I Asked 100 Tech Companies How Their Gadgets Make Our Lives Better. Here's What They Said

The Consumer Electronics Show might come stocked with cutting edge tech products, it might make headlines for offering us a glimpse of the future, but at heart, it's just a giant trade exhibition. Companies show up, set up their wares, and try to convince everyone else how great they are. Combine this 800-year-old tradition with an industry that considers itself a progressive manufacturer of tomorrow, and the result is actually a little strange: Salesmen pitching their company's vision of the future in age-old, consumer-friendly language.

And there are thousands of said pitchmen, swirling around the massive Las Vegas Convention Center Hall, fielding potential buyers and trying to impress the media. The more time I spent on the floor—the sprawling, labyrinthine floor—the more pitches I heard. And the more the language sounded weirdly mundane. These pitches were mostly aimed at distributors—your Best Buys, your Apples—as very little is actually for sale on the CES floor.

So while the daily newsletter blasted out statements like "2014 CES Kicks Off with Record Amount of Innovation," vendors selling augmented reality tech were saying things like "It makes it easier to attract customers" and "it increases sales." This dichotomy struck me, so I decided to standardize the question, to see how the world's tech companies pitch their latest slice of the future.

I settled on "How does your product improve our lives?" because that's where most of the pitches started from anyway. It's sort of nestled in the nexus between "What can this do for me and my customers" and "how is this benefiting humanity at large?"

I made some rules: I'd approach the companies as a buyer would, and would engage the first person to address me. If no one did, I'd speak with the first available representative. I'd make it clear I was from the press. If a company was big enough, and had multiple products, I'd ask a different rep to see how the results changed. If they only had one, or no visible product on display, I kept it general, with the same question.

I ended up speaking with sales floor reps, CEOs, booth babes, engineers, and entrepreneurs. There were 3,200 different product booths at CES, so getting to all of them was out of the question. I settled on 100 booths, and doing a sampling from all of the different exhibition halls. I covered slick giants with expensive displays like Samsung and LG to tiny manufacturing outfits from Shenzen. The products ranged from the much-ballyhooed curved TVs to robotics to leisure tech to iPhone cases to the US Postal Service's online delivery service.

A textual analysis of the answers I received showed that the most commonly used words tech companies deployed in their pitches were the simplest, most common and universal ones. "Product" and "life" were the leaders, for the obvious reasons. They each appeared in pitches 13 times. They were followed by "power" (9), "people" (9), "want" (9) and "world" (8). Other widely used words included "device" (7), "quality" (6), "everyday" (5), and "easier" (4).

"Mobile" (6) and "electronics" (5) were two of the only obviously modern terms deployed by the pitchmen. Most of the time, I was hearing about how these products could make my life—and the world—easier, more comfortable, more efficient. And give me more power, both literally and figuratively.

When phrased so starkly, the question often threw vendors off, even though they'd been explaining a variation of the answer all day long. Some had to consult their peers, others fidgeted and laughed. One company, iFrogz, took so long in coming up with an answer that they gave me one of their BlueTooth speaker products as an apology present. Others nailed it straight off the bat. Some pondered the implications of the question, and thought deeply about how they'd like to explain the value their product brought to the world. Others recited their talking points without blinking.

With "products" and "life" excluded, here's how the words stack up.

Below, find the list of companies and products that I approached, and the a swer I was given from a representative of each. This is how tech companies pitch the future to potential buyers at the most important industry event of the year.

GoPro
"It's an easier and more efficient way to capture and share our lives."

Qualcomm Snapdragon

"Takes everyday tasks and makes things faster."

Rbot

"Rbot makes the world closer to you."

LG Smart Mobile Printer Pocket Photo

"The easiest, quickest, and more portable way to print your photos--the funnest way to capture snapshots of life."

iFrogz

"Gives you the colors to show off your personality and brighten your day one product at a time."

Kodak

"Helping you unleash your images for mobile devices."

Vicovation Ltd

"Driving footage in the cloud—our device is sending your video to the mobile phone and then to the cloud. Your driving video will be uploaded with only one push."

Samsung UHD Monitor

"This is is a product that will fit the needs of those needing higher resolution monitors—it's a monitor that is very unique."

