Staging the Smart: Discourse, Spectacle, and the Temporal Politics of Product Launch Events

Smart product launch events have become a key moment in the product commercialization process and have evolved into a highly institutionalized form of content presentation with strong communicative capacity. Drawing on an informed grounded theory, this study systematically analyzes 258 smart product launch events organized by 20 leading technology brands between 2018 and 2024, supplemented by discourse analysis to examine their content composition and discursive characteristics. The results of grounded coding indicate that the content of smart product launch events can be categorized into three main types: abstract information, concrete information, and atmospheric information. Together, these information types operate within a predominantly positive framing structure through which the concept of “smartness” is discursively constructed. Further discourse analysis shows that launch events employ scenarized narratives to shape everyday demands for smart technologies, while the subsequent cross-platform circulation of launch event clips contributes to the formation of a pervasive “smart spectacle” that captures consumers' attention and stimulates consumption. In terms of media characteristics, this process can be understood as a form of pseudo-event spectacle. From a critical perspective on social acceleration, the study finds that the seemingly “decelerated” long-form narratives presented in launch events function as a strategic content arrangement rather than a genuine resistance to accelerated media temporality. Through post-event fragmentation and multi-platform dissemination, these narratives are ultimately reintegrated into accelerated and fragmented communication flows.