Tag: Chatbot

Hello and welcome to your weekly FWD.

At the centre of attention and creating (over) hype this week was the ‘weirdest event in internet history’ – the battle of the YouTubers, KSI and Logan Paul. Although, no one should be surprised that it was hijacked by pirates on Twitch. With YouTube charging $10USD to tune into the match, Twitch brought the game to the masses and indeed, ashore.

Advertising regulation was also full on, with Facebook removing 5,000 ad targeting options in a bid to prevent discrimination. “While these options have been used in legitimate ways to reach people interested in a certain product or service, we think minimizing the risk of abuse is more important. This includes limiting the ability for advertisers to exclude audiences that relate to attributes such as ethnicity or religion.” YouTube are also jumping on board with more non-skippable ads offered to advertisers. With more on the market being directed at larger catchments, how does this impact targeted marketing and segmented audiences?

HEADLINES

• Facebook removes 5000 ad targeting options to guard against discrimination and is adding a pixel to Groups sparking a resurgence in advocacy and the importance of ‘most engaged users’
• YouTube offers more partners the option of running non-skippables on their channels
• LinkedIn has opened its platform and (anonymised) data up to the academic research community, what could possibly go wrong?
• Using the power of those around you, Ad tech firm launches ‘relationship targeting’ to influence consumers through friends and family
• People are still using Flipboard! It’s actually adding users

INSIGHTS

• New blog from Google charts the usage patterns of voice use through the day
• What Google learnt from running ads for a made-up pizza company ‘Doctor Fork’
• People spent 85 billion hours in WhatsApp in the past 3 months
• How you will actually use AR in the home

COOL

• Retelling stories in Stories. New York Public Library are bringing classic literature to the Instagram format 
• Google’s new light search Go can now read you articles and web pages
• As Disney reveals the name of its Netflix challenger, Variety charts the streaming strategies being employed by all the key players

DEEP READS

• How the business community are viewing GDPR’s effect on advertising whilst this survey finds that the public feel no better about the sensitivity of their data three months after the introduction of the legislation
• Looking at a chatbot strategy that goes beyond customer service
• Say hello to the term ‘unship hate’. A look inside the monumental task that is moderating Facebook

Please feel free to pass OMD FWD onto your colleagues, clients and friends – they can subscribe here at any time and watch Wednesday’s get better! #OMDFWD

Now that CES is behind us for another year, we look beyond the Vegas Strip at tech news and developments from around the globe. First up, China’s leading messaging app ‘WeChat’ has released ‘mini programs’, embedded apps which require no download or install.  By removing this step in the consumer experience, could this be the “app store” as we know it? We’ll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, Facebook and Instagram’s Stories are increasing their ad usage. Whilst we’re seeing more and more ads, recent research has found the majority of Instagram users find their presence to be a seamless integration into the experience. Instagram demonstrates that branded content can work if done with thought and purpose. And finally, with a turbulent year behind us, check out this visual roundup of 2016 to change your perception. Go on…you might be surprised.

HEADLINES

• WeChat announces “mini programs”, embedded apps which require no download or install. Like ‘chatbots’, this is another tactic for keeping people in-App.
• More, more, more! More ads are to appear on Instagram, including on Instagram Stories, and it is said that Facebook is going to start showing mid-roll ads in video.
• The pressure is on Nintendo after pricing and timing are unveiled for its new console, the Switch.

INSIGHTS

• Amazon’s blockbuster Christmas is further exemplified by another study suggesting that it is overtaking Google as the first place customers go to search for products.
• Flurry reports that time spent in Apps increased by 69% last year – with Messaging and Social growing by a staggering 394%.
• It’s taken Instagram Stories just four months to get to the same number of daily active users – 150 million – that Snapchat reached after four years.

COOL

• BMW have developed an AR ‘Product Visualiser’ – interestingly powered by Google’s Tango technology – that enables customers to get close to and customise selected BMWi models that appear before their eyes.
• Beautifully put together and mightily impressive: Kickstarter’s 2016.
• Uber Movement aims to help cities ‘grow in a way that works for everyone’.

DEEP READS

• A much-needed warning: how AI systems may pick up bias from human creators.
• The ever-excellent Ben Evans on asking the wrong questions about what’s next.
• If you have the brain space for any more predictions then this set of 10 is worth a look. It includes a strong focus on the responsibility on tech’s mega businesses.

As ever, please read, learn and share away, #OMDFWD

Now that CES is behind us for another year, we look beyond the Vegas Strip at tech news and developments from around the globe. First up, China’s leading messaging app ‘WeChat’ has released ‘mini programs’, embedded apps which require no download or install.  By removing this step in the consumer experience, could this be the “app store” as we know it? We’ll just have to wait and see.

In the meantime, Facebook and Instagram’s Stories are increasing their ad usage. Whilst we’re seeing more and more ads, recent research has found the majority of Instagram users find their presence to be a seamless integration into the experience. Instagram demonstrates that branded content can work if done with thought and purpose. And finally, with a turbulent year behind us, check out this visual roundup of 2016 to change your perception. Go on…you might be surprised.

