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Tag: whatsapp

The bots are coming! Are you ready?

Last week we held our MARCOM Annual Conference (more on that in a future post) where I moderated a roundtable discussion on bots. I thought I ‘d share a few notes from my handout.

Working Definitions (sometimes used interchangeably)

  • Bot: A piece of software that is designed and created to automate the kinds of tasks we would usually do on our own such as making a reservation, adding an event to your calendar, opening a program or displaying a summary report (e.g. general personal assistant bots such as Siri [Apple], Cortana [Microsoft], Echo [Amazon], Google Assistant [Google])
  • Chatbot: A computer algorithm typically built within a messaging platform that is designed to simulate an intelligent conversation with one or more human users via conversational interfaces (e.g. Hyatt chatbot on Facebook Messenger or H&M chatbot on Kik)

Text Messaging vs. Mobile Instant Messaging

Copyright: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/profile_photka'>photka / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Over the course of the last year, I have noticed a rapidly rising organizational  interest amongst my clients in using “text messaging” for communications purposes; specifically for opt-in notifications. The main reasons are quite obvious:

  • 26.3% of Canadian households have no land-line (Convergence Consulting Group, 2014)
  • The smartphone penetration rate is now at a staggering 63% in Canada (Ipsos, 2013)
  • 96% of smartphone users text message (Acision, 2013)
  • 98% of text messages are read, compared to 22% of emails, 29% of tweets and 12% of Facebook posts (Frost & Sullivan, 2011)
  • Email sucks (everyone)

Dear WhatsApp

top-3-messenger-apps

 

Just over a year ago, I wrote about the prolific rise of cross-platform mobile messaging apps along with the corresponding exodus of users in terms of “small circle conversation” on major social platforms. At that time , few people at my workshops or among clients ever  heard of WhatsApp. Even up until very recently, I would still get blank stares when asking people if they knew anything about it.

As of today that will no longer be an issue.

Facebook just bought WhatsApp for $19 Billion.