Sound Bites from CES 2015
TALKERS Consumer Electronics Show coverage by radio consultant Holland Cooke
By Holland Cooke
Radio Consultant
LAS VEGAS — As the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show wraps-up today, 450 entrepreneurs have their fingers crossed, after pitching ABC-TV’s “Shark Tank” in an open casting call yesterday.
Wide-angle shot: The innovation mojo here is damn refreshing, especially for broadcasters, whose industry is mature, yet so well positioned for the future.
Close-up shot: Handiest accessory I saw for radio talkers and podcasters: Wear your gear like a gun slinger with Techslinger. Pack your iPad, smartphone, microphone, and other go-kit gear in this double shoulder holster, designed by a defense contractor. See photos and diagrams on the CES page at HollandCooke.com
I’ll spend today seeing as much as I can of the 2 million plus square feet of exhibit space here, after committing as much time as I have earlier this week to CES conference sessions. Here are some notable sound bites from those I took-in…
Shawn DuBravac, Ph.D., CEA Chief Economist & Director of Research:
* “Multiple distribution channels is imperative.”
* “When something becomes digitized, the entire experience changes.”
* Accordingly, “learn the channel.” Radio implication: Know these tools and don’t simply produce digital the same way you produce for on-air.
From the session “Big Media and Viral Experiences: Creativity Challenges:”
* “Young people are more collaborative and knowledge-seeking. Their needs are not being met by traditional media platforms.”
* And the way they share can produce more buzz than paid advertising. Example: “Star Wars is huge right now,” with a new movie on the way, and tease trailers on YouTube, “although they’ve spent next-to-nothing on paid promotion.”
* “For authenticity, the celebrity [doing an endorsement] needs to be artistic director of the project.” They cited the Crest toothpaste “Wake Up With Me” campaign that “made the product ‘the co-star.’”
Because endorsement spots are so important to radio, I also attended the session “Leveraging Content and Celebrity for Cross-Platform Success:”
* Trend: Via Facebook/Twitter/other direct contact, “celebrities and brands are taking their message straight to the public.”
* “Artists and celebrities now know what their audiences want better than ever before.”
From “Multichannel Networks and the YouTube Phenomenon:”
* “YouTube is the most effective aggregator of any social platform.”
* “YouTube brings additional value to broadcasters.” Note how Jimmy Fallon uses it.
* “Brands that look at YouTube as a cheap way to make commercials are going to fail.”
* You can effect good traffic to your YouTube content by using Facebook.
From “Broadcasting Without Borders: Players of The New Guard:”
* “We’re moving away from fixed media, we’re moving toward interactive media.”
* The smartphone is “a studio in your hand.”
* “Millennials don’t mind a branded experience, as long as it’s authentic.”
* “Millennials love TV, they just hate the model.”
* “People will pay a reasonable price for quality content…on the screen they want.”
* New models are buoying-up legacy platforms: “Breaking Bad” succeeded because people could catch-up on Netflix.
All five FCC Commissioners appeared at CES2015.
* Issue One for Chairman Tom Wheeler is the widely-misunderstood, much-demagogued matter of Net Neutrality. Wheeler hinted that, per President Obama’s preference, he would propose rules that regulate broadband providers as utilities. Expect court challenges and opposition from the Republican-controlled Congress.
* A separate session featuring the other four commissioners – who did not take questions – was noteworthy for what WASN’T said: the word “radio.” Which, in my mind, underlines the importance of radio people understanding and participating in the new media landscape.
Two more radio-related sound bites:
* Several radio amigos: “THANK YOU for nagging-me-into coming to this.” More broadcasters should attend CES. The 2016 event will be January 6-9; and the 411 is at cesweb.org
* “CONGRATULATIONS!” from Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro, to talk radio’s Dave Graveline, celebrating his “Into Tomorrow” show’s 20th year on-air, as inventors, executives, and celebrities lined-up for radio and video interviews in his broadcast booth in the middle of the CES Exhibit Hall. Ditto, Dave!
Holland Cooke is a media consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet; and he covers conventions for TALKERS. Follow him on Twitter @HollandCooke, and see/read/hear his CES2015 coverage at HollandCooke.com
Category: Analysis
