A+ for Amazon
Published on October 12, 2016, at 11:20 p.m.
By Ashley Stults
Amazon recently launched a PR campaign of 10-second ads promoting its smart speaker product, Amazon Echo. Released in the U.S. in 2015, Echo was an instant hit. The product often referred to as Alexa is a speaker device that is capable of playing music, taking voice commands, setting alarms, and providing traffic and weather updates in real time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCoiKdbb_rY
The campaign titled “Alexa Moments” features funny questions or requests actual customers have asked Alexa. According to Amazon, this campaign was developed to show off Alexa’s capabilities. This simple yet funny campaign was launched Oct. 3 in an effort to combat Google’s rival product, “Google Home.” Amazon’s campaign is nothing short of excellent and utilizes great PR strategies. The videos are short, funny and show off the product in a comical way. The messaging is clear, concise and consistent across all channels. Amazon chose to showcase its product instead of tearing down Google’s, and so far, it’s working.
One particular clip features a man looking at his tattoo in the bathroom mirror. He then asks Alexa how to spell “eternal.” After Alexa spells the word, the man then asks, “Where is the nearest tattoo removal?” While the humor attracts views, this clip also demonstrates how easy the product is to use and how well it fits into everyday life. Several other clips feature moms and husbands, displaying the wide variety of users and the convenience this product offers for every type of person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r5umWDNpYs
After each ad, Alexa is shown and a hashtag on the screen appears, #JustAsk. This hashtag communicates to users that all they have to do is ask Alexa, reiterating the product’s ease of use. Amazon’s products are designed to add simplicity to users’ lives, and the hashtag spans across all of Amazon’s social media accounts, sending this clear message to consumers and building the brand relationship. Another benefit of the hashtag is that it continually connects Amazon to its customers. Because the hashtag is consistent across all platforms, it creates a unified message that is easy for audiences to grasp and enhances the brand experience.
The campaign corresponds with Amazon’s 30-second TV commercial titled Break Up that features a young daughter upset because she and her boyfriend split up. Her ex shows up on their lawn and her dad uses Alexa to turn the sprinkler system on. Both the commercial and the 10-second videos highlight situations where Alexa could be helpful, while adding a bit of humor. Humor is often hard to do in PR, but Amazon did it well.
With similar speaker devices becoming popular, Amazon has to ensure its product stays relevant. These ads put a smile on people’s faces while still highlighting the product’s cool features. Amazon’s PR efforts for Alexa have truly taken off and have become an example of successful PR.
