CES2026: Is Your Elevator Speech Too Long?
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
We sell advertisers the attention we earn, and earning it has never been tougher. When we design client stations’ billboards, we’re not “writing a 60” or “a 30,” or even “a 10.” It’s a one-second spot. At a glance, someone driving needs to understand what the station delivers, and why to listen.
Showcase events here are well-catered and open bar (Media Relations 101). So, as we roam exhibits, both hands are already full, a challenge for exhibitors hoping we’ll stop, take a tchotchke, and take-in what they’re rolling-out. So I’m struck by how well the large-font messages on their booth signage distills whassup.
Examples:
Komutr: “Finally, Earbuds Your Won’t Lose!”
Stelo by Dexcom: “Glucose tracking made easy”
“Too busy to cook? Let a robot do it,” 500 dishes Nosh can whip-up.
“So your days don’t end up on your face,” Baronbio offers “The 4-Day Slow-Aging Challenge.”
Eloquens: “Automated Email responses that feel human”
“Mist + Wind = Instant Cool” with Aecooly, “the world’s first high-speed cooling fan,” hand-held.
Narwal’s V50 Cube Cordless Vacuum is “light to hold” and will “deep-clean every surface.”
Yarbo’s Modular Yard Robot: not just a lawnmower. “All Seasons Solution” doubles as a snowblower.
Kamingo’s E-Bike Converter switches from bicycle to E-bike “in seconds.”
We have learned – and taught advertisers – to boil-it-down to the proverbial “elevator speech,” a pitch you could spit-out between floors. How quickly does yours convey value?
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn
Earlier this week, Michael Harrison published his top 10 list of suggestions for being a successful talker. Item number three really caught my eye: