Software is Eating the World, and Healthcare is Next on the Menu
Healthcare and technology companies are quickly converging. Here’s what brands need to know about health and wellness marketing to take advantage. A few years ago, tech visionary Marc Andreessen published a famous essay that asserted “software is eating the world.” Everywhere we look, companies are shaking off legacy or analog approaches in favor of software-driven innovations — and the healthcare industry is no exception. Tech and medicine are converging at a rapid rate, something that should be a dominant topic in any discussion of health and wellness marketing. Why healthcare companies are tech companies Not too long ago, healthcare was a reactive endeavor. People sought treatment when an acute medical issue arose and submitted to a perfunctory yearly physical examination. Preventative medicine helped change that, as people began to seek more regular interactions with the healthcare system. Now, thanks to technology, consumers have become even more tightly integrated into the healthcare system. Consider the case of Apple. Tim Cook, Apple CEO, recently said that he expects the company’s greatest contributions won’t come in the realm of communications or pure computing, but in healthcare. The company’s Apple Watch is an example of a smart wearable device that can be used to gather real-time health data. That data can be analyzed by the watch owner or exported to the cloud and analyzed by a healthcare professional. Either way, it provides important bio-feedback that can be used to make much more informed healthcare treatment decisions. The healthcare sector is an attractive opportunity for large tech firms such as Apple, as it represents about 18% of the total U.S. economy. Scrappy startups, too, are entering the space in force: Venture capitalists spent more than $20 billion backing healthcare plays in 2019. How tech and medicine are converging If you want to see some examples of tech and healthcare converging, 2019 provided no shortage. Here are a few of the most compelling trends that drew media attention in the last year: Bringing ancillary healthcare to your doorstep: Digital-first companies are providing a range of complementary healthcare services. Warby Parker offers prescription eyeglasses, Curology offers personalized acne and skin care treatments, Smile Direct Club provides dental care and teeth whitening. All of these services are available without a visit to a doctor’s office. Telemedicine: The Internet and mobile devices have freed us from the tyranny of proximity (although they’ve greatly increased the number of tedious conference calls we have to endure). This remote model has helped establish the field of telemedicine, where healthcare professionals can offer long-distance evaluations and consultations for both mental and physical health. For people in remote or rural areas without access to healthcare, this is often a huge benefit. Biotech breakthroughs: Technology is helping to unlock extraordinary new advances in medicine. Surgeons are operating with robots, human genes are being edited to help fight disease, targeted and personalized medicine promises to help us create customized drugs to work on a single person with maximum efficacy, face transplants have been performed, and what was once a figment of our imagination is now possible and happening thanks to technology. It is now even possible to create human organs via 3D printing. Is your health and wellness marketing agency up to the task? Technology and medicine are converging at a dizzying rate, leading to advances that would have seemed more like science fiction just a decade ago. Yet few pharma marketing agencies or medical device marketing agencies are keeping pace. At BIGEYE, we understand health and wellness marketing on a fundamental level. If other healthcare advertising agencies aren’t serving your needs, we urge you to contact us today.