HEADLINES

• WeChat announces “mini programs”, embedded apps which require no download or install. Like ‘chatbots’, this is another tactic for keeping people in-App.
• More, more, more! More ads are to appear on Instagram, including on Instagram Stories, and it is said that Facebook is going to start showing mid-roll ads in video.
• The pressure is on Nintendo after pricing and timing are unveiled for its new console, the Switch.

INSIGHTS

• Amazon’s blockbuster Christmas is further exemplified by another study suggesting that it is overtaking Google as the first place customers go to search for products.
• Flurry reports that time spent in Apps increased by 69% last year – with Messaging and Social growing by a staggering 394%.
• It’s taken Instagram Stories just four months to get to the same number of daily active users – 150 million – that Snapchat reached after four years.

COOL

• BMW have developed an AR ‘Product Visualiser’ – interestingly powered by Google’s Tango technology – that enables customers to get close to and customise selected BMWi models that appear before their eyes.
• Beautifully put together and mightily impressive: Kickstarter’s 2016.
• Uber Movement aims to help cities ‘grow in a way that works for everyone’.

DEEP READS

• A much-needed warning: how AI systems may pick up bias from human creators.
• The ever-excellent Ben Evans on asking the wrong questions about what’s next.
• If you have the brain space for any more predictions then this set of 10 is worth a look. It includes a strong focus on the responsibility on tech’s mega businesses.

As ever, please read, learn and share away, #OMDFWD

During the announcement of Google Home at the opening of the Google I/O conference, Sundar Pichai, Google CEO, mentioned that 20% of mobile queries are now voice searches. While the market for virtual assistant slowly heats up, a MindMeld survey found that there has been a significant increase in the number of people now using voice assistant and voice search capabilities within the past 6 months. Transactional queries will become even more common as virtual assistants integrate a range of third-party services such as OpenTable, Spotify, WhatsApp, Uber and Ticketmaster. While the topic of voice and virtual assistants can be a conversation starter with tech hobbyists, it is also true that the general public is now starting to take interest in this field.

HEADLINES

•  Facebook announced updates to Pages for business, adding integrations with third-party e-commerce platforms and an enhanced Recommendations feature for people to link directly to businesses they rate highly.
• UK retailer Game has come under fire from some gamers for charging £5 to try PlayStation VR for 10 minutes. Long heralded as a watershed for VR in the mainstream, PlayStation say they had “hundreds of thousands” of pre-orders.
• Nintendo announced Switch, “one of the most revolutionary consoles ever” – a unique hybrid between a traditional console and a handheld, released Spring 2017.

INSIGHTS

• The state of mobile commerce in five charts.
• Google announce that 20% of searches (on their mobile app and Android devices) are voice.
• Flip Dive: a case study in mobile ad monetisation.

COOL

• A new series of Humans comes to the UK and with it a smart campaign featuring a Facebook Messenger bot and product recall website.
• Play “digital dress up” with this Shakespeare Magic Mirror.
• Unilever create a chatbot to create unique stories that help teach kids how to brush their teeth.

DEEP READS

• Apple wants to get in your house before you buy it.
• Google’s in-house VR filmmaker on making VR movies you’d actually want to watch.
• Two views on AI from people worth listening to, both courtesy of Wired. The first from their co-founder Kevin Kelly, and second from recent interviewee, the soon to be outgoing (sob) POTUS.

Share anything you see through the week with the hashtag #OMDFWD

With the continued popularity and hype around Pokemon Go, the spotlight on Augmented Reality is bright with attention on Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality also increasing. The future of these technologies is still uncertain but hints of what is to come can be seen in recent industry headlines. Whilst the battle for which technology platform becomes the norm continues, the BBC has launched BBC Sport360 and NBC has an called NBC Sports, both of which will put you at the the heart of the Rio Olympics through VR capabilities. Sports fans are able to experience the closing ceremony, athletics, boxing and many more activities through 360-degree storytelling. Not all of us will have this technology lying around the house, but Facebook mentioned in April that more than 1 million people had used their VR Gear (a Facebook Samsung collaboration) for an array of experiences – from sports and movies to video games. Even more exciting is what type of product and user experiences VR will unlock for brands as the spotlight on this technology increases. Share anything you spot that is interesting with #OMDFWD

HEADLINES

• Facebook is testing streaming videos – including Live – to TVs via Apple TV and Chromecast, including the option to minimise the video and carry on with other phone activities.
• Snapchat is rumoured to be developing scannable ads – think Blippar but with over 150 million daily active users.
• Both the BBC and NBC are broadcasting selected Olympic events – some live – in 360 and VR, including for the Samsung Gear.

INSIGHTS

• Kik users have sent branded chatbots over 2 billion messages.
• How teens are using Snapchat.
• What Sky has learned from VR so far.

COOL

• MIT Media Lab develop temporary tattoos that act as an ‘on skin’ interface.
• J Crew uses Instagram Stories to tease its new sunglasses range.
• Vroom turns the HTC Vive into a Virtual Showroom for cars.

DEEP READS

• An interview with Tim Cook, in which he talks about the importance of AR for Apple.
• A Q&A with Facebook’s Director of AI Research, Yann LeCun.
• ‘The Apple Watch is the most anxiety inducing device I’ve ever owned.’