggered a need for new advertising formats, engagement platforms, distribution channels and transactional technology to win devotion and dollars from consumers.

Eat, Drink, Play, Pay: Will We Ever be the Same?

Speakers:

John Gerzema, The Harris Poll
Cheryl Guerin, Mastercard Worldwide
Julia Hammond, MDC Partners
DyShaun Muhammad, Uber Technologies
Lou Paskalis, Bank of America
Katie Riccio Puris,Tik Tok

This past year upended how we work, play, discover, consume and transact. But looking through the marketer’s lens, we see that trends aren’t being disrupted, they are accelerating in a direction already anticipated pre-COVID-19. The Harris Poll has tracked consumer behaviors and reactions since the pandemic first sent the nation home to shelter, and savvy marketers have navigated the shifting landscape with equal doses of caution, innovation and bravery. Hear what shifts are temporary, which are accelerating and what is likely changed forever.

Marketing with Purpose

Driving Growth through Trusted Brand Experiences. The events of 2020 have driven brands across industries and markets to reevaluate their business models, rethinking how to shift to human-centered approaches that place brand values and authenticity at the core of business. Achieving authenticity as a brand requires truly understanding and acting on what your customers value. In this session, Microsoft Advertising will share data and insights from their consumer research studies on trust and inclusion, highlight brand success stories, and explore inclusive Microsoft technology.

Content Curated for a Kinder, Gentler Consumer

Speakers:

Jen Berman, Insider
Jesse Angelo, Vice Media Group
Aaron DeBevoise, Spotter, Inc
Eric Ellenbogen, WildBrain Media
Allyson Witherspoon, Nissan U.S.

Emerging technologies like 5G, AR and artificial intelligence are shaping a new era of content, storytelling, and consumer experiences. Consumers love innovation and putting purchasing power behind brands that reflect their values and engage with them in authentic, sustainable ways. Hear how marketers are reinventing their messaging and storytelling methods to capture the imagination — and hearts — of consumers by unleashing the potential of their brands to cultivate lasting cultural impact.

Can Technology Answer the Call of Societal Ethos?

Speakers:

Edwin Wong, Vox Media
Chana Ginelle Ewing, GEENIE
Carlos Watson, OZY

Emerging technology and global platforms have fueled a revolution in content and commerce. At the same time, consumers are turning to brands that reflect their values and engage them in innovative, authentic ways. These converging trends spell opportunities for brands to do more than just participate in culture — they can create and cultivate it. Hear from the entrepreneurs, entertainers and technologists who are redefining culture-first brands, and learn how innovative storytellers are leveraging technology to create cultural moments that resonate with audiences.

CMO Moves: Preparing for 2021 As The Short Becomes Long

Speakers:

Nadine Dietz, Adweek
Lisa McKnight, Mattel, Inc
Vineet Mehra, Walgreens Boots Alliance

The defining moments of 2021 created a runway for brands to step up and into a new world. A new world for consumers, a new world for employees, a new world for brands. Everything we once knew about marketing has shifted and the role of the CMO catapulted to new importance as the critical connector across consumers, employees and the C-Suite. What was lost along the way was the look towards the future. In a sea of never ending short-term focused zoom calls while technology leapfrogged forward, the critical mission of today is to force a reset. How do we now meet new consumer expectations on demand?

When CSR Aligns with Consumer Values

Corporate Social Responsibility spans local, national and global communities, covering diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability and more. This panel will unpack the confluence between a business’ ROI and CSR while exploring how cognitive diversity drives better societal and customer outcomes. Presented by Karyn Schoenbart, CEO, The NPD Group; Mike Fasulo, President & COO, Sony Electronics; Cristina Mittermeier, co-founder, SeaLegacy, Alpha Ambassador; Towalame Austin, EVP, Philanthropy and Social Impact, Sony Music Group; and Cheryl Goodman, Head of Corporate Communications and CSR, Sony Electronics.

Hyper-Relevancy Limiting Advertising Performance?

Making meaningful and relevant connections with consumers hinges on deep understanding of the consumer intent behind each click. Microsoft Advertising and the Intent Lab, a research partnership between Performics and Northwestern University’s Medill School, undertook a new study to examine the impact of relevancy in search advertising. We’ll reveal results and insights from an online experiment with 2400 consumers that examined their likelihood to select an ad result based on their mindset and the ad experience (limited to a specific product vs. expanded beyond that product).

Confronting the 2021 Data Dilemma

Speakers:

Reshma Karnik, MediaLink
Hamish Kinniburgh, UM
Matt Spiegel, TransUnion
Jay Stevens, Hudson MX
Lisa Valentino, Disney

From GDPR and CCPA regulations to tech companies’ actions that precipitate a final goodbye to the third-party cookie, the industry is witnessing a fundamental shift in how brands and media companies can leverage data to drive personal connections with people. Amid tighter regulations and risks of consumer backlash, how marketers can adopt practices that protect consumers while simultaneously delivering content and messages that create the personal relationships that translate to customer loyalty.

Which session are you most interested in? Tell me in the comments below.