"Change is inevitable. Progress is optional" - Tony Robbins

 

One of the major draws of emerging and creative technology for brands is the ‘new factor’; the opportunity to be the first company to launch on a new platform – to boldly go where no brand has gone before.

 

The voice landscape has boomed in recent years due to its intrinsic link to traditional web search, a shift in consumer demands and major investment and hardware releases from Google and Amazon. Both giants have also opened up their platforms for companies to create their own voice apps called Google Actions and Alexa Skills.

 

The new voice app products have provided brands with a more relatable channel, with visible results, to invest time and money into. For example, the voice experience created through them could be a content marketing push, a utility, a customer service or a way to consume the brand’s product.

 

However, as with any new technology, brands are cautious with the amount of budget and time they invest, with most of the money being pulled from limited ‘innovation’ allocations. 

 

The current route most brands experimenting with voice are taking is the following:

• Launch a voice app that performs a simple task
• Track usage and gather user feedback
• Regroup to understand what has worked and what hasn’t and build a plan for moving forward

 

How to get started – options to consider when investing in new technology

 

Regardless of the medium (whether it be VR, Voice, Podcasts, or a new social platform), the same methodology can be followed.

 

Option 1 - Limited scope on initial launch then expand

 

Launch with a limited set of functionalities, with a view to launching more features in the long term. For example, an e-commerce brand could launch a voice app that solely allows the user to check the status of existing orders. If results are positive, the brand might then invest more into adding functionality which allows in-app purchasing.

 

Option 2 - Launch a trial period

 

If you are unable to commit to a longer-term project, then launch for a specific period of time. For example, a brand may not be able to commit to launching a weekly podcast for a year. Instead, they could commit to just six episodes and launch as Season One of the podcast. If successful, Season Two could then follow.

 

Option 3 - Unbranded / Prototype

 

Often for brands, half the battle of creating and launching into a new technical platform is getting sign off from brand, marketing or compliance teams. This is often harder with new platforms as people are afraid of the unknown. In order to overcome this potential barrier, an option here is to start by pushing something to live under the guise of a ‘faux’ brand.

 

Learnings can then be gained and can help you to build a use case for getting the real sign off for release. Alternatively, a prototype for internal usage, which although might not have all the bells and whistles of the final product, can be a more cost and time-effective way to test and produce in a similar way.

 

While it is necessary to tread carefully with new tech innovations, it’s also crucial to think long-term. 

 

Read More: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2019/11/28/voice-technology-here-now-what

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