In historic terms, it didn’t take long for us to reach a “mobile tipping point” given that we have only been using smart phones for eight years. Google announced earlier this year that over 50% of online searches are now conducted on a phone instead of a desktop or laptop. It was not that long ago when the press was talking about the demise of the desktop by the more portable laptop. Thanks to what I call the Three Digital Accelerators; the exponential advances in processing power, bandwidth and digital storage, digital disruption within all media platforms will continue to accelerate.
And yet, today, we also see a rise in the popularity of watching the large screen television, an old platform that many members of the business press said the Internet would replace. In fact, some call it a new “Golden Age” for the large screen medium—with shows like “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” creating major audiences and giving television an upsurge in attention. While it is true that a growing number of users watch clips from television online — if not replacing their viewing experience entirely with Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime — television manufacturers are making a new case for their relevance within this changing media landscape.
Manufacturers knew how many users were engaging with their product and responded by including a connection for an HDMI cable so that users could display their smaller laptop or desktop screen on their larger television screen. Back in the late 1980s, I was writing and speaking about the Hard Trend that computers and televisions would be more closely integrated in the future and that Hard Trend has only gained traction since. Today, users no longer need the HDMI cable to watch Netflix or browse YouTube. These features are built into the television product itself and let’s not forget wireless connections.
Rather than be rendered obsolete and becoming the victim of technological disruption, television manufacturers have found a way to rise with the tide. And they couldn’t have done so without an understanding of what I call the “Both/And Principle.” The Both/And Principle states that instead of having to choose between the old and the new when a new technology comes along, it is far better to integrate the old with the new in a way that provides higher value than either would have on their own.
When everyone was talking about a total replacement of television by the Internet and then later by tablets and smart phones, television manufacturers saw the fact that both large screens and small screens would co-exist long into the future. Cable television companies on the other have the assumption that there is way too much invested in cable television and programming for the industry to become irrelevant. With HBO and Showtime now available as an app that you can use without a cable subscription, and companies like Google hooking up cities with ultrafast fiber, cable companies should switch from a Protect and Defend mindset to an Embrace and Extend mindset, time will tell as this is a Soft Trend, something that might happen.
Television manufacturers on the other hand are continuing to integrate the computer with the television with the Smart TV: a product that offers users access to both cable and those parts of computers and the internet that have changed the way television is consumed, such as Netflix or YouTube as mentioned above. With one device you can use Netflix to catch up on a past season of a show before you flip to cable to watch the premier of the new season. Or perhaps you don’t always get around to watching The Tonight Show. So you watch clips circulated on YouTube from your Smart TV or your smart tablet or phone.
As mobile technology takes off and tech companies increase their investment in mobile app development, Smart TVs will have more and more apps built in. And let’s not forget devices that work with your Smart TV like the new Apple TV and Roku that offer App developers another way to get their product to the customer. Sports fans can access highlight reels and statistics through the MLB and NBA apps on their television. Listening to Pandora on the train, a consumer can turn on the Pandora Smart TV app once they walk in the door to continue the experience. With Smart TVs, app developers now have two experiences to consider for their audience: at home and on the go. And we are just starting to see where development goes in this field.
There’s a lot to be learned from the way television manufacturers have maneuvered their way into the new media marketplace by embracing change rather than resisting it. Not all disruption means replacement. It’s important to watch the Hard Trends that are shaping the future, as you don’t always have to abandon ship. Your product can be made more relevant if you can make it speak to these growing trends.
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