Having worked with a number of the companies exhibiting and presenting at CES, we at Jump know that in reality most companies work on new technologies and also do heavy consumer research. However, one set of inputs usually wins out and drives product development. The primary focus ends up being to either develop a new technology or meet needs. This seemingly nuanced difference in focus ends up making a big difference in adoption and ultimately revenue.

Take LG and Kenmore, for example. Both companies displayed new refrigerators for the home at CES. Each line offered in-door ice machines, plenty of space, and even energy use monitoring and remote diagnostics. Both companies even touted and offered an in-door color touch-screen. Yet there was one big difference. LG focused on new technology while Kenmore focused on meeting people’s needs.

LG’s Smart Fridge
As part of LG’s huge presence on the convention floor, a woman on stage described the features of their new Smart appliances using Thinq technology. Through interaction with a video on large screens, the woman explained that the LG Smart Fridge is aware of what products are in it as well as their expiration dates. This sounded too good to be true, and more less, was. You see, in order for the fridge to know this information the user has to type it into the touchscreen on the door. It took the woman in the demo video a full 25 seconds to log in just two bell peppers. On top of this, she had to bend over just to see the screen.

Do you know anyone who’s going to log in every grocery item they place in their fridge like that? I don’t. So in this case, it seems that technology drove the show at the expense of real-world usability.

Kenmore’s Elite Fridge
In contrast, down in the South Hall, a less-prestigious location, we found Kenmore’s exhibit. The features of Kenmore’s new Elite line of fridges are explained to individuals by company representatives mingling in the booth. The first thing the Kenmore representative says about the company’s new fridge is how much it can store. When I ask the representative if the fridge will let me know when the milk has expired, he chuckles. He explains how Kenmore decided early on that people aren’t interested in these gimmicks, adding that it requires too much effort for the consumer. I had to agree.