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Siri Will Change How Shoppers Shop
Wed Mar, 2012 by Derek Mehraban
Siri is not yet in the hands of many people but it soon will be. More and more people are migrating to faster and more powerful smartphones. Siri-like apps are also coming to Android devices and to earlier versions of the iPhone. The potential for Siri, and Siri-like apps, to change shopping is significant.
More than one third of shoppers are already using Siri or would like to use Siri to help them when shopping. Common uses would be to check prices at other vendors or to send Siri in search of coupons while shopping. Another common usage would be to have Siri check inventories at another store, but that does not seem to involve a trade-off as customers have a store preference already or a store is out of stock, having already lost the sale.
The industry most affected by this innovation would be grocery stores. These are better suited for Siri’s ability to compare prices and to make lists. Electronics is another vendor type that seems vulnerable to Siri’s game changing ways.
The social media agencies most effective tool for this change would be to fully understand how Siri does searches. Even if a user prefers to use Bing maybe Siri prefers Google. Siri’s integration with other apps, such as Yelp, will also be necessary to keep tabs on. Brands will need to prioritize the importance of being present and relevant to searches conducted by Siri.
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