Software is eating the world

Sources:• Flurry. “Shopping, Productivity and Messaging Give Mobile Another Stunning Growth Year.” http://flurrymobile.tumblr.com/post/115194992530/shopping-productivity-and-messaging-give-mobile.• Evans, Benedict. “WhatsApp Sails Past SMS, But Where Does Messaging Go Next?” http://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2015/1/11/whatsapp-sails-past-sms-but-where-doesmessaging-go-next.• SocialTimes. “Snapchat Is the Fastest Growing Social Network (Infographic).” http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/snapchat-is-the-fastest-growing-social-network-infographic/624116.• Ofcom. The Communications Market 2015 (August). http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr15/.

Messaging as an operating system

Messaging apps are often becoming platforms – stealth operating systems on top of your existing OS. They’re one-stop portals to everything you need on your smartphone, infiltrating your life through the notifications panel.

Case-in-PointWeChat is facilitating more than chat:

• Peer-to-peer (P2P) payments

• Shopping

• Booking taxis

• Making restaurant reservations

• And more…

Sources:• Bloomberg. “Tencent Climbs as Ad Surge Boosts WeChat Earnings Outlook.” http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-18/tencent-earnings-surge-50-percent-on-higheronline-game-sales.• Fortune. “Slack Raises $200 Million at $3.8 Billion Valuation.” http://fortune.com/2016/04/01/slack-raises-200-million-at-3-8-billion-valuation/.

Marketers now have the opportunity to be more plugged in to their target consumers’ conversations. This is the dawn of the “post app” era and will be as transformational for businesses and consumers as apps were a decade ago.

Why is chat user interface (UI) preferred?“We already know how to chat, so making requests is easy.” – Nir Eyal, author of Hooked

Zero Learning Curve

Instantaneous or Asynchronous

Ideal for Customer Service

Privacy’s Last Great Refuge

Chat boils down to text on the right/left and input on the bottom – it’s digital second nature now for many. This instinctual understanding gives brands a head start when designing an engaging experience for their consumers.

Messaging gives customers quick access to information while on the go and can grant them answers even when brand representatives are not available. Brand service, therefore, becomes even more continuous and dependable.

People love to engage with brands for everything from satisfied reviews to customer service complaints. Chat apps allow customers the same opportunity, but in a discreet venue that’s more personal for the consumers and less damaging to brands.

Messaging apps, when compared to social media, pose a safer communication stream for consumer data. Most major chat companies (e.g., Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber) now have encryption enabled by default.

INFINITE CHAT INTEGRATIONS INTO BRANDED ECOSYSTEMS

Brands have always fished where the fish are

Today, that means expeditions into messaging apps. And brand integrations will only increase as each major messaging player creates its own “bot store.”

Facebook MessengerSuccessful integrations with Uber to reserve a car, KLM to provide boarding passes and flight updates, and many more.

KikOver 80 “promoted chats” with bots for brands like MTV, the Washington Post, and Skull Candy.

WeChatHome to over 10 million “official accounts” which are thin apps or bots.

Facebook, Kik and Skypehave all launched their own bot stores in the past year or two.

What might a chatbot interface look like in banking?

Financial ServicesIntegration with platforms seems unlikely due to privacy, security, and regulatory concerns. Folding chat functionality into your own apps seems more fit-for-purpose.

Easy request Voice “What’s my balance?”

Moderate request Text

Difficult request Card “How much mortgage can I afford?”

Complex request Micro-app “Will my children be better off if I give them everything?”

“I need to change my address.”

What might a chatbot interface look like in travel?

TravelTravel apps are already woven into naïve functionality on iOS and Google/Android. Tighter integration with them seems a given.

Easy request Voice “Is my flight on time?”

Moderate request Text

Difficult request Card “Where exactly is my departure gate?”

Complex request Micro-app “Show me tomorrow’s flights from LHR to JFK.”

“I’d like to use my points to upgrade my seat.”

User interface applications across industries

RetailAs a category, retail is vast. Some fashion and sports brands already have a strong ties to Snapchat and Facebook, while some electronics and software brands have strong adoption for their own apps.

Easy request Voice “What are your store hours?”

Moderate request Text

Difficult request Card “What goes with this jacket?”

Complex request Micro-app “I need to replace the video card in this old laptop.”

“I need to return these jeans.”

AutomotiveAs a category continues to adopt the Internet of Things, it’s easy to imagine apps having a greater role than they do today in customer interaction.

Easy request Voice “Play Father John Misty.”

Moderate request Text

Difficult request Card “Where did I park you?”

Complex request Micro-app “Why does the ‘check engine’ light keep blinking?”

“Did I lock the door?”

TelecommunicationsMany apps in this category already feature customer service and usage prompts. Adding chat functionality into the mix seems an obvious evolution.

Easy request Voice “How much data have I used this month?”

Moderate request Text

Difficult request Card “Which apps hog the most data?”

Complex request Micro-app “I want to suspend my account for three months.”

“I’ll be travelling this month and need data/voice roaming services.”

Consumer Packaged GoodsAs a category, retail is vast. Some fashion and sports brands already have a strong ties to Snapchat and Facebook, while some electronics and software brands have strong adoption for their own apps.

Easy request Voice “How many calories in just one Twix?”

Moderate request Text

Difficult request Card “What stores nearby carry your products?”

Complex request Micro-app “I’d like a custom blush to suit my skin tone.”

“Send me a box of diapers/nappies ASAP.”

Branded chat personas at work

The requirements of designing a successful chat experience are different than building websites or delivering apps. Figuring out the personality of the brand is key and questions that we’ve always asked when creating branded experiences take real prominence now. • Is your brand voice funny, smart, or authoritative?

• How is the bot going to behave when a customer asks an unrelated question or isn’t able to clearly communicate his/her issue?

So, what’s your chat strategy?

The right chat strategy, when executed well, will:• Give your brand the unparalleled opportunity of aligning

what it says with what it does

• Merge your brand’s persona with customer expectations to create a seamless, intuitive experience

• Allow you to have more personalized, one-on-one conversations with your customers

• Act as a Trojan horse for future explorations into artificial intelligence

Daniel Harvey Creative Director & Global Practice Lead, Experience Design, SapientNitro Londondharvey@sapient.com

About the Authors

Daniel is Creative Director & Global Practice Lead, Experience Design at SapientNitro in London. Before that he was Executive Creative Director at R/GA in New York. He’s led innovative work for clients like HBO, NatWest, and Verizon.

Kieron Leppard Creative Director, Experience Design, SapientNitro Londonkleppard@sapient.com

At heart, Kieron is an experience designer and a lover of all things digital. Since joining SapientNitro in 2010, he has worked for clients like Saks Fifth Avenue, British Airways, and RBS – and has picked up numerous awards along the way.