Connecting the Dots: The Trends That Will Shape 2026
In 2026, business and marketing are shaped by AI-driven insights, immersive experiences, hybrid consumer behaviors, data privacy evolution, and purpose-driven branding. Companies that thrive connect technology, culture, and community while delivering measurable results. Forward-thinking organizations use these trends to predict opportunity, optimize strategy, and engage audiences in ways that feel both relevant and human. Why Understanding Trends in 2026 Is Critical Business environments have become hyper-connected. What happens in AI, media, or consumer behavior in one industry immediately impacts another. Leaders can no longer rely on past strategies or incremental updates—they must interpret signals across technology, culture, and economics to make proactive decisions. 2026 trends are not just marketing fads—they reflect the convergence of long-term forces: AI adoption, digital transformation, sustainability imperatives, hybrid work, and evolving attention economies. Agencies like Bigeye Agency emphasize that connecting the dots between disparate trends is now a competitive necessity. How Is AI Changing Strategy in 2026? Artificial Intelligence now influences nearly every aspect of decision-making. Predictive analytics, natural-language processing, and generative AI allow organizations to anticipate customer needs, optimize campaigns, and personalize experiences at scale. For example, conversational AI assists in customer support, content discovery, and lead generation, while AI-powered analytics uncover insights that traditional reporting cannot. Companies that fail to integrate AI risk reactive strategy and missed market signals. What Role Does Hybrid Consumer Behavior Play? Hybrid behavior—blending digital and physical experiences—is dominant. Consumers interact with brands across multiple touchpoints: social media, AR/VR experiences, online marketplaces, and in-person events. Success requires mapping these journeys, identifying friction points, and designing seamless omnichannel experiences. Brands that meet consumers where they are—not just where it’s convenient—capture attention and loyalty. How Are Data Privacy and Regulation Shaping Marketing? First-party data is now mandatory as third-party tracking declines. Privacy regulations across jurisdictions require transparency and consent-driven data collection. Marketers in 2026 must balance personalization with privacy. Organizations that invest in secure data infrastructure and ethical usage policies gain consumer trust and long-term competitive advantage. Why Purpose-Driven Branding Matters More Than Ever Consumers expect brands to take clear stances on social, environmental, and ethical issues. Purpose-driven branding is no longer optional; it drives engagement, loyalty, and advocacy. Brands succeed by authentically integrating purpose into products, campaigns, partnerships, and community initiatives. Superficial activism or performative statements are increasingly penalized by savvy audiences. How Are Short-Form Video and Immersive Media Driving Growth? Short-form video dominates social discovery and purchase consideration. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and AI-curated content feeds make vertical video a primary driver of attention. Immersive media, including AR product demos, VR event experiences, and interactive digital environments, deepen engagement and encourage sharing. Organizations that embed these formats early outperform competitors in brand awareness and conversion metrics. Which Technologies Will Define Marketing in 2026? Key technologies shaping strategy include: Generative AI: for content creation, campaign automation, and predictive insights Conversational AI: powering chatbots, voice search, and recommendation engines AR/VR: for immersive product experiences and events Spatial computing: linking digital content to physical spaces NFTs and blockchain: for digital ownership, authenticity, and loyalty programs Advanced analytics: integrating first-party data for personalization and attribution These technologies converge to enable experiences that are measurable, scalable, and human-centric. How Are Agencies Adapting to 2026 Trends? Forward-thinking agencies act as strategic integrators: Data strategists interpret signals across industries Content architects build AI-readable, evergreen narratives Experience designers create cross-channel engagement moments Purpose advisors align brand strategy with social impact Bigeye Agency reports that agencies focusing on connected thinking—not siloed campaigns—deliver superior outcomes for clients. How Is Hybrid Work Shaping Corporate Culture and Marketing? Hybrid work models influence both internal operations and external branding. Distributed teams demand collaborative technology and clear communication, while audiences expect brands to mirror workplace flexibility and human-centered design in messaging. Marketing now considers the distributed workforce as a stakeholder, shaping campaigns, social presence, and community engagement. Why Community Engagement Is a Strategic Imperative Community is the new competitive advantage. Local partnerships, co-created programs, and neighborhood initiatives create trust, word-of-mouth marketing, and sustainable impact. Successful brands invest in both online communities (social groups, forums) and offline networks (events, sponsorships, education programs) to amplify relevance. How Are First-Party Data Ecosystems Evolving? With third-party tracking deprecated, organizations rely on first-party data: CRM records, website analytics, app engagement, and loyalty programs. Integrated data ecosystems allow precision targeting, predictive personalization, and attribution modeling. Companies leveraging these insights outperform peers in ROI