Voice assistants and how they affect consumer behavior

Abstract

The launch of Siri, the first commercially successful voice integrated virtual assistant in 2010 is by many seen as the start of a new technology paradigm. In 2019, voice assistants are widely integrated in a number of different devices and contexts. With the penetration and dispersion of voice assistants, it is important for key stakeholders to understand if and if so, how consumer behavior vary in different environments. Through a survey implementing the kano model coupled with a tech adoption model, this thesis aims to explain differences in consumer behavior with voice assistants, across environments, demographics and psychographics. The analysis showed that there were no significant differences in importance of attributes across environments, but instead differences were identified across the attributes themselves. Additionally, early tech adopters valued shopping on voice assistants more than the average voice assistant user. User frequency for specific activities proved to be based mainly on context and convenience. When it comes to voice commerce, voice assistants are mainly used for early stages of the consumer purchasing process, being information search and evaluating alternatives. These findings are ultimately translated into managerial implications for key stakeholders in business.