Brands and the Future of Technology

The KH Team at the 2014 SXSW conference

From smart contacts to emotion-sensing technology, Lauren Curler, Account Director, blew our minds when she shared with us what technology will soon be available for brands to leverage. We sent Lauren and five other Karshie’s to SXSW, where they saw Contagious Magazine Co-Founder, Paul Kemp-Robertson, and Leo Burnett Global Head of Social and Mobile, James Kirkham, take a look at the most significant technological innovations that will redefine how brands will connect with people in the future.  Let’s recap what we learned from Lauren about emerging technology and how brands are using it to meet user needs and solve problems in ways that will weave them into the fabric of consumers’ everyday lives.

Google is in the process of developing a contact lens that measures glucose levels.

Contact lenses that measure glucose levels and sensors embedded in the skin that monitor the user’s vitals are just two examples of epidermal electronics. This technology could dramatically reduce the need for frequent visits to the doctor’s office. Doctors will be able to monitor patients’ vitals and prescribe supplements while they are at home.

People will soon be able to try on clothes virtually and feel the texture of the fabric before they buy an item online. Haptic technology, which reproduces touch sensations by applying forces and vibrations to the user, is creating many opportunities like this for brands to differentiate themselves.

Logbar is developing Ring, a wearable input device that allows users to shortcut just about anything with finger gestures.

Logbar is developing Ring, a wearable input device that allows users to shortcut just about anything with finger gestures. Users will be able to gesture to smart devices and appliances to do things like turn on the lights, make payments and send messages. Gestural technology is quickly advancing and will enable many types of brand platform interactions like this in the future.

These technological developments and more are closer than we realize. Brands need to be prepared to embrace emerging technology in order to enhance their customers’ brand experience, deliver value or solve a problem – while also respecting when and where to insert technology into people’s lives.

Post by: Brooke Olson, Community Manager