What does your brand sound like?

Like millions of homes across the country, I use Amazon’s Alexa for several tasks in my apartment. Alexa turns my lights on when I walk in the door, streams my requested Spotify playlists, orders pizza when we have friends over and, although rare, runs timers while I cook.

Just last week, I asked Siri what the best BBQ restaurants in town are and for a list of local boutiques open past 5 p.m. More and more we are integrating this voice technology into everyday tasks, which means brands need to be ready for this new form of marketing and online searches.

Smart Speakers

As of this year, it’s reported one in six Americans own a voice-activated smart speaker. As marketing professionals, we can’t help but think about what this will mean for our industry and brands in the future.

At a rapid pace, people are bringing this technology into their homes and integrating it into their lives. While advertising is not currently allowed on these virtual assistants, brands are already using this new territory to meet their audience where they are.

Some brands have already built skills on Alexa:

• Campbell’s Kitchen gives you step-by-step instructions as you cook recipes.
• Purina gives you endless information on dog breeds that match your lifestyle.
• Patron will instruct you to make the cocktail of your choice.
• Zyrtec gives you an allergy report for the day based on the weather.

Smart Phones

It’s more than just smart speakers for our homes. Our smartphones come equipped with a virtual assistant too, changing the way we search for information online.

Using voice technology, we can now ask for information, which changes the way the search engines pull content. “Siri, what restaurants near me are open before 9 a.m.?” or “Ok Google, where is the best gluten-free menu in Kentucky?”

This will mean changes in how people search for you

When someone asks, “Siri, what restaurants serve breakfast all day in Lexington?” will your business be suggested? Copywriting on websites and online business listings will need to be able to answer “Alexa order me… instead of just an online search for “how to make…” or “where to find…”

We may not know how advertising on these devices will evolve as we go forward, but it does mean there are countless opportunities ahead – for visibility, accessibility, creativity, and more. Soon we will all have to ask, “What does our brand sound like?”