Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/439820
C o n s u m e r E l e c t ro n i c s D a i l y N e ws W e d n e s d a y, J a n u a r y 7 , 2 0 1 5 7 0 looking back at us is going to be a smart- watch. Tell us more about Martian's approach to the smartwatch. SK: Yes, we were a CES Best of Show finalist two years ago with the world's first voice command smartwatch. But only about 20 percent of smartphone owners used voice commands back then. Today it's up to almost half of users, and soon voice will control the home and many consumer devices on the Internet of Things. Putting command and control on the wrist has always made sense to us. It's also been important to give people the most stylish watch we can create, given the constraint that comes from the expansive amount of technology inside. CEDN: So this is about style as well as functionality? SK: Very definitely. Martians are full blown complex smartwatches, but while some smartwatches are miniaturized mobile phones for your wrist, we've come at it from 180 degrees opposite and taken a classic design approach and made it smart by bringing the most useable and intelligent features we can to the user. Outgoing com- mands are done via voice. Incoming alerts and notifications arrive via unique custom vibration patterns and quick tap-glass alert recall feature. The scrolling OLED display gives you all the data you need and allows us to create styling that consumers want. CEDN: What are the models that you're launching this year? SK: We have two major launches this year. First are four new series of Martian Martian Watches ( Cont'd. from p. 1) smartwatches that we're debuting here at CES. Second is a joint venture with GUESS that puts our voice command technology into one of GUESS's most popular watch designs. They call it the GUESS CONNECT smartwatch, and we're proud that it has been named a CES Innovation Award Honoree and can be seen at our booth at the Sands. Our four new series of Martian watches – two for men and two for women – range from our rugged Martian Commander line to the classic jeweled designs in our women's Martian Monarch line that will appeal to fashion- forward urban professionals. All enable you to use the full range of voice com- mands that your Android or iOS phone allows, from reading your voicemail to getting directions, setting a reminder, navigating the web and hundreds of other commands. CEDN: That sounds like a lot of reasons for retailers to come to your booth to see the new designs, but you're offering more than a chance to look? SK: Yes. We thought, if we're exhibit- ing at CES, let's have some fun. So at our booth, we've built a six-foot Martian Watch dial with slot machine tumblers in the display. Visitors will get a chance to win one of over 1000 prizes, including more than 100 GUESS and Martian watches to be given away over the four days. It should be a lot of fun. For more information and to enter your name for a chance to win a Martian smartwatch, visit booth #70843 in the Sands. After the show, find out more by visiting www.martianwatches.com or calling 949-727-4288. CR: In more than two centuries, the Postal Service has grown and changed with America, embracing new technolo- gies to better serve a growing population. No other organization can reach as many doorsteps, businesses or PO boxes – and with more than 31,000 retail locations, it delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. CEDN: Why should marketers look back to help move their marketing efforts for- ward? CR: Today, the average household receives 157 emails per day, versus only two pieces of direct mail. Marketers need to cut through that clutter and successful- ly deliver messages to potential cus- tomers. Reaching consumers via email might seem like the low-cost choice, but when you consider the above statistic, email alone may not be the most effective method. CEDN: Are you advising that marketers should ignore email and other technolo- gy-based marketing tactics? CR: Marketers shouldn't rely on only one marketing medium to reach all their current and prospective customers. Instead, we are encouraging marketers to consider all mediums to reach customers – and work to have their brand's content and assets come alive via multiple plat- forms. For example, marketers can digi- tally enable their Every Door Direct Mail ® piece with augmented reality so consumers can access marketing videos or other online assets through direct mail. With these kinds of customizable USPS ( Cont'd. from p. 1) options, you're more likely to reach cus- tomers both in person and online with the same assets. CEDN: What are some digitally enabled direct mail formats that the Postal Service offers? CR: We have a range of technology features that can enhance mail. One of those is Variable Data Print. Using variable imaging on your direct mail will allow you to customize your mail- ing pieces to each of your recipients. You can further integrate digital tech- nology by adding Personalized URLS (PURLS) that