Davis Incentive Group’s Blog

Trend Spotters

No matter what kinds of products you choose to include in your programs, it’s critical to stay ahead of the changes. In any product category, new trends take hold and old ones die out, and in the consumer electronics industry, there’s always something innovative looming on the horizon.

Program planners need to focus on these trends, Rivera said, to stay ahead of these cycles. “Watch redemptions closely so you can prepare selections that are relevant to your demographics,” he said. “You need to anticipate what is desirable in times like these and, of course, understand what can be in store for you as a result.”

Just take a look at the recent 2009 International CES, where more than 2,700 companies showed up to hawk their latest innovations. There were roughly 20,000 new technology products at the show, which always features products that will shape the future of the industry for years to come. Hot trends this year included wireless, 3-D HDTV, advances in OLED, green technologies, Internet TV and digital entertainment.

At the show, Sony President and CEO Howard Stringer kicked things off by unveiling the “CES Seven,” key imperatives for creating the critical user experience. These seven imperatives can give you an idea of where the CE industry might be heading next. According to these suggestions, products should: 1. interact seamlessly across industries; 2. be service-based; 3. be multifunctional; 4. support open technologies; 5. advance the new shared experience; 6. create new value chains; and 7. be green.

So that’s what’s impacting the development horizon, but what are consumers looking for now?

According to CEA’s Director of Industry Analysis, Steve Koenig, “Consumers continue to seek the best picture, sound and entertainment experience available. With a majority of U.S. homes owning an HDTV, consumers are looking to add high-definition content through Blu-ray players, gaming devices and home audio systems.”

More specifically when you’re looking for items for incentive and reward programs, Romeo said the major trends are, “more user-friendly, all-in-one, stylish (in terms of color and design) and significantly smaller products.” Specifically when it comes to cameras, things like face detection, motion detection and even blink detection mean a camera can do almost anything. (We’ll highlight more trends in the digital camera arena in our May/June issue.)

Some items are always popular incentives and rewards, Reinberg said. “Televisions, iPods, headphones, Bose home theater systems, golf and sporting goods, GPS units and vacuums are extremely desirable,” he said. “Furniture and outdoor heaters are also popular now that people are entertaining more at home.”

The desirability of electronics spreads across all demographics. “The explosion of consumer electronics has a universal appeal to all ages,” Reinberg added. “There will always be likes and dislikes, but everyone seems to be attracted to cutting-edge technology for home and play.”

Electronics are particularly attractive for younger audiences, according to Rymax’s Rivera. “We have found that younger audiences usually gravitate to more technology-orientated or trendy products,” he said.

How can you sort through all of the trends to ensure your program is effective? Look for expert help, advised Reinberg. “Don’t be afraid to ask for advice when sourcing awards,” he said. “Take the time to learn about the award recipients and offer something that will appeal to everyone. Ease and value should be key to the offerings.”

To get you started, we take a look here at some hot items from across the incentive industry. When you’re ready to get started, you’ll find that The Davis Incentive Group is just phone call away.

Joseph Buhler Sales/Operations The Davis Incentive Group

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