Sometimes you have to wonder if it can get any stranger. More and more these days, we’re reading wild, crazy, and unbelievable news stories online about pretty much everything from politics to sports to technology – and checking to be sure the article isn’t just another clever spoof from The Onion.
That thought crossed my mind the other day when the newsletter from the Consumer Electronics Association – “SmartBrief” (worth subscribing to BTW) – carried a story about a change in emphasis at the legendary retailer Sears.
Now you probably know that Sears (and Kmart, which it also owns) has been going through rough times. While many of us happily shop at Target, the Apple Store, Home Depot, and Best Buy, I’m thinking that it may have been a while since many of you visited your local Sears store.
According to TWICE (a website about content published by NewBay Media), Sears has shuttered some high profile stores and is “reportedly targeting 132 stores and facilities for closure). Kmart has also had its issues, and both brands have experienced drops in consumer electronics revenues.
So here was the headline that caused me to have that “Onion moment:”
“Sears Switching to Connected CE Focus”
For Sears, this means shifting away from a consumer electronics strategy that has been focused on selling TVs to one that is all about connectivity.
This announcement from Sears’ president of connected solutions and consumer electronics, Ryan Ciovaco, explains their strategy shift:
“We are shifting the focus of our electronics business away from simply selling traditional electronics products into one that leverages both the industry growth area of smart technology and Sears’ existing capabilities in fitness, appliances, electronics and home services. This repositioning of electronics into connected solutions will focus on innovative products and target busy families and people on the go, providing them with an opportunity to discover how smart technology can improve their life.”
Wait! People are moving into connected devices, rather than simply buying TV sets?
How is it that a major company like Sears could be so locked into the “we’ve always done it this way” mindset – and in the process, miss an opportunity that has been making billions for businesses globally, while totally captivating the lives of people in American and around the world – for several years.
Obviously, Sears has not participated in our Techsurveys nor have they read Edison’s “Infinite Dial” series. But you seriously have to wonder if they’ve attended the Consumer Electronics Show in the past five years. Or walked into an Apple Store lately? The consumer’s penchant for connectivity has been in play for a long time now.
In today’s fast-moving competitive environment, there’s simply no excuse for not knowing.
Disruption, new technology, connectivity, and changing consumer media habits are all part of the many challenges just about every business and brand in the world faces. But when a major retailer like Sears appears to be so late to the party, it sends a message that traditional corporations need to challenge their “givens,” and question whether the approaches that worked a decade or more ago still are viable today.
And so it is in radio, where knowledge about changing consumer tastes, usage patterns, and media consumption are all around us. We need to know.
Otherwise, we all may end up being parodied in The Onion.
P.S. More than 100 stations have already signed up for Techsurvey11. You can learn how your business and your audience are changing by signing up here.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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