CLOUD COMPUTING
MARKETING IN
INTERNET OF
THINGS ERA
By Patrick Kabuchi
I
nternet of Things (IoT) is no
longer a fancy buzzword, but a
reality for enterprises in search of
ingenious ways to stay ahead of the
pack.
It’s the interconnectivity between
‘Things’; in other words, the linking
among devices and people via
wireless network means to facilitate
seamless sharing of information. It’s
a remarkable technological evolution
that’s changing the way we perceive
and interact with objects as well as
people around us, in our daily lives.
Gartner, a renowned technology
research firm, forecasts that there will
be 20.8 billion connected things in
use globally by 2020. Furthermore,
2016 will see an estimated 5.4
million new things being connected
on daily basis. IoT is already with us;
from smart refrigerators which can
automatically order for supplies, to
wearable devices for monitoring our
health, just to name a few.
How Will IoT Impact Marketing?
While there are many ways in which
IoT is influencing the way we do
business, it will be an immense
‘‘Gartner, a renowned technology research
firm, forecasts that there will be 20.8 billion
connected things in use globally by 2020.
Furthermore, 2016 will see an estimated
5.4 million new things being connected on
daily basis. IoT is already with us; from smart
refrigerators which can automatically order for
supplies, to wearable devices for monitoring
our health, just to name a few.’’
44 MAL 12/16 ISSUE
boost to marketing efforts of modern
day enterprises. It provides the
requisite tools to answer fundamental
questions about consumer trends:
what, when, how, where and why
purchases are made.
Thus, a whole new world of
opportunities is being unveiled for
marketers and any firm that ignores
the looming wave of IoT will do so
at its own peril. Some of the ways in
which IoT will transform marketing
include:
Location-based Marketing
The use of bluetooth beacons as a
marketing tool targeting mobile
device users, enables businesses to
advertise their offerings to potential
customers in proximity. Once a
beacon signal is picked up by a
shopper’s mobile device, businesses
in vicinity and their products become
visible.
Consequently, this enhances buyers’
experience by providing easy access
to information on availability of
merchandise they intend to purchase.