Samsung's Curved TV

"It gives you better viewing angles from the side of the screen."

Oloong

"Customer satisfaction is always Oloong's highest concern."

Brooke International

"Preserving yesterday's memories from paper photos and slides insures tomorrow's generation can ass on the story of these priceless images."

Toshiba Magical Mystery Mirror

"It reflects what you want to see most."

Aechromz Lighting

"To make your professional photography more convenient."

Gowing Co.

"Changing your lens faster."

BYZ

"Portable, wearable, comfortable, listenable."

Lotus Manufacturing.

"We can protect your life—and make your life stylish."

Phantom DJI (Drone manufacturer)

"It's innovative adventure with what you can see."

SoSocio

"Keeping memories alive."

Storefront.com

"Drives sales for photo retailers—you just put the photo kiosk in your photo department, hook up a printer to it, and the customer comes along and orders whatever they want."

HD Radio

"It's your local Am and FM radio and it's free—how much more do you want? Free is the operative word there."

Superior Specialties LLC

"Providing consistent quality products for great images."

Terram

"You can tell the stories and preserve your memories with our solutions."

Taste

"Power of design makes us unique."

Mercedes Benz Seed Module

"You can make your choice to see how this model looks like in different colors—it's available right now."

Mercedes Benz Digital Drive Style

"It brings your digital lifestyle to the vehicle—it's the most attractive in-dash system that I could listen to music and navigate with."

Mobio

"Adding stability to your electronics as well as your life."

CableJive

"We provide solutions to everyday problems."

Lifeproof

"We give you the freedom to go about your day and not worry about your technology—protect, waterproof, four elements of life: water dirt snow, shock.

Otterbox

"Creating protection solutions everyday for everyday people."

Jam Audio

"Jam Audi brings big sound in small packages at prices that make high quality audio available to anyone."

Adonit

"Unparalled precision and accuracy, unavailable with any other stylus on the market today."

NuCourse

"We provide quality personal attention to every customer -- and we call this customer love."

Audi HMI

"It makes the driving experience much easier, because it reduces the number of steps the drover has to take."

PanaVise

"Panavise enhances the experience of their electronics, fulfills the potential of their electronics,"

Rydeen

"Bringing to the market safety products at an inexpensive price point—our whole slogan is innovation and value."

CWB Electronics

"We're involve in lot of society and charity."

QPower

"The joy of music."

Germid

"About the people's safety—it can help people to, while they're driving, save their life."

Monarch Power

"It will make solar easier to adopt."

Volt  4GLT hotspot 

"The next step in having a connected car—the mobile hotspot is built into the vehicle."

Fahrenheit

"Listen and feel the music."

Iogear Keymander

"Controller-emulater allows keyboard and mouse to replace controller for Xbox and Playstation.

SoundAround Bluetooth Speaker

"SoundAround has a very diverse product line with iOS marine grade lightweight portable bluetooth speakers—we have changed how people have enjoyed their personal moments throughout the day."

Corning Gorilla Glass

"The primary feature is native damage resistance; as a cover glass it protects a device from scratches better than competitor products."

Sharp  Smart Central App

"Remote control streaming and cable functionality all one smartphone or tablet device."

Nyne

"Nyne is a lifestyle-inspired audio—every one of our speakers have a everyday application."

Toshiba Wide Ultra HD

"It brings your entertainment inside to your whole wall—if there's a wall here and a wall here, we want everything in between to be a TV."

Panasonic OLED 

"The individual pixels are individually illuminated we have a deeper black that gets you a bigger contrast in colors it's brighter, it's more energy efficient because it's not backlit; the curve is just for show. A lot people have concave, we're the first to do convex.

Jasco's Uber

"Make it more fun—I call it the fun demographic."

LG Transparent Display

"It's intended for luxury retailers—advertising space, to create an interactive display for the consumer."

LG Smart Hom-bot

"Automatic cleanup before you get home."

LG Turbowash

"It's a lot faster."

TiVo

"It gives you the content you want, when you want it, where you want it."

Samsung Sound Stand

"Something for consumers who don't have that extra room for mounting."

New York Times App

"You can't change the world without knowing what's going on in the world."

