ADWEEK follows Razorfish to CES this week. Follow us for more behind-the-scenes reports from the event.
The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is a big time for agencies looking to set the stage for the year.
For Razorfish, Publicis’ digital agency on the eve of its 30th anniversary, this year’s CES is an opportunity to celebrate, but also to look forward to the next 30 years of innovation.
“We want to have a moment to celebrate the last 30 years and really recognize all the work we’ve done, all the firsts we’ve achieved. But there are so many firsts ahead of us,” said Razorfish President Dani Mariano.
CES isn’t a marketing show per se, but while the consumer gadgets of the future are housed in the Las Vegas Convention Center’s exhibit hall, the marketing industry has set up a robust satellite conference at the C-Space convention center at the Aria Hotel.
The technology show is an opportunity for Razorfish to connect with customers and suppliers at the start of the year, set priorities and even finalize planning for the year ahead. But it’s also a time to explore the technology of the future, to “dream a little” and be inspired by what’s to come, said Josh Campo, CEO of Razorfish.
“You have the advantage of not being in an office somewhere and already being limited in your thinking,” he said.
Foster relationships with customers
Razorfish’s participation in the show is largely customer driven. The agency has between 15 and 20 people at CES this year, and more people are joining at the last minute as their clients plan to attend.
While there are no specific goals for the agency when it comes to new business or closing deals, networking and chance encounters are a great benefit of participating. For example, Mariano shared that she met someone while having lunch at the Wynn Hotel who she had been trying to go on a date with for months.
“There’s always a surprise: a product you didn’t expect, a relationship that has begun,” she said.
More than a dozen Razorfish employees gathered near the convention center Tuesday to share plans for how and where they connect with existing clients like Bread Financial and Samsung, as well as build relationships with potential business partners and those that the agency currently offers.
It’s a mix of connecting with industry leaders through tours, meetings, happy hours, dinners, or even debates about how good the late-night fast food burger is: In-N -Out or Shake Shack.
“The measure of success is: How do we maximize our time with our clients? » Campo said.
Taking a Practical Approach to Futuristic Technology
CES regulars know that while some consumer tech gadgets on display represent opportunities for today or tomorrow, others won’t realistically be used by consumers in the next three, five, or even ten years.
Campo recalled the promise of augmented and virtual reality technology that has been hyped in recent years, and particularly last year after Apple released its Vision Pro helmet.
“It’s cool, but it’s weird to wear and it costs a lot of money,” he said. “You kind of had a feeling the price wasn’t going to take off.”
One of Razorfish’s goals at CES is to guide its customers through the technology at the show and help them understand what has an impact in the short, medium and long term. Customers are more oriented toward technology and experiences that will be adopted by consumers in the near term, Campo said.
“Pie in the sky is interesting and useful, but at the end of the day, we have a year ahead of us and we all have KPIs to achieve. What will help us with this? he said. “We are here with customers. So that also brings us back to the marketing challenges we need to help our clients solve this year.
AI everything
Everything powered by AI is once again a big trend at CES this year. “I think it will be a slap in the face on just about everything,” Mariano said.
As AI has become more accessible and available to consumers, Mariano seeks to better understand what type of AI is used in consumer products and how the technology is used. “What are you really talking about when you talk about AI? » she said.
At CES, the focus won’t be so much on how it can change agency workflows, but on the opportunity for Razorfish to evaluate how consumer tech brands leverage AI and integrate this in the positioning of its own clients. Campo expects to see a lot more around “AI agentization” as chatbots come to the forefront for consumers.
“I think this year, consumers will continue to be more and more interested in it, and that changes the comfort level of our customers,” he said.
Both Campo and Mariano are interested in understanding how AI will play out in the automotive and health technology fields, given its customer base. For the first, Campo looks for potential links between car manufacturers and the operating systems of Amazon, Apple or Google. “Are you going to buy your car based on the car’s operating system?” he said.
In health technology, the agency is acutely aware of consumers’ privacy concerns and the amount of sensitive data collected on their bodies, especially as wearable devices advance. “We are collecting more data than ever before on humans,” Mariano said.
But this year, the hype around AI might not be as strong among customers who Campo says have a much better “knowledge and understanding” of the dangers of AI. “I think it’s a priority for them, because there’s been some backlash,” he said.
As a member of the C2PA Steering Committee, which governs content provenance, it will be up to Razorfish to keep ethics and transparency at the forefront for clients while exploring the possibilities of AI in consumer technologies.
“We know we made a commitment to help develop these guidelines, so we have to follow them,” Mariano said.
