In our new digital world, the amount of data that are available is massive. And such data can sometimes come from unexpected and unusual sources.
Consider these observation from Katie Kaye, writing for Advertising Age:
“Imagine for a second that you could interview a product. How often is it being used? For how long? And where in the house does it live? Sounds crazy, but it’s increasingly probable as marketers mine for data beyond the usual places — Web browsers, loyalty programs, and smartphones — and capture information from pill packages, soda fountains, and the most mundane of consumer implements, the toothbrush. Yes. The toothbrush.”
“Take the $49.99 Beam Brush, launched in January. It syncs with a user’s smartphone to record brushing time, and that data can be tracked and shared with dentists, orthodontists, and, eventually, insurance companies, all on an opt-in basis. ‘People often refer to us as a toothbrush company, but we’re not. We’re actually not interested in toothbrushes at all. We’re interested in health data,’ said Alex Frommeyer, co-founder of Beam Technologies, based in Louisville, Ky. “In many ways, [data-tracking] is the entire point” of the Beam Brush. This is the latest twist in the development of data-producing products such as GPS watches, internet-synced bathroom scales, the Fitbit calorie-and-exercise tracking system, and the Nike+ FuelBand, a bracelet that uses an accelerometer to gauge a person’s activity throughout the day.”
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