will link recipients online to their own personal landing page with content customized to their buying habits. Quick Response (QR) codes and Near Field Technology (NFC) can also be utilized. These technologies allow consumers to connect with your mobile buying site. You can create QR codes online at little or no cost and put them on your mail piece so consumers can simply scan and shop from a mobile device. NFC technology offers a simpler method of connection, allowing consumers to simply tap on a chip activated location in the mail piece. Augmented Reality (AR) allows you to engage consumers on your mobile site. By using the correct app (e.g.: USPS AR – available on the iTunes AppStore and Google Play) and pointing their mobile device at a predefined area on the mail piece, consumers can be taken to your mobile optimized site. Visit USPS at booth #30777. For more information, go to www.usps.com or www.powerofdigitalmail.com. KE: The UVA+B SunFriend is wearable tech that helps you manage how much sun you're getting. The idea behind the product is to prevent sunburn while you allow yourself a healthier amount of sun before you douse yourself with sunblock or flee indoors. That's important because a healthier amount of sunshine can lower your blood pressure, reduce Seasonal Affective Disorder and helps prevent any number of diseases, including multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, depression and even dementia. The list is endless. CEDN: How does it work? KE: With the UVA+B SunFriend, you personalize your skin sensitivity level and then wear it throughout the day. LED lights show you how your sun exposure is progressing and lets you know when you've reached your maximum daily dose of sunshine. You just strap it around your wrist, and a tiny sensor constantly reads the actual UV exposure you are getting and adjusts for brighter sun, reflective UV, clouds, indoor/outdoor activity and more. It's waterproof, so you can even wear it out by the pool or at the beach. When the indicator lights show you that you've reached your limit of sunshine, then it's time to cover up or go indoors. CEDN: Doesn't sunscreen or sunblock provide the protection that people need when they're outdoors? KE: There are a lot of reasons why chemical sun protection isn't the best solution. Some people are chemical-sen- sitive, so sunscreen isn't an option for them. Sunscreens are designed to block the healthy benefits of sun. For instance, when the sun reaches the bare skin, it provides the crucial component you need to for your body to begin to manufacture vitamin D. The bigger problem is that SunFriend ( Cont'd. from p. 1) many people are so afraid of exposure to the sun or they're spending so much time indoors that they're not getting a healthy amount of sunshine. Many of the people here at International CES ® spend a great deal of their days glued to computers, and wearing the SunFriend would remind them that they need to go outside and walk around in the sunshine for a while. The SunFriend helps people avoid both underexposure and overexposure. CEDN: How many people are affected by inappropriate sun exposure in the U.S.? KE: Twenty percent of our population has skin cancer, primarily thought to be from over-exposure to the sun. Up to 70 percent are thought to be vitamin D defi- cient, primarily from under-exposure to the sun. That is a lot of people. CEDN: You've done a soft launch of this product already, with a major marketing campaign and formal launch scheduled for April of next year. How is the market receiving it? KE: The critical reviews have been fan- tastic. The UVA+B SunFriend is being hailed as a lifesaving technology, and the Vitamin D Council has approved it as a device for healthy sun management. At a retail price of $49.99, the device is acces- sible for parents who need to monitor their children's sun exposure as well as their own, and with five fun colors to choose from, kids love it too. We have a prototype Bluetooth version that we're debuting here at CES with some really cool features for managing family sun time and vitamin D optimization. We will be asking everyone who stops by, "How much sun did you get today?" For more information, visit SunFriend in booth #75542 in Eureka Park. After the show, email safer@sunfriend.com or visit www.sunfriend.com. NEUROMETRIX TO SHOWCASE QUELL WEARABLE PAIN RELIEF TECHNOLOGY Quell™ utilizes NeuroMetrix's propri- etary non-invasive neurostimulation technology to provide relief from chronic pain, particularly neuropathic pain such as due to diabetes and lower back problems. The advanced wear- able device is lightweight and can be worn during the day while active, and at night while sleeping. It has been cleared by the FDA for treatment of chronic pain without a prescription. Users of the device will also have the option of using their smartphone to automatically track and personalize their pain therapy. The company expects Quell to be available for pur- chase by consumers in the second quarter of 2015.