It wasn’t long ago when we spoke about watching a movie at home we were speaking about going out to rent a movie and then popping it into a DVD player.
Today, products like Roku and Amazon Fire TV have catapulted us into the next generation of home entertainment. These types of product connect directly to your TV and to your home network to stream a wide selection of entertainment. They also allow one to stream from subscriber services such as HULU, Netflix, and Pandora. The connectivity continues to empower the consumer with more viewing control of what they see and when they see it.
As being forecasted by eMarketer, 97 million homes will have connected TVs by 2019. To be clear, the television screen is not going away. This is evident by the proliferation of larger sizes, better picture quality, and more apps. However, the impact of connected TVs hasn’t been fully realized yet. It is something that requires marketers to keep a watchful eye on.
As with all new toys, consumers will determine how they will actually use the product. Like the generation that grew up without knowing what an album or 8-track tape was, this generation won’t know what a television is without internet. It will soon be commonplace. This generation will likely use connected TVs in a much different manner from their parents.
In turn, the marketers’ resolve to glean insights is paramount to staying ahead of competitive pressures. It won’t be good enough to know the insight if one doesn’t have the resources to optimize marketing plans.
We are now living in a world that is becoming progressively connected with consumer’s constantly exploring a variety of options to listen or view their favorite content. Small businesses should manage through all of these options in real-time. So start preparing now for the long-term in order to stay ahead of the game.
Adele Lassere is a marketing/advertising consultant with 20+ years experience, freelance writer and author of “Elements of Buying” (a self-help advertising guide), available at Amazon.com. Adele was listed as Black Enterprise’s 2011 Top Execs in Marketing & Advertising and Black Enterprise’s 2013 Top Women Executives in Advertising & Marketing. Contact: [email protected]
