Promo industry expert Matt P road tests wearable technology.

The global phenomenon known as ‘wearable technology’ is everywhere – laser fitness trackers for your wrists, heart-rate chest belts, cadence sensors, etc, etc. And training clothes with built-in motion sensors linked to your phone or tablet are touted as the next big thing! Given all the hype, we asked industry expert Matt P – the ‘Inspector Gadget’ of promotional marketing – to put a device through its paces to see what the fuss was all about. Our road test guinea pig: Activity Tracker Premium, a water resistant band worn around the wrist that monitors activity and overall lifestyle, including sleep.

Day 1…

“Downloaded the APP, put in my personal info, easily linked the gizmo and my smart phone via Bluetooth, strap on the soft silicone bracelet, and phew, I’m ready to roll! So the idea is to encourage a more healthy lifestyle. I must admit I was a little skeptical. But too many lunches at my desk, driving everywhere and sitting in front of my PC all day was starting to play on my mind a tad… I input an initial target of 2000 steps a day into the APP. This syncs to the device on my wrist and is logged as my daily target. I was off, and well before the day was out the wrist band started to vibrate and a message came winging in… ‘WELL DONE, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED YOUR TARGET!’

Week 1…

I was getting hooked and upped my target to 5K steps a day – within six days I’m averaging 5500 steps! Coupled with my steps I’m now checking my ‘calories burned’ data each day against my targets. Next, I start examining my sleep patterns, which are shown each morning on my smart phone APP – how many hours, quality of sleep, REM minutes, light sleep, deep sleep… again, amazing stuff to help me take action before bed so I get the best chance of quality rest.

1 month in…

I’m now keeping track of texts, tweets, calls and even the power of the sun via the UV monitor as my wristband vibrates to alert me to all of the above. Truly a ‘smart watch’! I must admit I’m also making a big effort to exercise more. I’ve started walking to the sandwich shop instead of driving and have even found myself parking at the far end of car parks. My target’s up to 7500 steps a day and I’m planning to introduce longer weekend dog walks and daily activity to make sure I achieve this and maybe earn that bar of chocolate I’ve promised myself!

Finally…

I’m hooked! I strongly suggest you check out the phenomenon that is ‘wearable technology’! Perfect as an executive gift or staff giveaway – a great way to engage and build relationships, a very positive gesture to boot – and at less than £50 you get a lot of technology for your money. What’s not to like?” Follow Matt P on Twitter @desktop_matt

Arcadia Branded Merchandise supplies a range of promotional wearables, including watches that count steps and monitor sleep patterns. Call us now on +44(0) 845 130 2620 or send us an email at sales@arcadiaonline.co.uk for more information and a copy of our 2015 promotional merchandise gadget catalogue.

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Jason Markwick

Having worked in Promotional Merchandise for the last 25 years I have been exposed to all aspects of the industry. Starting out as an account manager working with some of the worlds leading brands, I have learnt to understand the needs of a client, manufacturing processes, and what it takes to deliver a successful promotional campaign that is on brand, on time and within a given budget.