and campaign efficiency. How Is Sustainability Influencing Marketing? Sustainability is now a business and marketing mandate. Eco-conscious product design, carbon reduction initiatives, and ethical sourcing drive purchase decisions. Brands that communicate measurable sustainability outcomes—through reporting, certification, and storytelling—gain credibility and align with consumer values. How Are AI and Analytics Reshaping Creativity? AI assists with ideation, audience segmentation, and performance forecasting, but creativity remains human-driven. The best outcomes occur when humans set strategic goals and AI amplifies execution. Content strategy now balances originality, personalization, and scalability across channels, guided by data-informed creative insights. How Are Purpose and Experience Intersecting? Purpose-driven storytelling and immersive experiences reinforce each other. Customers engage deeply when a brand’s social impact is visible and tangible. Experiential campaigns that integrate social good, education, or cultural enrichment increase retention, advocacy, and long-term brand equity. How Are Businesses Leveraging Generative AI for Marketing? Generative AI creates campaign copy, design prototypes, social media posts, video scripts, and predictive models. When aligned with strategy, it reduces production time and enhances scale. Examples include AI-assisted video content for product launches, personalized email automation, and dynamic website content generation. How Is Conversational AI Changing Search and Discovery? Search is no longer keyword-driven; it’s conversational. AI assistants and chatbots provide real-time answers, making traditional SEO insufficient. Brands must structure content around natural-language prompts and FAQs to appear in AI-generated recommendations. How Are Emerging Technologies Affecting Consumer Experience? Technologies like AR, VR, spatial computing, and biometric personalization redefine engagement. They provide multi-sensory experiences, gamification, and immersive storytelling, which enhance brand recall and deepen emotional connection. How Should Businesses Measure Success in 2026? KPIs now combine traditional performance metrics with emerging
Marketing Health Wearables for Seniors
As wearable digital health and wellness devices continue to improve, wearables will be the new frontier when it comes to health and wellness for seniors. Wearable fitness trackers are all the rage, but they aren’t finding their way onto the wrists of elderly people. But, considering their ability to measure and record a whole host of health and wellness criteria, can’t your Fitbit be used as a medical monitor to care for your grandfather? According to the international industry association Wearable Technologies, even the new Fitbit Care simply doesn’t have the precision or reliability to track the health of a senior living or home care patient. However, that’s all about to change with the introduction of a whole new generation of health wearables for seniors that are approved by the FDA for tasks that range from monitoring daily activities, sending real-time alerts, and even preventing dangerous falls. The Vast Potential of the Senior Health Wearables Market Economic predictions for wearable health devices that further health and wellness for seniors are incredibly bright. In fact, a national news outlet that serves an audience of senior citizens, McKnight’s Senior Living recently declared, “FDA-cleared wearables are the future of senior care.” Considering that the number of Americans over 64 years of age will more than double by 2060 and that 80% of these senior citizens will live with one or more chronic illnesses, McKnight’s predicts that wearables will prove indispensable as the next step in the technological evolution of remote patient monitoring. Key Wearables Marketing Messages That Speak Directly to Seniors Considering that the fitness wearable sector of today is clearly dominated by younger consumers, how does a wise wearables marketer begin to reach out to the geriatric demographic? Here are just three key marketing messages that are bound to resonate with seniors when it comes to wearable devices for health. 1. Feel better and live longer with wearables As the daily business and tech newsletter Trends points out, health wearables for seniors will go far beyond the capabilities of the fitness wearables of today. In addition to “measuring heart rates, blood sugar or other important markers” these new wearables “will signal to users how to improve health and longevity on a daily basis,” going the extra distance to manage and treat chronic illnesses as diabetes and heart disease. 2. Increase and maintain mobility By encouraging stretching / exercise and helping ward off physical ailments, wearables can do wonders to keep seniors mobile. An independent authority on digital apps and gadgets, Tech Crunch stresses the many ways that wearables can boost mobility by helping seniors cope with vision loss, explaining how these devices can send signals via headphones and bodily vibrations to warn sight-impaired individuals of obstacles that appear in their paths. 3. Live independently For many seniors, living independently is the ultimate goal. Wearable technology can do wonders to make independent living a safe and sensible reality by allowing seniors to monitor their own health and wellness. And, perhaps more importantly, wearables can transmit this same health and wellness information in real time to family members and / or healthcare professionals. For More Information A digital marketing agency working in a number of market sectors, BIGEYE specializes in capitalizing on evolving trends with a forward-thinking approach. Contact us today and let us help you hone a marketing campaign with a specific focus on health wearables for seniors.
