"M, book me a cab" -- this perfunctory command sits at the heart of the challenge that many brands will soon face as Facebook powers up its virtual assistant.
With the arrival of Facebook M, the company's virtual assistant, we are rapidly approaching a future where a messaging UI becomes the primary way in which we interface with the web of connected services. From a consumer perspective, this is amazing. Your experience becomes keenly focused and simplified by not having to jump out of one app and into another to complete your Jobs To Be Done, and it really feels like the internet is magic again (not that it ever really stops feeling like magic).
"Play the next episode of 'Dexter,' " and immediately your device goes full-screen and you’re picking up from where you left off. No going through app trays to find the right one and then through several layers of menus and navigation to find the right show. One command in natural language, typos and all; one perfect response from your device. Sounds amazing; is amazing; becomes mind-blowing when stuff in the real world happens, too like your laundry being picked up, cleaned and delivered back to your home without any effort on your behalf beyond "M, get my laundry done today."
As great as things will be for us as end users, there’s a few reasons it may not delight us as marketers....
Interesting take on the marketing challenges that will be created by Facebook's new virtual assistant "M".