Knowledge Creators 🤝 Cool Stuff

The latest content + happenings from the creators we rep here at Smooth

Last week, the tech and creator worlds kicked off the year with an annual tradition unlike any other: CES.

CES calls itself the “most powerful tech event in the world,” and that isn’t really hyperbole. The event is a can’t-miss for anyone in tech or tech-adjacent communities. So, of course, a whole slew of Smooth knowledge creators and Smooth team members made the trip to Las Vegas to put it all on red sample some of 2025’s biggest themes, trends, and partnerships in tech.

Here’s the rundown of what some of our creators saw, heard, and filmed at CES →

• Matt Wolfe broke down the biggest announcements from a jam-packed CES, specifically for AI. And on his podcast, The Next Wave, he made the case for Nvidia (instead of OpenAI) leading the way in AI.

• Jacklyn Dallas of NothingButTech spoke at CES about niching as a creator, curated the products that really stole the show in an awesome video, partnered with ARM to highlight its partnership with Aston Martin, and earned a feature in The Publish Press talking about how CES is focused on catering to creators. Totally unrelated, but Jacklyn told me her average sleep time last week was three hours/night.

• Jay Clouse showcased the many ways this year’s CES is centered around creators: “This year, they’re not just showcasing technology, but the creators who use it.”

• Uptin gave us a peek into the home of the future, ft. Samsung tech. Remember the Disney Channel Original Movie Smart House? This is better than that.

Thoughts for the Road 🛣️

A little something we’ve been chatting about here at Smooth HQ

How could I not ask Markos and Sydney from our Smooth Brand Partnerships team to take the mic and share some learnings + observations from their time in Vegas for CES? Passing it to them for some big picture takes and quick hits →

Experiential is still king. Pretty much all exhibitors at CES were all-in on creating an experience for attendees that felt curated for them and represented the brand itself—not just foam boards and pamphlets, but real connection.

The Big Tech brands are in their own category. Google, Netflix, Microsoft, T-Mobile, TikTok, Amazon, and the like were locked in on sourcing business. There was such a huge focus and structure around having conversations with advertisers and spenders who were looking for new ways to reach consumers through these platforms.

These companies don’t really run booths like smaller- or medium-sized companies (which are open to the public). Instead, they were mostly at CES just to feature their leadership on panels + close business.

CMOs are the new brand ambassadors. We sat in on sessions with CMOs from Meta, DoorDash, UTA, Adweek, TripAdvisor, and more. A few themes from their panels:

• Planning is difficult for marketing leaders. There’s “no chance” that a brand can forecast five years out thanks to volatility. Change is the only constant.

• Leaders across sessions seemed to agree—where brands see performance, budgets will follow. But: Performance might mean something different to different brands. There were lots of offshoot conversations about performance vs. brand and how the two co-exist in modern marketing.

• CMOs zeroed in on creators—specifically, that brands need to stop measuring creators in terms of “ad units” to avoid getting too transactional. According to CMOs from Therabody and Keurig Dr Pepper, brands should become “synonymous” with the sponsorships that they put in place—for example, Dr Pepper has essentially become synonymous with college football thanks to natural integrations focused on authenticity.

AI wasn’t really the center of the universe. We were expecting it to dominate in every conversation, given that a lot of these leaders are still figuring out how AI is applicable to their marketing and creator efforts across the board.

One bit about AI, though, that stuck with us: The CMO of Hilton said that they want to essentially create a blueprint to train AI to value brand and marketing activities. In too many cases today, people only consider data and analytics and optimization re: AI, but marketing leaders have a responsibility to ensure that artificial intelligence values brand, marketing, and creativity just as much.

The hottest topics? Digital health, robotics, and wearable tech. Absolutely insane how much real estate these categories gobbled up.

And finally, on creators: There was a lot of conversation about co-creation among creators, consumers, and brands moving forward. Translation? Brands and creators should bring consumers along on the journey by urging them to actually participate in campaigns through some form of co-creation and empowerment that makes them feel part of the story. People want to follow and be with their communities, so successful brands will find ways for them to do that.

Lastly, we learned this about each other:

If you were also at CES, we’d love to hear what you thought and observed. Hit reply and let’s share notes!