A consumer unpacks an Amazon Echo. Image source: Osseous via Flickr
Amazon Echo and the intelligent assistant, Alexa, may be one the most significant recent developments in digital communications.
Amazon Echo, a smart speaker developed by Amazon, connects to Alexa, billed as a voice-controlled personal assistant service. Through voice controls, users can request information, such as weather forecasts, sports results, or traffic reports, control other smart devices, and complete actions like playback music or podcasts, update to-do lists, and search the internet.
The device is not science fiction. Amazon sold 5.2 million units in 2016 worldwide, more than double the previous year, according to Business Insider. So far, turning on or off lights and playing music are its most common uses, yet the potential for new uses is stunning.
Possibilities are Boundless
“The possibility for brands is boundless due to the sheer openness of the platform,” states Camille Blanchard, head of innovation at the West Cary Group.
Appliance manufacturers can create models with internet connectivity. Financial institutions can help customers improve money management. The travel industry could incorporate Alexa Skills, or capabilities, to help consumers book flights or get car service.
PR and marketing may be able to benefit directly. Marketing analytics firms are starting to integrate their programs with Alexa, according to Martech Today. Marketers will be able to ask questions like, “What campaign generated the most web traffic last month?”
Third-party developers are creating new skills, another word for apps, at a prodigious rate. It’s not clear how quickly or extensively consumers will adopt those new capabilities. Like mobile apps, many skills don’t work well and won’t become popular.
Low Reviews from Consumers
Econsultancy points out that a third of reviews of Alexa Skills garner only one or two star reviews. Almost 60% of 63 reviews for BMW’s Alexa Skill, designed to complete voice commands such as lock the doors and turn on ventilation, were rated as one star. Functionality is limited and is not integrated with all new models. One skill locks the doors of BMMs but cannot report if doors are locked in the first place.
Brands may wish to think carefully about whether their Alexa Sill will delight or frustrate customers.
“Getting involved early isn’t necessarily a bad thing if brands are equipped to fail fast,” says Econsultancy senior writer Ben Davis. “However, if Skills are not updated regularly enough, they risk achieving the opposite of what is intended and giving users a poor and all-too memorable experience on their shiny new speaker.”
In other words, the device could cause a nightmare for PR if the company’s Alexa Skill fails to successfully serve the needs of consumers. A poor implementation will likely get panned worldwide. It’s then very difficult to recover – except with a truly brilliant follow-up implementation. On the other hand, with Alexa’s fast-growing market penetration, an Alexa Skill that’s a big hit could propel a company or product to the top of its category.
Prudent brands must carefully design and field test their voice-activated Alexa Skills or app thoroughly before releasing it to the general public. Full-featured, not half-hearted, design is what will win the market.
Bottom Line: Amazon’s Alexa, combined with its smart speaker, offers a huge marketing potential for brands. Just as brands market their apps, they may soon be marketing their Alexa Skills. Already, it’s a competitive market. Poor design and implementation can seriously injure brand reputation. A robust Alexa Skill that meets a real customer need can attain unparalleled success. Dabblers won’t triumph. Victory here requires real commitment and serious investment.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
