Consumers Don’t Buy IoT So How Can We Sell It Into Mainstream?

Nick LansleyInnovation Insiderex Head of Open Innovation, Tesco@nicklansley

My IoT GeekCredentials:

We’ve sold customers a bunch of fears that we must fix:• It’s creepy• It’s invading my privacy• It’s controlling me• It will show others my weaknesses• Burgle me!• “I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid can’t do that.”

It’s creepy

It’s invading my privacy

It’s controlling me

• xxx

It will show others my weaknesses

Burgle me!

“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid can’t do that.”

So if we are to sell into the mainstream we better deal with these fears – and fast!

It’s creepy

It’s creepy

…but it’s so useful that I still want to use this technology if:• You provide outstanding security

and encryption.• You have security ‘on’ by default

out of the box, yet• Make it easy for me to control and

adjust.

It’s invading my privacy

It’s invading my privacy

• We need to be clear about the use of technology and why it won’t affect privacy… or...

• You give the customer such a ‘win’ that it offsets their concerns.

• Example: Tesco Clubcard (card + app)• Excellent purchase insight &

analytics• Customer gets 1% cashback +

vouchers• In-store shopping updates online

favourites list in their groceries app.

It’s controlling me

• xxx

It’s controlling me• ….but I’m winning by:• Enjoying better health and having fun

thanks to my fitness monitor.• Eating better food thanks to allowing

access to my grocery shopping basket by health apps.

• Driving more safely and saving money on my car insurance thanks to its black box.

• Using less electricity thanks to the insight from my smart meter.

It will show others my weaknesses

It will show others my weaknesses• ….but I win as long as I can grant &

revoke permissions to:• My doctor who can make sure I

have just the correct doses of just the correct drugs, adjusting where necessary.

• My friends in order to compete with them in fun fitness games.

• My life insurance company if they consider jacking up the premiums.

Burgle me!

Burgle me!• Just try it, punk! I win because:• I can see you coming.• I can detect you attempting to

enter.• I can record you if do you succeed

in getting in, which I can pass to the police and courts.

• Anything you steal will let me know where it is and lock you out of trying to use it, rendering it worthless for you to sell (that makes me more likely to buy it in the first place!).

“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid can’t do that.”

“I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid can’t do that.”Broadband internet is still relatively ‘young’ and does not have the reliability that comes with maturity and decades of learnings by the other utilities.

It is up to the telcos to provide a service as good as our electricity, water and gas supplies. We need to work with them as retailers & suppliers to ensure they focus on the priorities.

Consumers Don’t Buy IoT So How Can We Sell It Into Mainstream?• Show customers that they WIN with

the award of saving money and/or having fun.

• Acknowledge any weaknesses and comprehensively address them through good design, great security and superb ease of use.

• Influence Telcos to prioritise internet reliability and availability.

nick@lansley.com www.lansley.com @nicklansley