Analyst warns of smartwatch 'double-edged sword'

Forrester urges tech firms to ensure wearable apps add value and do not annoy customers

The popularity of smartwatches could be stunted by overzealous tech marketers bombarding customers with irrelevant information, according to Forrester.

The analyst claims that while smartwatches will be so popular they will dominate the wearable market, they are a "double-edged sword" because irrelevant notifications risk getting on customers' nerves.

"On one hand, they offer unique opportunities to develop brand proximity and hyper-contextualised alerts for consumers," said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson. "On the other hand, they risk damaging the brand by oversaturating customers with irrelevant messages and raising privacy concerns.

"Most branded apps I had the opportunity to test did not deliver value. I even ended up deleting some iPhone apps that did not offer relevant messages."

Husson urged marketers at companies looking to develop smartwatch applications to think very carefully before doing so.

"I think marketers should not even consider Apple Watch if they have not implemented a mobile messaging and push notification strategy," he said. "To differentiate among other apps, you must mature your push notification approach to deliver truly personalised experiences in the context of your overall customer relationship management."

According to Canalys research from April, the wearable tech market is set for explosive growth this year and by the end of 2014, some 19 million wearable units will ship globally. In four years' time, that figure will rocket to 111.9 million, it added.