When the first iPhone debuted in 2007, understandably it’s likely that not many envisioned the all-consuming revolution it would spark. After all who could predict how this pocket-sized device would reach into our own personal lives, powering, monitoring and suggesting our behaviour and personal desires?
Fast-forward six years and it’s become quite obvious that the smartphone means a lot more to us than a mere “communications device”. In fact, we now demand that it fulfils a very long list of personal functions (a list which is still growing):
• Shopping
• Travel planning
• Location sharing
• Playing games
• Accessing the news
• Listening to music
• Watching video
• Publishing social media
• Monitoring health, well-being and medical history
• Processing data from third-party “dumb” devices e.g. Nike+ and Jawbone’s Up
Of course, all these functions tally up to a lot of “human” data, which a few years back would have been overwhelming for most computers to process meaningfully, let alone a mobile phone. However, as the computing power of smartphones increases exponentially, this data in its raw form will be processed ‘on site’, within the phone itself. Theoretically, what we could eventually end up with, is a highly personalised and portable biometric profile, automatically created by, and stored on our smartphones.
What does this mean for future advertising and marketing?
Quite simply put, we’ll all soon be walking around with a comprehensive digital profile on our person, which can easily be accessed in real-time by any localised advertising/promotional campaign with the right technology. Do you remember the scene in the Minority Report, when Tom Cruise walks into a Gap Store? That’s an example of the technology:
VIDEO: The Gap scene from The Minority Report
This may all sound like science-fiction…but not for long! In the past few years, Apple has been quietly working on a wireless technology powered by the latest version of Bluetooth, and it’s called iBeacon. What this allows them to do is send an automated request for user data - via a small ‘always-on’ transmitter (an iBeacon) - to any nearby Bluetooth-enabled smartphone. Depending on how much of your profile you’re willing to share, the iBeacon system can then use this data to deliver extremely targeted, localised media to your phone screen or any other digital fixture within the surrounding environment.
Here’s a very crude example of how it could possibly work:
If you’re a sporty person, the chances are that your phone will know this, mostly because of all those sports-related apps you like to interact with. So, should you walk into an Apple Store that uses iBeacon technology, you could possibly be greeted by a video poster depicting an image of yourself (also furnished by your phone) “wearing” the latest headphones designed for an active lifestyle.
And Smartphones are just the beginning...
With Samsung recently launching its Galaxy Gear (their take on a smart watch), Google developing Google Glass and rumours of Apple working on an iWatch, the means to record, store and shape our personal data is becoming even more “wearable”. This means, there will come a time when brands, retailers and marketers can be 100% certain that you’ll have your digital profile with you at all times.
By Chris da Costa, Creative Director at Spinnaker.
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