Another View
Masters Cellphone Ban Is Over the Top
Visiting Augusta National Golf Club during Masters Week, which I mentioned in my last blog, is like going back in time. The venue and...
Post Type blog
Blogs
Four Smart-Home Myths Retailers Need to Dispel
Smart-home products are rolling out to the masses as consumers look for ways to simplify their daily lives. According to a recent survey from...
Another View
White Goods Get a Black Eye From ‘Friday’ Sales
I was on a road trip last week, crossing off a bucket list item with three friends visiting the Augusta National Golf Club during...
Blogs
How To Give a Presentation Without Freaking Out
Attendees often ask me after I’ve delivered a speech or facilitated a training, how I got so comfortable speaking in front of groups. This is...
Blogs
The Impact Of APIs From Smart-Home Platform Providers
Any device maker and app developer can offer an API to their partners; however, smart-home platform providers play a unique role in the ecosystem...
Blogs
Why The Internet Of Things Must Begin With An Internet Of People
Up until a few months ago, I was still somewhat agnostic about the current practical value of the Internet of Things as a game...
Blogs
Encryption And Security Debate Important For The Nation
Here’s Gary Shapiro’s take, as president/CEO of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), on the government abandoning its court request to force Apple to circumvent...
Blogs
How Dealers Can Cash In On Mobile
The secondary smartphone market has expanded exponentially in the past few years. Whereas in the past, consumers held onto old smartphones, it’s now the...
Blogs
How To Strengthen MAP Compliance
Retailers are constantly deploying newer and cleverer ways to circumvent minimum advertised price (MAP) policies. These disruptive technologies include encrypting online prices to dodge...
Blogs
Why Vendors Should Sell Direct
Consumer technology is a brand category that inspires loyalty among shoppers. But in a market that is constantly evolving with breakthrough innovations that quickly...
Blogs
Putting A Warranty Purchase In Perspective
The average person spends approximately $3,800 a year on connected tech — and $800 of that is on hardware alone. But even though consumers...
Blogs
The Biggest Story In Tech
The biggest high-tech story to watch is the shift by traditional hardware, software and platform companies to deliver their offerings as services to business...
Blogs
Internet Of Things Begets Internet Of Services
There’s an irony in our increasingly tech-dependent lives: While we yearn for simplicity, the “things” we purchase in the name of convenience are more...
Blogs
Best Practices For Promoting Products At Trade Shows
With CES 2016 in the rearview mirror, now is a good time to reflect on what worked and how we can improve our efforts...
Blogs
Why The Haier-GE Marriage Matters
News of Haier Group’s intention to acquire GE’s appliance unit, in lieu of a prior deal with Electrolux, could have a profound effect on...
Another View
Sony Gets Emotional For Profitability
A CEO lauding the love of his brand, discussing the responsibilities of how products “reach … and enrich everyone’s lives,” and speaking to how...
Blogs
5 Things I Learned From Exhibiting At CES 2016 Eureka Park
Exhibiting at CES is a tremendous opportunity for your start-up to meet many investors and get exposure to media. Eureka Park is the specially...
Blogs
The Blizzard Of 2016: The Gods Must Be Angry
As if we needed another reminder of man’s minor place in the cosmos, here we were, all warm and fuzzy after a rather inspiring...
Blogs
Tech Companies Dominate BrandIndex Buzz Report
The Annual YouGov BrandIndex Buzz Report has been released and, as usual, technology companies dominate the positive rankings. Seven of the top-ranked 10 brands...
Another View
Engineers Feeling The Love At CES 2016
As a member of the media, no matter how many times I have attended and covered CES, there are always more than a few...
Blogs
The 2015 1010data Ecommerce Awards, Presented by TWICE
Introducing the awards The 1010data Ecommerce Awards presented by TWICE recognize the best-selling consumer electronics brands online at the top 100 retailers in the...
