By Matt Pigott - March 17th, 2015

Since Tim Cook’s announcement of the imminent launch of the Apple Watch (AW), every company that needs or has a social app has been looking for an angle—some way to begin or deepen discussions with their key audience. To read our full report, head here.

(For more insight into connecting with your audience on a genuine level, check out the upcoming Incite Summit: West, May 18th and 19th in downtown San Francisco.)

We've spoken about the Apple Watch before, but now that its release grows imminent, we're taking a deep dive into how this device could or should have profound effects on marketers and marketing.

Right now, adoption optimists are already working with developers to come up with meaningful ways to connect with users. Days after the announcement of the launch date, Apple shareholders have clubbed together to try and convince Cook to hook up with electric car manufacturer Tesla. What they have in mind can only be guessed at. But AW is causing a stir, of that there can be no question.

Impressive spec

Zirconia back, four sapphire lenses, infrared and visible-light LEDs along with photo sensors that detect the wearer’s pulse rate. An inbuilt gyroscope and accelerometer, working in conjunction with the iPhone’s GPS and Wi-Fi to track your fitness and facilitate location-based services. A taptic engine and audio speaker for calls and alerts. Apps controlled by a ‘digital crown.’ Here’s a smartwatch that’s seriously spec’d out. And let’s not forget the most important thing–AW even tells the time! (Remember the halcyon days when cellphones were only used for calls?) Finally, the Watch’s battery lasts a full… 18-hour day! Well, there has to be some room for improvement…

Taptic tactics

Whether the ability to send somebody your heartbeat is just a gimmick–an emotive way to show off AW’s new taptic device–or was simply a metaphor for personalization (Apple’s new buzzword) is open to debate. But this new form of sensory communication–far from just a miniaturized incarnation of silent ringtones–has genuine purpose. Apple’s VP of design, Jony Ive, says: “With digital touch, we’ve developed an entirely new way for you to connect intimately with others [...] Subtle ways to communicate that technology often inhibits, rather than enables.”

But with innovation comes consternation. Will AW open the door to a new digital Wonderland? Or will it open Pandora’s box instead?

If the high level of adoption that optimists expect transpires, will we all end up sleepwalking–turn-by-taptic turn–into a tech-dependent, over-connected world? Or will AW facilitate the flow of our lives and present us with exciting new prospects and experiences? Moreover, how will brands locked in the orbit of all things Apple leverage the intimate power of the device, using its inherent capabilities to connect with users in meaningful ways?

Tune in for our next installment to find out what is (and might be) in store. You can read the report in its entirety here.

(For more insight on the most pressing trends in marketing, check out the upcoming Incite Summit: West, May 18th and 19th in downtown San Francisco.)

comments powered by Disqus