RCA HD Mobile TV

"You can watch TV anywhere--not only in the house."

Slingbox

"If you have a cable TV, you're able to travel and watch your tv anywhere you go--if you miss your home shows, you can watch your own TV and feel like you've got a slice of your home with you."

Technical Pro

"Make you happy—it'll make the beat drop."

Ebee Sensefly (from Parrot)

"Helps you monitor the way you impact the environment.

Budgee, 5 Elements Electronics

"Budgee is gonna take the weight off your back so you can go further and further."

Paro

"Paro improves our lives being bester way animal therapy to more people."

GoalZero

"Peace of mind—solar panel, battery, LED light."

Eton

"It allows you to enjoy yourself to by endlessly streaming tunes wherever you go."

Enchantmoon

"It makes the people can create ideas anywhere anytime by themselves."

American International Electric Inc

"Packaging--it's a way of life."

Kinsun

"We connect you to the world.

Pairdeer

"Primary alkaline batteries--everybody needs a battery; we will try to improve your performance, and make it long lasting. Power up life."

BeStar Technologies

"Giving you the ability to communicate more clearly through our products."

Plustek

"Making your life paperless."

Tenergy

"By supplying power for any product needs."

Whoosh!

"Cleaner screens, always—and it's all natural plant based, so you're not harming anything, either."

Genius

"We provide all the accessories that can make your life easier and more convenient."

Lumitek

"Lumitek will turn on your life."

Smooth Talker

"Increase your cell signal so your device can communicate with your network as you intended to when you purchased it."

Travel Blue

"By being safe, comfortable, and ability to utilize the products that we used based on a concept and a solution—and you get the best price across the world, even if we're lower than other brand we're still bigger than them."

Boogie Board Sync 9.7

"Say goodbye to paper with the boogie board 9.7--a replacement for notepad and pen."

SkyDrop

"It will make watering your landscape effortless and conserve water at the same time."

Happy Plugs

"Happy Plugs will brighten up your life and enrich your style and outfit."

WiTricity

"Basically,a world without cords. Being able to power throughout the air and not having to worry about plugging in."

Display Link

"We provide universal docking for PCs and Macs."

OpenMobile

"What our product does is allows android applications to run on non-Android platforms, therefore allowing you the consumer to have more choices as to the smartphones, tablets, and places you use the apps you own."

Mercury Corporation

"Best supplies, best quality."

iui Design

"It's a great sound and a smaller size."

Hopeful

"This tablet can change your life."

FocusEar

"We provide quality health products at affordable price to enhance the quality of life for our customers."

DareGlobal

"We try to make the product more convenient for people to use--you don't need a professional to install it, you can bring it home and plug it in."

Enerplex

"It's the ultimate portable power solution no matter where you are or what you're doing."

Elmo QBIC USA

"The Elmo QBIC capture your imagination with Elmo QBIC; wide-angle, wider world."

Secur

"Provides you off-grid power solutions for emergencies, camping, charging digital devices."

Nanofics

"We make low-pressure plasma systems to apply water-repellant coatings to consumer electronics."

Sunny Optical Technology

"Optical imaging system make intimate possibilities."

Turtleback Case

"Tired of broken plastic clips? "Try heavy duty turtleback case with a metal clip. Made in USA."

Shenzen Peritech Computer Co

"We make a better product, which gives you better music."

Faze Vapor

"Eliminates smoke—it not only benefits the user but everyone around the user."

Veho

"Because it creates a new genre in consumer electronics called lifestyle gadgets."

AEE

"People want to share their lives with others—now you can share whatever you want."

MyScript

"Natural interface—you have the international keyboard with you."

Garmin

"We impact every aspect of your life from your car to your camera to your house to your boat to your plane."

United States Postal Service

"It connects you with the world every day."

Energizer Power Inverters (PowerBright)

"These are used as backup power—it's protection, to be preventive in case of power failures, hurricanes—to be one step ahead."

Motion Systems 

"Simpler, more stylish."

MyBat

"It would enhance your lifestyle in a way that you've never imagined."

PowerMod

"It speeds up charging, so you spend less time charging your devices and more time doing."

Nvidia K1

"It can run desktop APIs on mobile."