Advertising on wearable technology?

Published April 4, 2014 at 7:29 am

Ads are everywhere these days. From billboards to city buses, television, movies, computer and smart phone screens and more, advertising consistently reaches as far as it possibly can to get our attention. Now, advertising may be coming to our wrists, and even right in front of our eyes (literally), as marketers turn to new devices like smart watches and Google Glass as possible advertising spaces.

When you look at your wrist to check the time, how would you feel about seeing an advertisement there? This is a question that users of smart watches may be asking themselves. A recent article in Mashable discusses the possibility of smart watches and other types of wearable technology becoming an area for advertisers to target. The article cites a recent Nielsen study that found that 15% of consumers have already adopted some form of wearable technology. Everywhere there’s a screen, there’s an opportunity to advertise, and devices like smart watches provide potential new territory for advertisers to conquer if they become more widely used.

Adweek reported that Kenneth Cole created an app for Google Glass as part of a marketing campaign to promote a new cologne. Although Google Glass is still has a very small user base, it presents interesting possibilities for advertising in the future.

Whether wearable technology will prove to be useful for marketing and advertising remains to be seen, but going forward we may see more companies targeting their efforts to these types of devices. The devices show interesting opportunities for interactive marketing, but these opportunities may not ever be realized if consumer interest is lukewarm or if people find this kind of advertising too intrusive. This serves as an important reminder for marketers that where you choose to direct your marketing efforts could impact your success.