The Internet of Things is all about  customer engagement. By leveraging location-based innovations and smartphone technology, famed retailer JC Penney is connecting with each customer individually. In this keynote presentation, James Meeks, Product Director,  Mobile, at JC Penney, will describe what the retailer has learned and what works best for individual, in-store engagement and some tips on gauging success.

The Net was one thing, which mobile then took to a level of mass portability. The Internet of Things creates a totally new dimension, with constant connectivity the new base of consumer marketing. How do marketers deal with consumers in connected cars with unlimited data plans, homes where devices constantly communicate with each other and wearable gadgetry that never leaves the wrist? This discussion zeros in on getting the right kind of marketing messages to the consumer based on the platform, location and context.

Half of retailers have deployed IoT technology, with most of those creating new and engaging customer experiences. How and exactly where do marketers interact with in-store shoppers, when inventory knows where it is and when it moves, customers are identified as they roam the aisles and previous behaviors are digitally documented? When, where and what is the right messaging in the connected store and what are the consumer signals that it’s time to stay clear? This panel tackles the challenge beyond keeping customers in malls or stores longer to making their stay more enjoyable.

Reaching consumers on the screens of TV, PCs and mobile devices was relatively straightforward. But those consumers who were looking at screens are now speaking to and hearing from devices through voice assistants that are becoming the standard front end of interactions. Creating an Alexa skill is an elementary stage of where voice assistants are heading. This panel tackles the new world of voice and how and where innovative marketing fits.