MARKET - Think with Google Posting is a MUST READ

Here are two summaries with links to the article/research: The most helpful brands will win

“Assistance is really the new battleground for growth. As expectations of the empowered consumer continue to rise, the most assistive brands will win.”  That was Google President of the Americas Allan Thygesen in his opening remarks for a panel discussion at CES this week. Joining him on stage to discuss how marketers can drive their businesses to better assist the new super-empowered consumer were Dean Evans, CMO of Hyundai Motor America, and Keith Bryan, senior VP of media engagement & personalization for Best Buy. Some key takeaways: Embrace the new reality: Bryan noted that Best Buy learned to lean in to showrooming. As Thygesen said, marketers should make sure their brands “embrace the fact that today’s consumer can get whatever she wants, whenever she wants it–and focus on the expanding opportunities to create useful, meaningful connections throughout daily life.” Speed it up: “Frictionless retail is happening all around us,” said Hyundai’s Evans. “Speed is the number one consumer demand today.” Master your data: “To be helpful to people, we have to know them as individual customers,” said Best Buy’s Bryan. “To do that well you need data. You need the technology to do something with the data. And you need the media … to make sure you can reach customers for each opportunity to assist them.” Read more

Consumers speak up about voice-activated speakers

One thing consumers are turning to for assistance is the voice-activated speaker. Voice was one of the hot topics at CES this year. Google wanted to know why and how consumers are using their new devices, so we conducted in-home ethnographies with voice-activated speaker owners. What we found is that people are not only learning how to use the devices, they’re weaving them into their lives and daily routines. And in some instances, they’re forging a new kind of bond with technology, one that’s often much more personal than in the past. "It becomes a device that isn't a device anymore,” one person told us. “It's an entity in your life that's always behind the scenes for things you need. It hasn't let me down."