It seems that with technology-driven products these days the race against obsolescence begins the moment you bring a product home from the store. There’s always something newer, faster, smaller or better just on the horizon. Consumers’ thirst for the latest and greatest gadget has also caused increasingly volatile consumer interest around product launches. Below is a graph of the online consumer interest of a number of “successful” consumer electronics devices. Note that we indexed the x-axis to the week of the device’s launch for better comparison.

Even devices considered a smashing success have had steep declines in interest after the initial few weeks. For example, interest in the iPhone declined almost 50% between its 1st and 2nd week on the market. (Absolute interest in the iPhone was still well above average.) Even the most anticipated devices have very little time to make their mark on consumers.

From consumers’ point of view, this makes it all the more important for early adopters to find out about the newest products and technologies as soon as possible. If this sounds like you, we want to invite you to Digital Downtown in NYC on June 12th. Compete will be participating in this event, where individual consumers can explore the latest trends across the consumer electronics landscape and speak with industry experts about who they think will be the big winners and losers of 2008 & 2009. Compete’s Adam Guy will be leading a panel on this topic, and will be available for one-on-one briefings with press. Hundreds of consumer electronics companies will also be exhibiting their latest and greatest products. Who knows? The next blockbuster device could be among them.

If you would like to set-up a private meeting with Adam, please email me at ewarner@compete.com and we can arrange it. Happy hunting!

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