'Watch Dogs 2,' the latest entry in Ubisoft's 'Watch Dogs' franchise, delves into the thorny and topical issues of privacy and ultra-connectivity in today's society. To highlight those themes, the company staged a live hacking session involving two fictional organizations from the game: DedSec, the protagonist hacking operative, and HAUM Electronics Inc., a dubious technology company.
In the promotional event, a representative from HAUM toured real Canadians around the fictional company's demo smart home. However, in the narrative, DedSec discovers that the true purpose of the home is to collect users' sensitive data and sell it to the highest bidder. In an act of retaliation, DedSec hacked the house during the live tour, spooking the attendees and the HAUM executives in the process.
The promotional stunt was carried out live, and viewers on YouTube and Facebook were encouraged to comment with suggestions for how DedSec could manipulate the home.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Privacy Concerns
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced privacy features for smart home devices to address consumer concerns and protect sensitive data.
- User Engagement
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create interactive experiences that engage users in real-time during promotional events, leveraging live streaming platforms like YouTube and Facebook.
- Ethical Hacking
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore the use of ethical hacking as a marketing tool to raise awareness about cybersecurity issues and promote product offerings.
Where This Applies
- Smart Home Technology
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrate robust security measures into smart home technology to build consumer trust and increase adoption.
- Digital Advertising
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop innovative ways to leverage live streaming platforms for interactive advertising campaigns and engage viewers in real-time.
- Cybersecurity
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced cybersecurity solutions and services to protect consumers' data in an increasingly connected world.
