by Mimi Nicklin (@MimiNicklin) As the plethora of technology options widens, how do we choose what to buy? This is the question I pose myself when looking at which technology brands are getting right, and wrong, when it comes to driving purchase.
I was recently at a conference where I heard Stafford Masie speak. As a technological trend expert he presented a theory I was instantly smitten with, and that was the “disappearance of technology”. His theory considers that, as with electricity, one day soon technology will be so widespread, so much the norm, that we will no longer even ‘see’ it.
Stafford’s point is that, in the not-so-distant future, we will no longer be talking about ‘technology’ and its connections, because everything will be connected. Our entire lives will be ‘on’ — from our phones and cars to our sofas and fridges and gym clothes.
In the meantime, the tech brands are constantly innovating and testing new ways to make people buy their technology first.
I often write about the power of the emotional triggers that shoppers rely upon when deciding what to purchase and, in the tech category, the decision is no different. Sure, shoppers review online and they care about the technical information driving the product but, fundamentally, the move from consideration to buying still lies in the understanding of the emotion the product is offering.
So the question really is: is there emotional value in buying a tweeting fridge?
In the technological purchase-decision cycle, is a fridge that can send tweets as you reach for your milk at 7am really going to provide the benefit you need to swap up from the average to the premium fridge in store?
And, if not, which innovation will truly nail a smart fridge that serves consumers with more useful information, greater convenience and emotional reward?
At heart, human beings (aka shoppers) have a set of unchanging, fundamental needs and wants:
- Physical health
- Mental wellbeing
- Safety and security
- Connection to loved ones
The key to getting people to shop the technology category more often is to tap into these needs and not simply insert connectivity/a new technical benefit merely for the sake of it.
In 2005, there were 2.5 billion connected devices, mostly PCs, smartphones, tablets. By 2020, there will be over 30 billion connected devices, mostly not PCs, smartphones, tablets (Gartner, November 2013)!
The products shoppers will lavish love and attention upon are the products that unlock new ways to serve these above-mentioned human imperatives. Consumers will be naturally embracing their own network of connected objects and, if we want them to shop more, we will need to connect with them in an equally emotional way. If linking to Twitter fundamentally improves the product, it is shoppable but, if it is just a gimmick, it’s a wasted feature that shoppers will ignore.
You’re probably already familiar with the innovations that have blazed an early trail for tech that talks to a deeper human need, such as the Nest smart thermostat, NIKE fuelband and Fitbit, so this month I want to offer some new news on the shopper choices ahead. Here’s my list of five products that ‘get’ why we shop for connected devices:
1. January 2014 saw Cuptime reach its Demohour crowdfunding target. Designed in China, the plastic cup connects wirelessly to a cellphone, allowing consumers to monitor their water intake. Users input their height and weight, and Cuptime then enables them to track whether they’re drinking enough, assigning a ‘hydration performance’ score.
2. Unveiled in November 2013, Athos is a fitness system designed to function like a personal trainer. Sensor-fitted apparel and a wearable device track exertion across 22 different muscle groups by recording electrical activity produced by muscles. This information is then transmitted wirelessly to a mobile app, where users can see which muscles they are using and how. The app also shows breathing and heart-rate information, and can help track balance, cadence and form.
3. October 2013 saw US-based Skully Helmets debut the Skully P1: a smart motorcycle helmet with an integrated heads-up display (HUD). The P1 HUD includes a 180-degree rear-view camera system which relays images onto the HUD, enabling riders to see what’s beside or behind them, and eliminating blind spots. Genius.
4. Surpassing its funding goal on Indiegogo in November 2013, The Cricket is a Bluetooth-enabled bike alarm that syncs with a mobile app. The US-designed device detects when the alarmed bike is touched or moved, and automatically sends a push notification to the owner’s cellphone. If the bike is stolen, cyclists can alert The Cricket network and every connected device will scan for the lost alarm, sending an alert if the bike is located.
5. Finally, the cutest of the lot. Surpassing its target on Kickstarter during December 2013, Toy mail is a range of talking toys that allow parents to stay in touch with their kids when traveling. The wifi-enabled ‘mailmen’ sync with an iOS app that allows parents to record and save voicemail messages, which are played through the toy in each character’s voice. Kids can reply to the last message received via a button on the device, with replies played back through the app.
So there you have it — technology worth shopping for!
When consumers live amid their own personal network of connected objects, their shopper mindsets will naturally ask: how is this brand really enhancing my life to be worthy of the price tag?
The shopper shift needs to understand that it is no longer purely the appearance of technology or connectivity that is the benefit, but the opportunities this connectivity can offer.
Much of this feels far away for South African daily life as yet but, regardless of the country you are sitting in as you read, I can confirm my own opinion on Tweeting fridges and that is: fridges really don’t need to tweet.
If they can alert me when my milk runs out, or the power has been cut, that would be another story. Indeed, that would be a reason to buy!
Mimi Nicklin (@MimiNicklin) followed her passion and experience in the consumer, retail and shopper space from regional roles in Europe and Asia, to South African shores in 2010. Having led global brands through the line for Procter & Gamble, and two of London and Hong Kong’s top agencies, her background gives her an international perspective to add to her depth of SA understanding. She serves as strategic director and a partner at 34 Group. Mimi contributes the monthly “The Sell” column concerning shopper marketing to MarkLives.
— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every three work days. Sign up here!
Soon South Africans will be able to see their localised edition of the hit reality series, Undercover Boss, after 
A valid statement in economies worldwide, it is a vital one in South Africa, where we are rebuilding our society.
by Russell Southwood (
It is the fantasy that, if you get a customer at a young age, she’ll stick with you for life. This nonsense is particularly popular in the automotive industry, where I misspent a lot of my agency career.
Owen Dougherty, chief communications officer at Grey Group, had told MarkLives that the network would regroup in South Africa and either acquire or build a new integrated agency, describing it as a key market.
On our DStv chart, Zulu News moved from 14th to 5th, and Xhosa News from eighth to seventh.