This week Amazon is expected to announce a new tablet computer for under $200. I can’t find a picture of it anywhere, but it is supposed to look like this Blackberry Playbook.
It’s expected to be a 7 inch screen and will run Google’s Android software. It’s going to be a big hit this Christmas and will push tablet computers into the mainstream, not quite making tablet computers ubiquitous but definitely heading us in that direction as they expect to sell up to 5 million tablets in the 4th quarter!
In 2012 the Internet moves from the home and office to a large screen tablet computer that is portable enough to take shopping.
Initially sales people from even the smallest of small retailers will have a tablet computer that can access all the specs and videos needed to make a persuasive sales presentation to any potential buyer.
Over time more and more consumers will walk into the store with their own tablet computers and do their own product research right on the retailer’s website that is loaded with product information, up-to-date inventory data and even pricing that can only be seen when the consumer is in the store, in Spanish and English.
Brands will be best served if they provide more and better digital content to their retailers’ sites. Content that is filtered to reflect the products that the dealer sells. Informative enough to make the sale.
National advertising will drive consumers to the store. Digital content co-branded by the dealer will close the sale. And, we’ll track every click along the way.
Retail advertising will never be the same again.