Paddy Power makes quirky Amazon Echo debut
Users can receive betting tips and alternative sports news via the operator’s new voice powered ‘skill’
Paddy Power has become the first bookmaker to launch a ‘skill’ on Amazon’s voice-activated devices using the ecommerce giant’s Alexa service.
Punters can request betting tips and Paddy Power-esque sports news, which is read aloud when Alexa is asked for the day’s Flash Briefing.
According to marketing publication The Drum, Paddy Power sports stories have so far included news that Manchester United’s Juan Mata hates fish and chips, a theory for Facebook’s new fake news filter and rapper Snoop Dogg’s golfing exploits.
The skill, which is a capability that enables customers to interact via voice, is available on Amazon’s Alexa enabled devices, including Echo, Dot and Tap.
“Of course, using your voice to interact with technology is nothing new,” Stephen McMeel, Paddy Power product innovation maganer, told The Drum.
“Apple’s Siri has been around for more than five years – but people are generally too self-conscious to stroll around in public while barking orders into their smartphone,” Stephen McMeel, Paddy Power product researcher, told The Drum.
“Those clever sausages at Amazon have realised this, and are betting that people will feel more liberated when using devices within the comfort of their own homes – where strangers and neighbours can’t witness their deviant tendencies.
“I’m certainly a convert. Being able to set a timer with just your voice, when your hands are covered in raw chicken, is surprisingly satisfying.”
In an effort to improve customer engagement, Paddy Power recently made its Facebook Messenger debut, with a chatbot dedicated to offering punters updates on upcoming sports events and tongue-in-cheek entertainment news, similar to the Amazon news bulletin.
A separate experimental Messenger chatbot was revealed ahead of last weekend’s Grand National.