Whirlpool’s KitchenAid brand introduced a smart display at CES that responds to voice commands on Google Assistant, the search giant’s virtual assistant. Read more…
Category: Uncategorized
The recent Der Spiegels candal that revealed an award-winning reporter had fabricated information in more than a dozen stories is a reassuring exercise in press freedom. Read more…
The market for IPOs of digital publishers isn’t likely to improve this year without stronger signs that investors are willing to take on more risk. Read more…
Anyone whose professional title includes the words “publisher” or “editor” must consider the lessons from social media influencers in developing a personal brand. Read more…
The evolution of music journalism includes some hints about its future — whatever the medium. Read more…
Publishers faced with declining print revenue have sought to diversify their business models in ways to provide deeper connections among advertisers and readers. Read more…
Amnesty worked with Dutch agency Tosti Creative on the magazine, which was limited to 200 copies as part of a campaign for the “Don’t Look Away” petition. Read more…
Gartner
Twenty-five percent of customer service and support operations will integrate virtual customer assistant (VCA) or chatbot technology across engagement channels by 2020, up from less than 2 percent in 2017, according to Gartner.
Organizations report a reduction of up to 70 percent in call, chat and/or email inquiries after implementing a VCA, according to Gartner research. They also report increased customer satisfaction and a 33 percent saving per voice engagement.
20 percent of brands will abandon their mobile apps by 2019. Many brands have found that mobile applications aren’t delivering the level of adoption and customer engagement they expected. Brands are investing to build presence in consumer messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger and WeChat, to reach customers where they spend more time.
Mulesoft / Deloitte
65 percent of consumers would like to use popular messaging services such as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger or iMessage to securely interact with organizations. The percentage is higher among millennial consumers (ages 18 to 34) at 78 percent, according to survey by Deloitte on behalf of MuleSoft.
Consumers are willing to speak to a “robot” if it means they get a superior level of service compared with speaking to a human. About half (48 percent) of respondents cited 24/7 customer service as the biggest benefit of chatbots, followed by not having to wait on the phone (46 percent), having queries answered quicker (37 percent), hopping in and out of conversations (35 percent) and buying something or making a payment more quickly (22 percent).
79 percent of consumers think they will benefit from intelligent chatbots that can offer a superior level of customer service in the future.
43 percent of consumers have engaged with a chatbot when contacting an organization in the prior 12 months, most commonly when interacting with a retailer or a bank.
Geographic Breakdown of Consumer Interaction with Chatbot
Country | Percentage |
Singapore | 64 |
U.S. | 48 |
Netherlands | 43 |
Australia | 43 |
Germany | 41 |
U.K. | 29 |
When you engaged with a chatbot, what was the result?
My query was completely resolved/answered by the chatbot | 38 |
I was asked to call a customer service representative directly | 26 |
The chatbot was unable to resolve/answer my query as it didn’t have access to the necessary information/systems | 19 |
I was directed to a web form | 14 |
The app is reportedly the first time a movie scene has been recreated in 3D augmented reality for mobile users. Read more…
Publishers that have struggled to adapt to competition from digital channels need to consider how commerce fits with the changing needs of audiences. Read more…