My air freshener is connected to the internet. Now I know what the internet of things smells like: floral notes covering up overpriced hardware and overcomplicated software that provide a marginal benefit.
When the Febreze Home internet-connected plug-in air freshener arrived in the mail this month, I opened the box and beheld yet another questionable impulse buy. I ordered it during this year's Consumer Electronics Show in January just after Procter and Gamble announced it. If this was a typical Kickstarter project, it would have arrived in time for the 2017 holiday season after several competitive products already hit the market. P&G actually stuck to its promised ship date, which is the most remarkable aspect of this product's debut.
This harbinger of the connected home offers a whiff of what's ahead for marketers, manufacturers and consumers. Here is how Febreze Home holds up on some key attributes:
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What's next? Someone, somewhere at P&G is probably trying to figure out which other brands' products will connect to the internet. Dawn? Gillette? Charmin? Pampers? It all sounds crazy now, but give it time. How long before a 25-cent diaper automatically tracks a baby's output and flags caretakers when something seems amiss?
There are limits, of course. Few companies will have the resolve to launch and iterate these products until they become viable for the mass market. Kudos to P&G for getting this in market, adhering to its schedule, and offering a whiff of the future. The current odor doesn't smell right, but it will be replaced soon enough.
See more at: adage.com
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