CES 2020: Smart Living is Here to Stay

Last month, we got a glimpse into the not-so-distant future at CES. While there were no flying cars on the floor this year, CES showed us that companies are focused on making our lives easier, safer and more fun right now.

Our team was on the ground again this year, and here are some trends we noticed that we can expect to see more of, as well as some of the crazier finds from this year’s CES 2020.

Smart and Safe: If last year was the year of Smart Everything, this year was the year of Smart and Safe. With all eyes on what big companies would do to address consumer concerns around home cameras and video doorbells, new brands were there to show that they are up for the challenge of keeping smart homes secure.

Wellness of the Future: From custom-mixed makeup, apps that can customize a full nutrition and meal prep plan, and improvements to tried-and-true wearables; health and beauty brands made a big splash at CES. These tech-meets-glam offerings showed that they were much more than a pretty face and demonstrated how building these experiences into our everyday routines actually makes our lives easier and improve our overall physical and mental health.

Teaching the Next Generation: We almost wished we could go back to school with all of the fun and immersive education toys that we saw; robots that help children get excited about coding, augmented reality storybooks that made characters leap off the pages and immersive arcade games were just a few of the things that had us getting in touch with our inner child.

Some Fun Finds: Remote-control luggage that follows you through the airport, in-car karaoke kits, of course, a myriad of robot pets were just some of the more fun finds we saw. While these seem a little bit out there, brands are learning that they have to dig deeper to make sure that these out-of-this-world products are rooted in providing solutions to real-world needs.

With more pre-shows, splashy parties, exclusive branded spaces, and CES itself only getting bigger; it’s still a tough place to break through the noise and get in front of the media. Here are some of Diffusion’s top tips:

1. It’s never too early to start brainstorming your next big idea that’s going to grab attention, so get those team brainstorms on the books now!
2. Many media outlets are sending fewer people to CES, but they are also sending more people that cover a wide variety of topics – lifestyle, health, etc. Think beyond the tech writers.
3. Face time is so valuable, but with busy schedules and fewer time slots available, don’t underestimate the power of walking the floor, and keeping your eyes open – you never know who you might run into!