Ad TechApple unveils Watch; Advertisers prepare for a ‘mobile-like’ learning curve

This week Apple unveiled its latest offering in the form of a wearable – the Apple Watch. Previous experience suggests that Apple could be the brand that brings this new technology to the mainstream. So as Apple fanboys, self-proclaimed tech lovers and early fashion adopters get excited about a new addition to their toy box, the media and advertising industry must prepare itself to go through another learning curve in response to the new medium. Cue a collective muttering of “But we only just figured out mobile”…. In the next few months we can expect to see the industry respond by first attempting to apply the exact same strategy it has for other mediums such as mobile, to the new medium of smartwatches. Then we can expect a flurry of exciting new approaches to advertising via the smartwatch, many of which will fall flat with audiences for unforeseen reasons, before we finally get to the sweet spot of balancing tried and tested approaches with bespoke developments for the new medium.