It’s never been more exciting to watch the tech landscape unfold. We used to (and still do) say that digital and tech are evolving so quickly we can’t keep up. Here’s the thing though, it’s actually speeding up. The frequency at which new technology is being released into the marketplace is astounding – how are you supposed to keep up with everything from Meerkat to Google Cardboard?
You no doubt experienced some of this with the Apple Watch hype. Was it the first smartwatch? No. Is it the best? Debatable. But Apple’s appeal serves one significant function that is often overlooked: it brings the masses up to speed on what’s happening with technology in a way that’s easy to understand and easy to use.
Technology that is available to you, your donors, supporters, and even beneficiaries in developing areas around the world – changing the way we conduct business and deliver service to those in need.
An example of this is wearable technology. It’s exactly what the term implies: devices you wear on your body, right now mostly on your wrist, to either capture data, communicate information to you, or both.
What are different types of wearable tech?
Like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Gear, today smartwatches exist predominantly as extensions of your smartphone and do a lot more than just tell you the time. Offering anything from notifications (texts, emails and calls) to GPS-tracking to fitness tracking and playing music.
Most popular is the Fitbit but many options are available from Garmin, Polar and Samsung. A range of options with different feature sets – Fitbit, for example, also offers a superior mobile application experience that syncs with the device providing real-time access to visualized data.
Necklaces, bracelets and even accessories for existing devices like the Fitbit – with both fashion and function in mind attempting to bridge the gap between smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Very much for the athlete or fitness enthusiast, smart clothing is an up and comer in wearable tech measuring things like heart rate, breathing, and foot impact without added accessories or devices.
What does this all mean for you as a nonprofit marketer or fundraiser?
It’s not just about desktop computers and smartphones anymore – the extension of this technology into new forms that serve very real and specific functions are literally changing the way we live. How we interact with each other and brands is simultaneously becoming more stunted and more fluid with advancements like wearable tech that can offer constant but fleeting access to key audiences.
Where and how we establish new relationships and sustain existing ones, especially with the somewhat elusive Millennial generation, relies on technology.
The nugget here is: your audience’s experience with you no longer has a defined beginning or end. It’s always on and everywhere, maybe even on someone’s wrist.
Does this mean you need a wearable tech strategy?
What you need to take into consideration is who your future donor / supporter is. Their access to technology and the internet has already and will continue to significantly alter how we communicate with them. Being open to experimentation with new technology will encourage internal education and foster external outreach.
Who knows, there may be a point in the very near future when we become as inseparable from our wearable tech as we are from our smartphones!
