Since its initial release in November 2014, Amazon’s Echo has proven to be a success. Millions of people are now using their new voice assistant to play music, tell jokes, receive news briefings, and of course, order products from Amazon. All done hands-free by speaking to their device.
Both Google and Apple have followed suit by introducing their own smart speakers into the mix. However, the question has remained, how will advertising play a role? Because these devices do not have screens, showing ads the traditional way is out of the question.
This summer, Amazon is giving us a peek into what the future of smart speaker marketing might look like. They have partnered with Sony Pictures and the new movie Spiderman Homecoming to create a custom set of “skills” for their voice assistant, Alexa. A skill is a voice command that can extend Alexa’s abilities.
Here is the description of the Spider-Man skill:
Get a daily joke, learn a movie fact, or hear from the cast, along with other surprises related to the Spider-Man: Homecoming movie arriving in theaters July 7. Be sure to follow Spider-Man: Homecoming on social media to learn a few other tricks that you can ask Alexa, too. - Amazon
This type of interactive marketing is sure to help build buzz for the new movie. It’s innovative and works seamlessly with the experience users expect on their smart speakers.
It’s worth mentioning that Amazon has also recently introduced the Echo Show. This is a version of the Echo with a screen. While this device brings back the possibility of showing banner ads, it has yet to prove itself in the market.
Either way, knowing that the future of marketing might include interactive audio-only campaigns like the Spider-Man skill opens up a whole new world of exciting possibilities. How will you tell your story in this brave new world?