fbpx

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

by | Aug 16, 2019 | Public Relations

Alex, are you listening? Yes, voice is becoming a serious marketing strategy—but that voice is most likely to be Amazon’s. New research from B2B ratings and reviews platform Clutch reveals that nearly half of people (48 percent) currently own a digital assistant, and the most popular brand is Amazon’s Echo.

Eighty-five percent of people (85 percent) are familiar with Amazon Echo, demonstrating how Amazon dominates the AI-powered voice assistant industry. Meanwhile, 71 percent of people know Google Home and only 30 percent are familiar with Apple HomePod. Amazon’s Echo is the first mainstream in-home digital assistant, released in 2014.

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

While 48 percent of people currently own a digital voice assistant, another 33 percent plan to purchase one within the next three years, indicating the rapidly growing popularity of digital assistants.

One-third of people use digital assistants infrequently, limiting devices’ ability to improve tasks

When people invest in a digital assistant, they don’t always use it to its full capacity. Only 69 percent of people use their digital assistant at least once a day. Nearly one-third of people (31 percent) don’t use their digital assistant frequently or at all, which can be a wasted opportunity to save time and increase efficiency.

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

Bob Klein, CEO, of Digital Scientists, a mobile app and IoT company, says this finding demonstrates how people do not understand all digital assistants can offer.

Often, people do not realize that they must add skills to their device to offer more capabilities. For example, an Amazon Echo can order you pizza or guide you through a meditation session, but those skills must be programmed on the device first.

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

“Most people have the dumbest digital assistant, where it can’t do anything besides answer generic questions…I’d think it’s hard to get someone to install a skill on their digital assistant,” said Klein, in a news release.

People are missing out on the benefits of digital assistants if they do not use them frequently.

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

People worry digital assistants violate privacy, despite devices’ popularity

People are concerned about storing personal information in digital assistants, but they invest in these types of devices as a way to streamline basic tasks.

Nearly one-third of people (31 percent) are concerned about the security of personal information on digital assistants and 30 percent are worried about the devices recording conversations.

Manufacturers of digital assistants are taking steps to address security concerns.

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

Lynette Walczak, publisher of The Fun Times Guide, a network of 32 websites, explains how her Google Home has adjusted its privacy settings.

“Every now and then, Google Home will hear something that was said on TV and activate’,” said Walczak, in the release. “But it turns itself ‘off’ within a few seconds if we don’t speak to it directly.”

Read the full report here.

Clutch’s 2019 Digital Assistant Survey included 581 people familiar with digital assistants across the U.S.

With Echo’s growing popularity, Amazon moves into voice dominance

Richard Carufel
Richard Carufel is editor of Bulldog Reporter and the Daily ’Dog, one of the web’s leading sources of PR and marketing communications news and opinions. He has been reporting on the PR and communications industry for over 17 years, and has interviewed hundreds of journalists and PR industry leaders. Reach him at richard.carufel@bulldogreporter.com; @BulldogReporter

RECENT ARTICLES

10 creative ways to use QR codes in media communications and PR

10 creative ways to use QR codes in media communications and PR

In the fast-evolving landscape of media communications and public relations, QR codes are emerging as versatile tools capable of bridging the gap between traditional strategies and the interactive potential of digital technology. By transforming passive print ads into...