Blogs
Five Big Stories To Watch At CES 2016
During the past several months, Accenture has done extensive research and engaged with a broad range of clients to identify the big stories to...
Blogs
2015: For E-tailers, It Was A Very Good Year
2015 was another banner year for digital commerce, with U.S. online consumer goods sales growing 33 percent year-over-year for the January through November period....
Blogs
T-Mobile’s Legere: What’s Next In Wireless
T-Mobile president/CEO John Legere was seldom at a loss for words in 2015, and he isn’t about to change now. In a lengthy end-of-the-year...
Blogs
Star Wars? Oh Go Sit On A Light Saber
I hate to be a sci-fi Grinch, but enough already with the Star Wars. You can’t turn on a TV this month without a...
Blogs
Consumers Stymied By Connected Devices
The hype that surrounds the Internet of Things (IoT) has grown exponentially in recent years — and market growth is starting to catch on....
Blogs
Santa’s Rejects: A Plan for Managing Taxes On Returns
In 2014, Americans returned $68.8 billion worth of holiday goods, which amounted to 11.2 percent of all holiday sales. If the trend repeats itself...
Blogs
An Open Letter From The CEOs Of Staples And Office Depot
The chairmen and CEOs of Staples and Office Depot have issued an open letter to customers in the wake of the FTC’s move this...
Blogs
Why Cyber Monday Matters Now More Than Ever
As the battle for e-tail escalates, Cyber Monday has taken on a new significance. Case in point: Target, which is going for broke Nov....
Blogs
Why The CEA (I mean, CTA) Changed Its Name
Earlier this month the Consumer Electronics Association announced that it was changing its name to the Consumer Technology Association. Now, normally this would not...
Blogs
AdWeek Names Most Viral Ads Of The Year
AdWeek has released its annual list of the “Most Viral Ads Of The Year,” and four technology-related spots made the top 20, including an...
Another View
Has Black Friday ‘Jumped The Shark’?
When did Black Friday cease being the official Opening Day of holiday discounts and shopping? Was it in 2013 when the trend to open...
Blogs
6 Ways To Improve The Checkout Experience
Retailers are losing $18 billion annually due to shopping cart abandonment. Research shows over two out of three users who add items to their...
Blogs
Where the Puck is Going to Be
Being the chairman of the Consumer Electronics Association does not provide many financial perks; however, my experience has been life changing. Both personally and...
Blogs
Happy Birthday Amazon: An Anniversary Memoir
What a long, strange trip it’s been. The world was so much different 20 years ago, when a fledgling Amazon.com first when live online....
Blogs
Forget Wait-And-See, The Smart Kitchen Is Already Here
I’ve read numerous articles recently suggesting that consumers aren’t rushing to embrace the technology of the connected kitchen, and that many manufacturers have adopted...
Blogs
Bet You Don’t Know Who’s Selling Your Brand, Or For How Much
It’s prime time for consumer electronics retailers. The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and according to the latest research from the Consumer...
Blogs
Are You Ready For The Holiday Rush … Of Returns?
Consumer electronics will once again top holiday wish lists this year, and while they are highly sought-after, they also boast one of the highest...
Blogs
The One Thing Retailers Of Oversized Items Can Do Now To Win More Sales
The new on-demand economy can be a powerful friend for both consumers and smart retailers. Transit companies like Uber and Car2go can get more...
Blogs
Facebook Testing In-App Shopping
Commerce is fueling the next wave of mobile innovation. There has been a flurry of recent activity from leading companies across the mobile eco-system...
Blogs
The Holiday Season Is Here. Are You Mobile-Ready?
It’s that time of the year again. The back-to-school buying season is now a distant memory, and the biggest and busiest time of the...
Blogs
BDA Roundtable Adds Color To Ultra HD Blu-ray Launch
Will your Ultra HD Blu-ray player have to be connected to the Internet to play 4K discs? How will consumers transfer 4K content from...