Can Alexa and its skills be used as a marketing channel?

Today we will understand better how big companies around the globe are acting on this aspect.

We will see 3 case studies.

The first 2 are about Nutella and Aperol, which have implemented a strategy opposed to the third example. Joe Bastianich’s skill (that I have developed myself).

Let’s start right away.

Marketing with Alexa and the skills: confronting strategies

Let’s start over with the first 2 examples.

We are talking about well-known giant companies, that have chosen very similar strategies.

Aperol and Nutella, according to me, made something very interesting, but exploiting only one function type among those offered by the skills.

On the other hand, Joe Bastianich implemented a strategy more complex and articulated that makes it even more interesting.

The first 2 companies used marketing with Alexa for a free sampling campaign.

They have then created a skill to which you can ask “Give me free samples of Aperol”.

How could they do that?

Besides publishing the skill on Amazon’s store, they made something counterintuitive.

Many now think to use Alexa as the sole and unique source for new user traffic. So to make themselves known and increase their audience.

While for example Aperol, in Germany, advertised its skill on their other communication channels. Channels like social networks or newsletters, to people they were already in contact with.

They invite those people to ask Alexa for a free sample.

Why didn’t they do it with a simple link?

Because they realized that it’s easier for a user simply ask to Alexa than clicking on a link.

This is because once entering in the Aperol (or Nutella, that did the same thing) skill, the users can submit their data simply with their voice.

And who enters on this channel has a higher attention rate compared to any other channel, but has also something new and amusing to try.

Pointing on this target, so on people with a vocal assistant, these companies aim at a target with a budget higher than the average.

And that is an advantage for them.

Let’s now go over the third case study.

It’s a purely all Italian example and it’s the skill I have created for Joe Bastianich.

Here the idea is totally different because we are not using a skill to facilitate an action, but to create an experience linked to the celebrity.

Why did we choose this marketing strategy?

Simply because the voice is a natural mean that we have to communicate and hold conversations.

In Joe’s case, what could be more effective than talking to him?

We wanted to give all his fans the chance of talking with their favorite celebrity.

This creates a much stronger bond between the people and the celebrity 

It’s like entering himself in the Italians’ houses.

The primary goal is to create and strengthen the link between user and brand.

But that’s not all.

We use Alexa for lead generation, meaning collecting user’s data.

Who will use the skill can share with Joe their email address in order to receive messages with recipes and missions. Also receive gifts and updates about the skill and all the new things they can ask.

We can see that on the contrary of Aperol and Nutella’s strategy I could create here an entire funnel (the user’s path) inside the skill itself.

A person can start by simply asking Joe what they can cook with what there is at home.

In this way we capture the user and we make him come back and use the skill multiple times.

At this point they will want to take an extra step and receiving recipes, missions, gifts.

And it’s at this point that we take their email address in order to have a communication channel outside the skill.

A channel that we can use to nourish the contact outside the skill and make it come back to the skill and enhance the retention.

The last step gets realized thanks to gamification.

Thank to missions and rewards we stimulate the users to do different activities. Activities like posting a selfie on social networks while using the skill, bring them to consume contents on another channel to make them proceed in the game.

As you can see both Aperol and Nutella’s and Bastianich’s strategy are valid and can bring good results.

The difference lays in the use that you want to have of one skill and the goal you have in mind.

In your case, what strategy do you think would be the most effective and would bring the best results?

Let me know.

I’ll see you in the next article.

Juxhin
CEO and Founder of IPERVOX

P.S. Remember that if you don’t have a skill yet and you want to distribute you content in audio format, you can try IPERVOX for free by clicking here below on “Get Started”