During the 2011 RSA conference keynote address, famed physicist and visionary, Dr. Michio Kaku, discussed the future of computers and the internet (RSA conference, 2011). His speech is fascinating and his vision of biotechnology, robotics, and quantum physics could be game changers for humankind. But the way he describes how flexible OLED technology may be used opens up a whole new world that marketing professionals may not be (photo: youtube.com) prepared for.
OLED technology, a display technology that offers bright, colorful images with a wideviewing angle, low power, high contrast ratio and fast response time for sports and action movies, made its debut in small screens in the 1990’s (pcmag.com). What makes the technology unique is it doesn’t require back lighting and the screens can be ultra-thin (pcmag.com). (photo:Samsung)
Samsung announced they will be releasing the world’s first 55-inch organic light emitting OLED Smart television in late 2012 (Paracha, 2012). This television won the Best of Innovation Award Honoree at CES 2012 for its fast response time resulting in less blurring, ability to view two channels on the same screen, and ear phones attached to 3D glasses (Paracha, 2012). What does this mean for the future of marketing?
Samsung’s new Smart television is just the beginning of the OLED revolution. As the new smart televisions get rolled out every year, they will get thinner and thinner. And as the flexible OLED technology gets mastered, these televisions could become wallpaper in your living room. This means companies aren’t just
rolling out smart televisions, but smart homes, (photo: Samsung.com) offices, department stores, libraries, schools, and whatever else your imagination can think of. The possibilities are limitless. Imagine every wall; everywhere you walk contains an advertisement. But the flexible OLED technology doesn’t stop there…
Scientists are working on getting this technology embedded in car windshields, store
windows, and mirrors (OLED-Info.com). And to top it off there are companies who are creating smart clothes with chips that can connect to all of these processors (Freudenrich, nd). So the walls, glasses, and mirrors of advertisements will contain the things you and your friends have ‘liked’ on your Facebook page or added to your Amazon ‘wish list’. (photo: techguy.org)
Did anyone see Minority Report?
Someday manufacturers could have 24 hour access to consumers everywhere they go. 
What may seem like science fiction could be a reality and computer engineers are working to make it a reality sooner than you think. The byproduct of this evolution will be more information for consumers which will mean the consumer has the advantage and the manufacturers will have to be fiercely competitive.
(photo: hometheaterequipment.com)
Is the marketing profession ready for this? If so much information is flashed at consumers all the time, how will marketing professionals make their products stand out?
References:
(1) Definition of OLED. pcmag.com. Retrieved from http://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia_term/0,1237,t=OLED&i=48357,00.asp
(2) Freudenrich, C. (nd). How OLED works. howstuffworks.com. Retrieved from http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/oled4.htm
(3) OLED technology explained. OLED-Info.com. Retrieved from http://www.oled-info.com/oled-technology
(4) Paracha, U. (2012, May 10). World’s first OLED TV by Samsung will be available by the second half of this year. Technorati.com. Retrieved from http://technorati.com/technology/article/worlds-first-oled-tv-by-samsung/
(5) RSA conference. (2011, July 12). RSA Conference 2011 keynote-The next 20 yrs: Interacting with computers, telecom, & Ali in the. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6kmb16zSOY&feature=relmfu
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