Consumers rock on with iPod-ready furniture

What's Happening

* To keep up with today's media-savvy consumers, furniture is morphing into what we'll call FurnTech.
* Pottery Barn offers customers a way to "work smart" through shelving and bulletin boards that are iPod- and speaker-compatible. PB Teen lets the kids tune out in style with beds, chairs, bags and lap desks that are "iPod friendly."
* In Summer 2007, Target started offering kids headboards with speakers and a pocket to hold an MP3 player. Skyline, the manufacturer, says that if the headboards are a hit with kids, they'll continue this FurnTech direction with chairs and benches (Washington Post 8.23.07).
* Even high-end furnishings are playing with this consumer desire. New Zealand's DesignMobel created the Pause bed with an inconspicuous iPod dock and Bose speakers. Designers Lovegrove and Repucci offer the Concerto Table, which resembles a grand piano but replaces keys with an iPod docking station.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

* Consumer demand for connectivity, convenience and a continuous life soundtrack requires brands to think inside the pod for ways to keep their audience tuned in.
* FurnTech is about seamlessly integrating the media component, both in terms of look and use. Think streamlined, uncluttered furniture that allows for easy use of tech accessories. Consumers want their music to be loud, not their furniture.

Source: Iconoculture, 9/26/07