PPB December 2020

lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, consumer internet usage rose anywhere from 40 percent to 100 percent compared to pre-lockdown levels. Video-conferencing services like Zoomhave seen increases in usage that are 10 times that of pre-pandemic behaviors, and content delivery services like Akamai have seen a 30-percent increase in usage. Understanding how end users have recently changed the way they learn, do business, seek medical advice or care, and entertain themselves is crucial for businesses aiming to effectively advertise in this changed market. Technology is now necessary for daily activities like meetings. For example, Google Meet reports two billion minutes of usage per day, and Skype has 40 million daily users, which rose by 40 percent from February to March with Skype-to-Skype calling minutes up 220 percent. Perhaps looking for more face-to-face collaboration, twice as many people are turning on video in Teams now, and video calls skyrocketed by over 1,000 percent in March, according to The New Stack. Promotional tech products that support these trends have the power to meet consumers where they’re at while delivering what they need. Consumer electronics revenue is expected to grow three percent annually through 2021 in the U.S., according to the newly released Future of Tech report from The NPD Group. Big-screen TVs, innovations in wireless headphones and home automation along with a piqued interest in smart displays will drive growth. Home automation is anticipated to grow 40 percent through 2021. With the growing purchasing power of consumers, increased investment in infrastructure, growing dependence on technology and government support as the main drivers, the global home automation market was expected to witness this double- digit growth during the period from 2015 to 2020, according to MarketWatch. The smartphone-based control applications are also largely driving the home automation market. Today’s consumer is interested in controlling and monitoring home appliances anytime from anywhere with just a click and sometimes, with just their voice. In the U.S., about 29 percent of internet users own a smart speaker, with 70 percent of them using an Amazon Echo device, according to TechCrunch . The Pew Research Center says adults younger than 50 are more likely (29 percent) than those 50 and older (19 percent) to have this type of device in their household. According to NPR and Edison Research’s Smart Audio Report, women (54 percent) are more likely than men to own smart speakers. And those who already own a smart speaker want more. Fifty-eight percent of early mainstream users and 44 percent of early adopters said they plan to purchase another smart speaker, according to the Smart Audio Report. Products With these next-level Simsport VR Premium Glasses , your clients will alter the reality of every potential customer. The logo spot on this product is perfect. From park benches, airplane seats and restaurants, each time someone uses these VR glasses, they’ll be displaying your customer’s logo for the world to see. SunJoy, Inc. / PPAI 357417, S7 / www.sunjoy.us This UV Phone Sanitizer with wireless charging pad uses UV‐C light technology for sanitization to kill 99 percent of microorganisms. Two UV germicidal LEDs are used for optimal sanitization. Press the button once for a short 90-second sanitization, and press the button twice for a ve‐minute deep clean sanitization. It can sanitize almost anything that ts inside including large phones (iPhone 11 Pro Max, for example), keys, credit cards, watches, eyeglasses, jewelry, medical supplies such as protective equipment, and even children’s eating utensils. The sanitization will be stopped automatically once the lid is lifted to avoid UV light exposure. The wireless pad supports 5W wireless charging and works with most plastic phone cases, and includes a 39-inch USB to Type C charging cable. Polyconcept NA / PPAI 112361, S13 / www.pcna.com | DECEMBER 2020 | 39 GROW