Amazon Echo is the hand’s free speaker and device and can be controlled with the user’s voice. There is a personal assistant called Alexa that performs tasks for the user and controls the systems. Echo devices have microphones that come with the features to cancel the nose and recognition of the voice. Alexa personal service can be asked a question even when the music is being played. Now the Amazon Echo Ads are being placed to roll at the audiences.
Alexa, the personal assistant, can play music, deliver news and sports scores, answer questions about weather, can control the smart home and also allows prime members of Amazon to order products that are already ordered.
The more the user uses the echo devices, the more Alexa will learn about the vocabulary, personal preference and speech patterns of the user. The microphone in the echo devices can be switched off if the user wants privacy as the Alexa is always listening and waiting for the commands.
Pros and cons of Amazon Echo
Amazon Echo range of devices use verbal commands to stream music, search the internet, control smart home devices, etc.
It uses the microphone that comes inbuilt to listen to the commands of the user with the help of the voice recognition software which interprets the instructions.
People with physical disability, limited mobility or illness can use Echo to do various things including online shopping or raising the alarm in an emergency.
The voice recognition software though is getting accurate gradually; it has a long way to go. Devices such as Echo never sleep.
These can be activated by saying the word ‘Alexa.’ While it is a real help in emergency services, it can also be used against the user as it can be hacked.
Amazon Echo advertising
- Amazon is going to build a digital advertising business around Echo devices and Alexa. The e-commerce retailer is reported to be talking to companies to promote products on Echo devices that have Alexa voice assistant.
- Similar to Google search results, the companies are likely to be asked to pay for higher placement of their products by results delivered by Alexa.
- It is likely to be the best thing for consumer companies. Amazon only does little advertising on Echo.
- It could open doors for the companies to the voice shopping platform.
- Companies will compete to pay for being placed high by Alexa as the users are more likely to select the top result. It is also reported that Amazon is testing different ad types and even videos.
- It is also experimenting to allow companies to target the consumers based on their shopping behavior that can be found in the user history.
Echo Ads – the next big thing
- Amazon Echo powered by voice assistant Alexa is being used in different ways by the people. Alexa experience is not going to be ad-free anymore. Amazon is working to secure ad partnerships with consumer companies.
- Some companies already have their presence on Alexa platform with third-party apps developed on their own, and these are called the Skills. Amazon is now trying to make money off their captive audience as the devices are already found in more than fifteen million homes.
- It is said that the Amazon Echo ads will be more targeted. Alexa will suggest products when the users ask some questions. Past shopping history of the user will help Amazon to inform Alexa to suggest a similar type of products and ads.
- The voice and tone of ads are going to be completely different from the speaking voice of Alexa so that the user differentiates between a response and an ad.
- However, Amazon must take care when implementing advertising as they should not make the user frustrated.
- To avoid angering the owners of Echo devices, Amazon must take care that the ads are brief and are only a few seconds long, as they are marked as ads.
- The ads must be relevant to the user. For companies, ads on Echo can be more impactful as the voice-based ads are difficult to skip over compared to text-based ads.
- Amazon is likely to have its voice assistant Alexa mention specific brands regardless of the shopping habits of the user.
- It is for sure that Amazon is trying to combine the popularity of their voice-powered devices and the consumer data they have to create targeted advertising that helps the advertisers.
- It would be interesting to see if another virtual assistant will also follow Amazon and introduce advertising. It will most probably give an advantage for Google to promote itself as ad-free.
- Amazon Echo devices have become very common in homes, and the audience keeps growing. It is expected that millions of virtual assistants are going to be sold this year. It is evident that the future is going to be screen less.
- Advertisements on voice assistant could create a unique opportunity for consumer companies to target customers in their homes. There are also privacy concerns, and this move can impact the user experience.
- There was an ad on Google Home in March 2017, which provoked a negative response from the users of Google Home. Advertisings on voice assistants may turn off the users, but the companies are less likely to resist the potential of the new stream of revenue.
- There is also the possibility that ads will be served to the user until he upgrades to a paid subscription. It is also said that Amazon has no plans to add advertisements to Alexa, but we only will have to wait and see.
Conclusion
The information provided here will define everything about the Amazon Echo that is being used by the business brands in making promotions of their products or services especially to serve at the Amazon Echo users.
