The online commerce giant announced during the Accelerate conference that it has equipped its smart personal assistant Alexa with a new functionality that may cause controversy.
Amazon announced on its site and during a conference that it is coming soon: Brands will be able to respond directly To questions from potential customers via Alexa. This function, called Customers Ask Alexa, aims to attract internet users to the Amazon storefronts of the brands in question.
Alexa: “How do I remove pet hair from my carpet?” He gave standard answers taken from the internet to questions such as. Now the virtual assistant will show product ads from relevant brands. Of course, Amazon will not turn into a free advertising agency. Brands that want to benefit from the visibility this new feature offers must have an online store on Amazon; This will allow Amazon to earn commission on sales.
“Alexa got me into advertising”: virtual assistant turns into an ad agency
Amazon Alexa Shopping Director Rajiv Mehta justifies the implementation of this new feature with the following words: “Amazon is aware that brands are experts in their fields and products. “With this new offering, we simplify relationships with our customers by helping them answer their most frequently asked questions.” The e-commerce site will ensure that all responses are subject to content moderation and quality checksThis new initiative may still leave one in doubt.
The idea is interesting on paper, but who really wants to call Alexa to listen for sponsored messages? Especially since Amazon, like all other members of GAFA, is known for collecting as much personal information as possible. Customers asking Alexa will not only open the door to all advertising windows, but also volunteering information It’s about us.
Amazon customers may already be aware of this, as statistics show that only 10.8% of customers used Amazon’s voice assistant to order online on the marketplace in 2020. I’m not sure this feature will achieve the expected success, but that doesn’t matter. Customers want Alexa to be accessible by invitation starting in October; The distribution of this feature in the toolbar of the American site will be valid for now: planned for 2023.
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