IoT Meets The Luxury Of The Hamptons

The Hamptons is known for its luxury real estate and forward-thinking residents, thus Ad Age magazine and the Internet of Things Consortium (IoTc) could not have selected a better location for an invitation-only, half-day discussion around the future of SmartHomes.

Both Josh Golden, publisher of Ad Age and Greg Kahn, President, and CEO of IoTC hosted a series of panel discussions that were conducted during a picture-perfect afternoon. Panel topics included the “Future of the Living Room,” “Health, Wellness and Tech,” and “Voice Activation.”   The intimate event of under 100 attendees was preceded by a sumptuous garden brunch. Panelists from such power players as Google, Samsung, Comcast, Peloton and more provided a rare look at progression-to-date in the industry as well as future challenges.

Naturally, any and everything around voice is seen as a hot new, business opportunity. In terms of behavior, Samsung noted that most voice-activated devices are still kept in the kitchen area so that the placement makes for convenient behavior around food deliveries. However, the real trend-to-watch was noted by an executive from Turner who said that the company sees the advertising opportunity around voice devices in an expanded way that includes talent and content associated with the Turner brand.

For example, the executive noted that there is a huge opportunity for celebrities such as Conan O’Brien to promote his own tour in his own voice via such devices. But what is equally intriguing is to imagine Donatella Versace or the president of Mont Blanc, for example, speaking directly to you through the device about their new offerings, history behind the company and behind-the-scenes exclusives as a new type of audio advertisement.

No matter what route it all takes, the power of personalization that such devices will offer will be a key move in the advertising and sales game. However, equally daunting will be the delicate handling and managing of massive amounts of data gathered from one’s specific choices and buying patterns over time, to say nothing of the fact that potential hacks through connected devices inside one’s home that could present an entirely new level of disruption, fear and worry.

Should such labyrinths be able to be successfully negotiated, this area could truly take modern, affluent living to the next level. For the discerning occupant, IoT is an area to track.