Meet Your New Property Manager – A Six-Inch Tall Know-It-All
Amazon smart devices are in millions of homes and soon might be collecting rent. Here’s what brands need to know about real estate marketing strategy. Being a property manager is no easy job – you’re on call all the time and you interact with people in problematic and stressful situations. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could outsource many of a property manager’s tasks to some powerful, all-knowing entity who works tirelessly and never sleeps? Good news – that scenario is becoming reality, as Amazon’s Alexa and other smart home devices have the potential to allow tenants to request repairs, pay rent and manage a whole host of in-home experiences. It’s a development that has the potential to transform multiple industries, and should be of deep interest to anyone formulating real estate marketing strategy. Alexa will be the first to greet you Amazon is pursuing a new product strategy that will see their smart speaker device pre-installed in thousands of leased properties across the United States. The company’s Alexa Smart Properties Team partners with homebuilders, property managers, and hotel operators to custom-fit new residential units with Alexa-powered tech. By doing so, Amazon can reap the benefit of gaining a vast new group of customers and property owners will benefit from advanced property marketing. Once Alexa is embedded into the smart home ecosystem, tenants will use the devices to order groceries, household goods and other services. As mentioned above, Alexa can also serve as a proxy property manager, easing the strain on management staff and helping provide tenants with timelier service when issues arise. This will be accomplished through the integration of third party apps such as Zego. These apps can facilitate repair requests and even deduct rent payments directly from a user’s bank account when given an “Alexa, pay my rent” command. Managers can also use smart speakers to remotely grant access to contractors and repair workers, remotely adjust HVAC levels in unoccupied units, and gather insights into tenant preferences. An evolution toward the smart home experience Global growth in the smart speaker segment is growing at a rapid pace. According to projections from IDC, shipments of smart speakers devices are projected to grow by 27% in 2019. By 2023, 1.6 billion devices are expected to be shipped annually, making smart speakers as ubiquitous as smartphones. Amazon and Zego hope to push their products into millions of new homes over the next few years. Amazon’s chief smart speaker competitor, Google, isn’t standing still. Google is pursuing its own partnerships with homebuilders and property firms, including Century Communities, one of the largest homebuilders and property developers in the United States. Amazon is also seeking to enter the stadium and hospitality spaces. Alexa can be used in hotels to provide concierge-like services: Ordering towels, room service, wake up calls and other functions. At stadiums and concert halls, Alexa can be used to order beverages, adjust seats and perform other useful services. All of these advancements point to a future where smart devices aren’t merely an intriguing add-on feature, but rather a deeply integrated tool that’s wired in to everything that occurs in a home. As smart speaker adoption gains critical mass, these devices have the potential to become the central nervous system of the home – making life easier and more convenient for residents and property managers alike. Is your real estate marketing strategy up to date? Technology moves at lightning speed – but sadly we can’t say the same for most property development marketing. Too many multifamily marketing and apartment marketing agencies are stuck in the analog world and incapable of providing their clients with innovative campaigns driven by cutting-edge technology. At BIGEYE, that’s precisely what we offer. If you’d like to see how a creative, forward-thinking agency approaches real estate marketing strategy, we urge you to contact us today.
How to Best Market Your PetTech Product
Tech is changing virtually every consumer industry, and pet products are no exception. Here’s what you need to know about tech pet product marketing. Thanks to the power connected devices, AI, and wearable tech, we can customize and optimize our diet, our workout regimen, and even our sleep. The human quest for better living through optimization doesn’t stop at our own bodies, however: PetTech products are helping to do the same for our beloved animals. Powered by the right pet product marketing campaign that’s supported by sophisticated audience analysis, these devices are fast becoming essential equipment for pet lovers. Welcome to the PetTech era All of us want to live longer and stay healthier — and wearables are playing a key part in making that happen. Wearable medical devices allow us to collect critical health data that can be used diagnostically to help guide treatment decisions and foster better lifestyle choices. Pets, too, are benefitting from this shift. Today, a wide range of PetTech devices are available to consumers, including: Smart collars and other GPS tracking devices to ensure pets aren’t lost Smart pet doors with remote activation Smart crates that have soothing music playlists and sensor-activated fans for climate control Wearables that can sense food temperature, send out alerts for upcoming vet appointments, and even adjust indoor lighting for pet comfort Wearables that help reduce anxiety or control problematic-stress induced behavior (such as chronic barking) Smart balls that can be operated via remote control Medical diagnosis and treatment devices that use RFID hardware chips to track medical history, past vaccinations and