Emma Muckersie — February 10, 2018 — February 10, 2018
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In our newly launched report, we identified chatbots as a key tech trend to watch. But where is this technology already making its mark? In this blog post, we take a look at how and where chatbots are taking off and share our thoughts on what brands need to consider to successfully harness the chatbot opportunity.
How are brands using chatbots?
The most significant application of chatbots at present is for customer service. The use and popularity of chatbots for this purpose should come as no surprise. Brands that can provide customers with near instant enquiry and issue resolution are not only attractive from a customer service perspective, but from a business perspective, they provide a means of standardizing the service that customers receive, and quickening the response time.
Beyond applications to customer service, brands are using chatbots to facilitate everything from taking bookings and reservations, right through to processing purchases. You can now do everything from checking the status of your Domino’s delivery right through to requesting an Uber ride via chatbot.
Where are chatbots taking off?
The first chatbots appeared on websites and within apps but now, chatbots are springing up on a number of popular social platforms. Chatbots have been available on Facebook’s Messenger app since 2016 and already, there are 100,000 chatbots on the platform. Chatbots are soon to make an appearance on WhatsApp, as part of the firm’s WhatsApp Business app. The availability of chatbots on such high profile instant messaging apps provides the technology with a huge potential audience that could really spur its growth.
What do brands need to consider to tap into the chatbot opportunity?
As this technology becomes ever more popular and businesses start to develop their own chatbots, brands will have to think carefully about how they can deliver a strong brand experience through the chatbot interface that is consistent with the interactions that customers make on other channels. To date, brand identity has been closely tied to visuals. Chatbots change this, making a distinctive personality and tone of voice more important than ever. How do you draw on this to create a persona for your chatbot that truly encapsulates your brand? This is a question many brands will need to crack as they develop their first chatbots.
Want to learn more about chatbots, their future growth potential and the opportunities they could provide for engaging consumers and stakeholders in research? Download our latest report: Tech Trends Transforming The Insight Industry.
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