As a marketing professor, one of the best things I can do
for my students is to expose them to the latest and greatest technologies to
provide them with a competitive advantage against older and more experienced professionals
whose education took place before these latest and greatest technologies permeated
our world. Thus, when I read the recent
article by Shelly Palmer in Ad Age
entitled, "Snapchat's Spectacles Can Succeed Where Google Glass Failed,” I was very
intrigued.
You see, I truly believe that virtual reality, augmented
reality and wearable technologies have the ability to transform the way we will
live our lives tomorrow. The impact of
these technologies on marketing and business will be tremendous and
powerful. If you are convinced of the
power of experiential marketing, these technologies have the ability to take
experiences to an entire new level with even stronger impacts on consumers’
buying and consumption habits.
To that end, I often introduce students to the idea of
Google Glass (great explanation in this video by Marques
Brownlee) and Microsoft HoloLens (check out these demonstration videos)
in my classes. Palmer’s Ad Age article calls Google Glass a
failed technology. Why would I show my
students a “failed technology”? The
reason is because with a few tweaks, this technology could be made awesome and
perhaps one of my students will do it!
The reason is because it might not be Google Glass, but it will be
something similar and it will transform our lives and our work! The truth is, I believe that Google learned a
lot from their launch and will ultimately deliver something bigger and better
before any formidable competitors enter the competitive landscape. But whatever the future may be…it will look
something like this!
However, I was kind of disappointed in the future that Snap
Inc. (Snapchat’s new company name) promised in its forthcoming Snapchat
Spectacles based on this article. It
sounds like you will have the ability to use a pair of glasses to make videos
from a first-person perspective and have the video automatically saved to your
Snapchat Memories. One feature that
combats some of the privacy issues that Google Glass faced is that there will
be a visible circle on people’s classes to let others know that the video
camera is on. I like the price point at
$129! However, I don’t see the need to
have another device to do what my cell phone and GoPro can already do! Plus, Google Glass was so much more than just
a first-person video recorder. I do not
feel it is appropriate to even put this new Snap Inc. product in the same
product class.
Regardless, technologies in the class of Google Glass or
Microsoft HoloLens will transform our lives.
I see virtual reality videos helping members of the extensive
do-it-yourself culture to build and fix anything in their houses! I see product sampling moving beyond products
that can be broken down into pieces, but still deliver the full product
benefits (i.e. food). I see the ability
for my child to explore cultures around the world first-hand without ever
leaving his classroom. Think of the
potential for the hospitality/tourism industry!
For marketing! For
education! Wow! What are some of the future uses you see for
this technology?
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