treatments etc. The development of today’s PetTech devices couldn’t come at a better time. Pets in the U.S. are in the midst of an obesity epidemic. It’s estimated that 59% of cats and 54% of dogs are overweight or obese — a stunning figure that has risen sharply in recent years. Though we’ve elevated the status of pets inside our homes and have begun treating them like family, we’ve also overfed them to such a degree that 100 million U.S. pets are now overweight. PetTech devices can play an integral role in helping manage and prevent pet obesity and other serious health issues. In order to get these devices into consumer hands, however, it’s imperative for brands to have access to compelling pet product marketing. How to market PetTech products The numbers don’t lie: PetTech is booming. In 2008, there was a single venture capital deal for PetTech products. In 2018, VCs invested $579 million in 33 separate PetTech deals. Consumers, meanwhile, are spending nearly $500 million annually within this product category. So how should a brand ensure its pet product marketing is on point? By considering the following: Cover the marketing basics: Complete an audience analysis; exhibit at industry specific shows; focus on industry specific media; build a social strategy and brand identity, etc. Understand that today’s “pet parents” are seeking PetTech devices largely for one reason: They are deeply motivated to improve every aspect of their animal’s life. They view their pet as a family member and exhibit the same sense of responsibility toward their pet. Marketing messages should focus on how the product harnesses technology to make specific, measurable improvements in an animal’s life. Today, pet parents have a deeper emotional bond with their animals and respond to emotionally rich marketing. While technology itself may not be perceived as “soft and cuddly” or emotionally resonant, there’s no reason why marketing messages have to leave audiences cold. The humanization of pets has been great for animals — yet it has also placed expanded responsibilities on pet parents. Keeping a pet today requires much more work and attention. How does your PetTech product help ease this burden? Pet product marketing should consider both the emotional and practical elements of keeping a pet. Connecting with the right pet product marketing agency If you’re seeking great package design or branding to elevate your PetTech offering, BIGEYE is the right partner for you. Reach out to us today to learn more about what a creatively inspired marketing campaign can do for you.
How the Google Maps Updates Could Hurt Your Business
If you’ve noticed that Google Maps and your website are no longer working harmoniously, you’re not alone. Recent Google Maps updates have caused significant technical problems for business owners. To help get your broken Google Maps functioning again — or to help ensure that you don’t have to worry about dealing with this issue — let’s take a closer look at what’s causing the trouble and the steps you can take to fix it. Why Google Maps is causing performance issues With one billion monthly users and 99% worldwide coverage, the Google Maps platform is a powerful, far-reaching business tool. It allows customers to locate businesses, allows businesses to offer consumers customized, immersive experiences and provides rich location data for more than 150 million locations. By using Google Maps businesses can create 3D games with global data, improve efficiency by tracking the movement of assets in real time and develop useful applications. Yet for some users, these benefits may be temporarily inaccessible following some recent changes implemented by Google — changes that could disrupt service and performance. On June 11, 2018, users of the Google Maps Platform were required to enable credit card billing and have a valid API key for all projects. All 18 APIs were also streamlined into three categories: Maps, Routes, and Places. This means that keyless usage, as of June 11, was no longer supported by the Google Maps Platform. If a keyless call is made to either the Maps Javascript API or the Street View API, a low-resolution map is returned bearing the inscription “for development purposes only.” Keyless calls to many other APIs will simply return an error message. Why is this a problem? Businesses that were not aware or apprised of these changes are experiencing service interruptions to their projects. For example, if a business hires a freelance web developer to create new online properties that incorporate Google Maps, they may be unaware of the impact of these changes. In fact, it may just appear as if their Google Maps have suddenly broken, for no obvious reason. Given the importance of the Google Maps Platform to many businesses, service interruptions are a serious risk. Steps to take Businesses should ensure that new accounts are created very early in the website design process, as this has a significant impact on development. It has now become impossible to develop map functionality on an existing site that includes a map without an associated API key. It should be noted that pricing will fluctuate depending on the type and functionality of the map, the number of waypoints, usage etc. Businesses that lack the technical resources — or simply don’t have the time — to ensure the smooth running and regular maintenance of Google Maps should consider reaching out to a qualified third party developer for more assistance. How BIGEYE can help: At BIGEYE, we believe that a modern agency needs to combine world-class creative with advanced technical skills. If you’re having difficulty maintaining Google Maps — or have any technical or design challenge related to your digital properties — please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help.