When Amazon first released the Amazon Echo, also known as Alexa, it was one of the first smart products brought to mass consumers. What some might say is just a fancy, wireless speaker, Alexa behaves like an assistant who can make consumers’ lives easier. For example, Alexa can add products to a virtual shopping list, helping drive ecommerce through Amazon.com. She can also be configured in a smart home to turn the lights off when you say “Alexa, go to bed.” Now, she can also plan your Super Bowl Party.
For CPG products, ecommerce has been a hot topic when it comes to shopper strategies, however the code has not yet been cracked. Today, only 2% of CPG sales are done through ecommerce, largely because of Amazon. Could Alexa’s willingness to curate a shopping list for you and then have the items delivered without you have to do anything but speak finally crack the code? Perhaps. Connecting to a highly relevant shopping occasion such as the Super Bowl seems like a great test area to take shoppers beyond the “how” devices are connected to the “why” devices should be connected. For your Super Bowl 50, whether you want to order snacks online or have a pizza delivered, Alexa is there.
What shopper occasion will Alexa help us with next? An Oscars party? A graduation celebration? The possibilities seem endless but only time will tell if shoppers let Alexa (or Amazon) become their everyday shopping companion.
