For quite some time, Radio was a platform adored by millions, with a significant role in broadcasting and also used widely for marketing products and services.
Over the past few years, Bluetooth speakers are being taken over by Smart Speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, where users can interact with them via speech without the need to even look at them. These smart speakers, which are actually AI enabled voice assistants, are widely preferred by customers to help with a variety of tasks ranging from booking flight seats or hotel rooms, to purchasing a soft drink. Voice Assistants also include chatbots such as Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa.
This has rung the bell for entry of a new marketing strategy for brands to reach consumers. Brands are now starting to create applications with these chatbots so that the smart speakers pull up their names first, whenever customers do a voice search to purchase products.
To emerge strong in the coming age of automation, progressive organizations need to develop their AI skills – even for marketing too!
by Dr. Deepika Prabhu, ITF