29 percent have already had sexual fantasies with their voice-controlled assistant

The success of voice-controlled technologies is primarily due to consumers' need for faster and more efficient access to information. This is shown by the results of the global study "Speak Easy" by the agencies J. Walter Thompson and Mindshare. Together with the neuroscientific market research company Neuro-Insight, the two WPP agencies investigated the brain's reactions to the use of voice-controlled technologies in comparison with touchscreen or button operation. The results showed that voice output is less tiring than screen-based operation. The study also showed that pronouncing a brand name creates a significantly higher emotional connection than typing it in.

As no data was collected for Switzerland, the results from Germany are discussed below in addition to the global findings.

Number of users will increase, brands should be ready

Elizabeth Cherian, UK Director of the J. Walter Thompson Innovation Group: "Voice technology is brilliant - it can act as a constant companion or 'digital butler' in the form of a smart speaker or be used in other tech products that consumers already use, such as cars, to provide us with valuable information. 87% of all respondents are therefore also of the opinion that voice-controlled technologies can make life considerably easier, provided they work accurately. As accuracy in the field of artificial intelligence is constantly being improved by new developments, more and more consumers will have access to the technology in the future. Brands have an ideal opportunity to engage with consumers about this technology now."

Google entered the German market with voice search back in 2009, followed by Cortana and Amazon Alexa in 2016. Djingo (from Orange) has been live since the beginning of 2017, while Google Home and Allo will also launch their services this year. The Google Search app is the most popular among German users, followed by Siri and Google Now or Google Assistant / Cortana.

Findings for Germany

The proportion of Germans who regularly use these applications is rather low in a global comparison (23% compared to 31%). So far, skepticism has prevailed - this is also reflected in the fact that, in a global comparison, twice as many German consumers state that they never want to use voice-controlled technologies, while 39% of non-users see no point in using them. Reasons for using voice-controlled technologies include saving time, the fun factor and convenience. 63% of voice-controlled technology users are male, the majority are between 18 and 34 years old (45%) and have a high income (51%).

With your voice away from the screen: German consumers often talk about the negative impact of smartphone use on personal interaction. Voice-controlled technologies can help to take people away from the screen. This is also the view of 53% of smartphone users surveyed globally.

Keep the personality of the voice simple: The utility value of the technology has priority for German consumers. They see no added value in the creation of an individualized personality for the application. However, an international comparison shows a completely different picture: according to the survey, users fall in love with voice-controlled assistants and even have sexual fantasies with them (29%).

The focus is on efficiency: Voice-controlled technologies are used to complete tasks more efficiently. German users mainly use the technology because it makes life easier - 39% of global respondents agree. Voice-controlled technologies are mainly used by German users for online searches (64%) and for asking questions (63%) - both factors are above the global average.

Key findings of the global study:

Trend 1: Intimacy with voice assistants

74% of smartphone users worldwide would use voice assistants permanently if they worked correctly and could speak as well as a human. Like other intelligent machines, voice assistants will learn to understand the user better - this will make users even more loyal to voice assistants. For example, 42% of users already say they talk to their voice assistant when they are lonely. 37% of users surveyed have even declared their love to their voice assistant. For brands, this means that voice assistants will select content for users in the future - algorithm optimization is the new SEO of brands for this technology.

Trend 2: Easing the cognitive load

The "Speak Easy" report shows that efficiency is the biggest motivation for using voice-controlled technologies. 45% of regular users say that they use it to save time, while 35% use the technology for convenience.

According to the study, vocal interaction has a lower level of brain activity than screen-based operation. This means that voice control causes less cognitive load. The study also showed that pronouncing a brand name evokes a deeper emotional connection than simply typing it.

Trend 3: Voice-controlled technology takes consumers away from the screen

53% of global smartphone users believe that "voice-controlled technology helps people to interact more with each other as they don't have to constantly look at a screen". This opens up new opportunities for brands to interact with their target groups. Brands need to ensure that their service or content is easily accessible via voice control. Brands also need to find a way to attract consumers' attention with engaging content via the Internet of Things.

Trend 4: Consumers hand over control to "digital butlers"

Voice assistants are increasingly becoming proactive service providers that provide the user with comprehensive advice and valuable suggestions, like a "digital butler" - many users would allow the voice assistant to make decisions for them.

Trend 5: Concerns about privacy

Users continue to worry about their privacy - personal data security is still a major issue, the guarantee of which is an absolute priority in five of the nine countries surveyed (UK, Germany, Spain, China, Australia), especially among potential users. Half of the people surveyed worldwide are concerned that companies may be listening in on their conversations with voice assistants. This shows that providers of the technology must earn the trust of users through an adequate track record before loyalty to voice assistants can be intensified.

Jeremy Pounder, Futures Director at Mindshare: "Voice-controlled technology will be very popular as it offers users an intuitive way to interact with technology. The technology per se no longer gets in the way of consumers, but delivers the information they want without detours and with little effort. As the bond with voice assistants becomes stronger, brands are increasingly challenged to be chosen by these powerful assistants for users."

About the study

"Speak Easy" is a global trend study on the topic of voice-controlled technology and its implications for brands. The study was conducted by the J. Walter Thompson Innovation Group London together with Mindshare Futures.

The study can be accessed at Jwtintelligence.com downloaded free of charge.

The basics of the study:

Neuroscientific experiment

In partnership with Neuro-Insight, J. Walter Thompson used Steady-State Topography (SST) to measure how the brain responds to the use of voice-activated technology for a range of tasks compared to text or input alternatives. 102 smartphone users and Amazon shoppers between the ages of 18 and 65 took part.

Qualitative evaluation

Over 30 UK respondents took part in a two-week self-ethnography project that assessed their behaviors and attitudes in a series of tasks using speech technology. 12 of these participants in the UK formed two focus groups where more detailed research was conducted. Similar focus groups were studied in Shanghai in partnership with Kantar. A mixed group of frequent users (using voice-controlled technology at least once a week) and less frequent users (using voice-controlled technology less than once a week) was created. About 40 percent of the frequent users already owned an Amazon Echo / Dot device.

Expert interviews

As part of the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with experts from the fields of artificial intelligence (AI), neuroscience, marketing, sound design and radio.

Quantitative analysis

Over 1000 smartphone users aged 18 and over were surveyed in four countries (UK, USA, Germany and Spain) as part of a quantitative survey using Sonar, J. Walter Thompson's proprietary market research tool. J. Walter Thompson also worked with Kantar to conduct a survey of 500 smartphone users aged 18 and over in five other countries (Thailand, Japan, Australia, China and Singapore). The total number of respondents worldwide was 6780.

Secondary research

International, cross-category case studies were compiled using secondary research.

DingDong partnership

Ling Long Tech provided DingDong Home Smart smart speakers for the focus group research. J. Walter Thompson cooperates with Ling Long Tech to develop branded content and solutions for DingDong Home Smart users in China.