Study: Smart speaker use in Canada
By Adnews Staff
Mindshare Canada of Toronto has released the results of a study of the use of internet-connected speaker devices by Canadians. These devices, such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod, listen for voice commands from users and return the results as audio.
According to the study, Canadian consumers find these voice search functions to be useful, but they also expressed concerns about privacy and safety. The study found that 40% of English-speaking Canadians use this technology regularly or occasionally, compared to 33% of French-speaking Canadians. In addition, Apple's Siri system is the most popular option among English-speaking consumers, while French-speaking consumers prefer Google's Alexa system.
"There are articles emerging everyday telling marketers how to make the most of voice search, but our research clearly shows there are some basics that consumers need before we start getting too ambitious with the platform," said Sarah Thompson, CSO of Mindshare Canada. "Clearly Canadians have questions that they ask to their IPhone, Alexa and Google Home, but they have big concerns on the value of the experience and the protection of their data. Voice search is coming. Brands that are considering their audiences first and how they can use this service to answer questions and be helpful will benefit first."