Brand and customer experience trends to look out for at CES 2025

Las Vegas is set to host CES 2025, bringing together 140,000 attendees and over 300 Fortune 500 companies to showcase the latest technological innovations and customer experience trends.

Event Overview: The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 represents a significant evolution from its traditional tech-focused roots to encompass broader brand and customer experience themes.

• The event will take place starting January 7th in Las Vegas, featuring major corporations like Walmart, Delta, and John Deere
• Accenture‘s CEO will deliver a keynote address focusing on technology’s role in enhancing customer experience
• Traditional exhibits like large-scale TVs and innovative robotics will share the spotlight with customer-centric technologies

Artificial Intelligence Integration: AI will dominate the show floor, though with varying degrees of practical application and innovation.

• The world’s first AI-powered hotel will be showcased, focusing on practical applications like revenue optimization and personalized mobile experiences
• AI implementations will range from groundbreaking innovations to more speculative concepts
• Emphasis will be placed on distinguishing between genuine technological advancement and marketing hype

Next-Generation Consumer Technology: The search for the next transformative consumer device continues as the iPhone’s dominance matures.

• Wearable technology, particularly smart glasses, is positioned to potentially become the next major consumer interface
• Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses have generated significant interest in the wearables category
• Previous innovations like the Rabbit r1 have helped shape understanding of future digital experiences

Brand Discovery Evolution: The landscape of how consumers find and interact with brands is undergoing significant transformation.

• Generative AI tools are emerging as alternatives to traditional search engines for brand discovery
• Companies like Perplexity are exploring advertising opportunities within AI-powered search
• Industry discussions will focus on strategies for brands to integrate into AI-driven consumer decision processes

Practical AI Applications: Customer service enhancement through AI represents a key focus area for practical implementation.

• Financial services companies are leading the way in using AI to support customer service representatives
• Goodyear will present case studies on successful AI implementation in customer service
• Focus will be on risk-managed, practical applications rather than flashy consumer-facing demonstrations

Future Implications: While CES 2025 promises exciting technological advances, the real value lies in identifying practical applications that can meaningfully improve customer experience while managing associated risks and implementation challenges. Success will likely come from balanced approaches that leverage AI and other technologies to enhance rather than replace human interactions.