As we stand on the cusp of 'the internet of things' becoming a mass market reality, Konrad Feldman, Quantcast, CEO, writes from the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), hosted in Las Vegas, on the increasing role of ad tech and big data companies at such events, including how their presence is required to inform the debates around consistent data measurement and privacy.

So, why are ad tech firms relevant to CES? 

Ad tech companies are attending CES in greater numbers because their clients now are. Brands, Publishers, Media Agencies, Creative Agencies and Tech platforms are all now attending, in force.

In fact, in response to the increased presence of ad tech companies and their clients, a relatively new track called C Space has been introduced, designed to curate content focused on brands, agencies, publishers and creative communicators. It’s still in its infancy and taking a booth is not the ROI driver – it’s the strategic discussions between brands and technologists that are happening at this venue.

Overall, CES provides a way for brands to continue to strengthen relationships with their customers and stay relevant; understanding what’s coming next is key. CES introduces the future of not just interesting gadgets and technology, but the way we’ll live.

Small sensors, but big insights

Among the gadgets and gizmos presented this year, there seemed to be one constant: Sensors.

Sensors were seen in practically every place you could think of – from pacifiers [a child's dummy] with Bluetooth that let you identify where you child is; to self-driving cars with new internal configurations optimised for conversation and comfort, rather than driving; to smart mirrors that diagnose your skin condition to tell you if you’re dehydrated and, if so, what moisturiser you may need.

The ubiquity of sensors points to the fact that this is the year where it’s clear that in the future everything will be measurable. This sets up some interesting opportunities, not just for marketers, but for society as a whole.

For marketers, it means the challenge of figuring out what data is relevant, and how it is relevant, will become of even greater importance. The art of machine learning and big data will become critical as we sift through this next wave of data inputs, coming from our cars, bracelets and more.

Brands that maintain the most powerful relationships with their consumers will understand what their audience is doing and what’s important to them, and they will deliver value through ever more tailored and relevant experiences.

Calls for 'consistent' measurement

It also means that in order for technology to support and deliver on the types of relevant experiences that are actually valuable for consumers, we’ll need consistent ways of measuring consumer behaviour across all of these platforms.

The parties who can provide a holistic view of the consumer – and, most importantly, help marketers take action on that – will be the ones who are able to truly help them build the future of their brands. This will be a significant undertaking because a coherent and consistent approach to that measurement, and the technological infrastructure necessary to make sense of that data and make it actionable, will be possible by only the most skilled tech players and true big data companies.

Great insights call for even greater responsibility

All of this obviously comes with some very important questions for our society as a whole that were being actively debated by the marketers in attendance. These technical advances offer incredible benefits to almost every aspect of our lives, but only if we execute on them in a secure and safe way that provides transparency for consumers to control their data and promotes, and encourages, good behaviour amongst technology players.

These issues dwarf the debates over online cookies that we are still having and are going to require business, government and citizens converging to debate the benefits and risks of what is coming.

Follow Konrad Feldman on Twitter: @kfeldman