Tomorrow’s winning brands leveraging voice into marketing mix

The world of Siri and Alexa is redefining what they can do to create meaningful connections

Brand communication so far has largely been driven by visual media, that is, video or print. Whether through TV or online adverts, print or outdoor ads, websites or brochures, these have largely relied on the consumer “seeing” the marketing content.

However, voice recognition technology has revolutionised the way we interact with our environment, where “voice searches” are becoming much more prominent than written searches. And this is an opportunity that marketers are looking to tap in to — it is estimated that by 2022, ‘voice commerce’ will be a $40 billion (Dh146.9 billion) industry in the US alone.

So how can brands leverage this new medium to make meaningful connections with their consumers? Here are a few tips:

Embed the brand in the process of discovery

It is important marketers remember that consumers use search typically to learn more about their environment or to solve a problem. Fewer searches are brand specific. So, the key is to subtly integrate the brand into the process of discovery, rather than making it all about the brand.

Provide in-the-moment support

Alexa allows consumers to download ‘skills’ that are similar to apps. Once a skill has been downloaded, it can be activated through voice, at-the-moment it is most needed. For example, the Alexa Tide skill offers advice on several types of stain removal — a housewife who has her hands full with a piece of stained fabric, can get step by step advice from Alexa on how to remove that stain. This helps subtly position the brand as the go-to choice.

Consumers use voice technology to reduce the level of complexity in their lives. UKbased retailer Ocado developed an Alexa skill that enables users to order grocery via voice commands. This is in addition to existing mobile-based ordering platforms and takes convenience and simplicity to an entirely new level.

Deliver authentic experiences to consumers Simplify a consumer’s life

The fact that millennials and Gen Z are all about new experiences has been much written about. How can brands integrate themselves into this? Time Out in the US has developed a skill that provides consumers with the top experiences in any city on any given day.

Engage in an interactive and fun way

Voice technology also allows marketers to engage with their consumers in a fun and interactive manner. Burger King did this brilliantly with their “OK Google, what is a Whopper?” TV ad, that set off voice assistants in homes — and this, in turn drove a huge amount of social media dialogue about the brand.

Deliver personalised offers

Voice technology of the future will be able to distinguish voices of different users and deliver personalised offers depending upon the person. So, for example, a command to play music could provide completely different results, depending upon whether it is the father or the teenager in the house requesting it.

Voice technology is still at a nascent stage. But with advances in AI and machine learning, there is no getting away from the fact that voice assistants are going to become more integral within consumers’ lives.

Brands that can use this new medium, responsibly and creatively, will win the marketing battles of the future.