Kia To Launch Super Bowl Spot Via Messenger Chatbot

What Happened
Kia announced Monday that it will release its Super Bowl spot via NiroBot, the Facebook Messenger chatbot that the Lab created in collaboration with Ansible, as the auto brand looks to bolster the technologically advanced image of its new Niro crossover. Starting this Wednesday, Messenger users will be able to ask NiroBot to play Kia’s Super Bowl spot for Niro crossover starring Melissa McCarthy ahead of the game day.

What Brands Need To Do
Designed as a customer engagement tool, the NiroBot packs some great customer service functions including a guided vehicle discovery, comprehensive technical knowledge, and test-drive scheduling. Choosing the NiroBot as the place to launch its anticipated Super Bowl spot is a good way for Kia to draw attention to this new chatbot and send more customers on the discovery journey to learn more about its Niro model.

Facebook Messenger is used by more than one billion consumers worldwide monthly, and study has shown that more and more customers are opting to communicate with brands on social and chat apps. For brands looking to connect with customers on those messaging platforms, a well-designed chatbot is an effective tool that brands should consider for handling basic customer service and boosting engagement.

How We Can Help
The Lab has extensive experience in building branded chatbots to reach consumers on conversational interfaces. We’ve built a dedicated conversational practice called Dialogue, which aims to help brands build a chatbot experience supercharged by our stack of technology partners with best-in-class solutions and an insights engine that extracts business intelligence from conversational data.

If you’d like to learn more about how to effectively reach consumers on messaging apps and other conversational interfaces, or to leverage the Lab’s expertise to take on related clients and learning opportunities within the IPG Mediabrands, please contact our Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) to schedule a visit to the Lab.

 


Source: AdAge

Header image courtesy of Kia’s YouTube

Ansible And IPG Media Lab Launch NiroBot On Messenger To Introduce New Kia Model

Kia Motors America (KMA) on Thursday launched NiroBot, a chatbot for Facebook Messenger, to deliver instant access to comprehensive product information about the all-new 2017 Niro hybrid utility vehicle, making it among the first automotive brands in the U.S. to utilize Facebook Messenger.

Developed and implemented by Ansible, KMA’s agency partner, in collaboration with IPG Media Lab, the NiroBot aims to introduce consumers to the new model through automated, engaging conversations. You can start chatting with the NiroBot yourself to get an hands-on experience with this next-gen customer engagement tool by clicking here.

The NiroBot is packed with helpful features and eye-catching visual designs, including full-screen galleries, guided vehicle discovery, rich product specification menus, deep linking to kia.com, expansive technical information regarding the vehicle, step-by-step tutorials, and test drive scheduling calendars on a user-friendly interface. Additionally, the NiroBot can connect the user to a live Kia representative at any time during the chat.

convos-screenshot

Besides its comprehensive product-related functions, the NiroBot also comes with a charming personality that is designed to optimize the chat experience. It can tell jokes, offer witty answers to some driving-related questions, and greet customers with various phrases depending on the time of the day. These touches of personality truly elevate the experience and make the NiroBot fun to chat with.

Facebook Messenger is used by more than one billion consumers worldwide monthly, and those accessing the NiroBot for Messenger will benefit from comprehensive product information, multimedia product overviews and the ability to schedule a test drive of the first Kia vehicle to make use of an all-new, dedicated eco-car platform.

As consumer habits shifts, more and more customers are opting to communicate with brands on social and chat apps. Therefore, it is imperative that brands follow their audiences and look into ways to connect with them on those messaging platforms.

The Media Lab and Ansible have considerable experience with building chatbots and working with brands to apply conversational experiences to marketing. The One Direction fan experience The Lab developed for Sony Music on messaging app Kik earned a Smarties Award from the Mobile Marketing Association.

Please get in touch with the Lab’s Client Services Director Samantha Holland ([email protected]) or Ansible’s Account Director Merrell Middleton ([email protected]) if you’d like more information or have a client opportunity.

 


Source: PressWire

Kia Taps IBM’s Watson To Find Social Influencers For Its Super Bowl Campaign

What Happened
It’s not unusual for brands to use social media to amplify their Super Bowl campaigns on the second screen. But automaker Kia is trying a new approach this year by teaming up with IBM’s supercomputer Watson to tap into the latter’s AI cognitive power to help it find the right social influencers. The Korean auto brand worked with social marketing firm Influential to scout for influencers who exhibit the personality traits desired by Kia, such as “openness to change,” “artistic interest” and “achievement-striving.” Kia then selected around a hundred influencers and sent them colorful socks – a prop featured in its Super Bowl ads – to create fun content with.

What Brands Need To Do
By tapping into Watson’s computing power, Kia was able to find social influencers that specifically fit with its brand message. For other brands, this provides a good example in using new technology solutions to optimize the quality of paid UGCs and extend campaign reach on social media.  Moreover, it also points to the importance of having strong social content to support the TV spots as part of a holistic media campaign.

For more stories on how brands are leveraging new technologies to reach Super Bowl viewers, check out our coverage on Super Bowl 2016 here.

 


Source: Wall Street Journal

CES 2012 Video Blog: Kia Motors

The Kia Motors booth displayed one of our favorite innovations at CES 2012: the User-Centered Driving Display. It’s a prototype interface that uses an infra-red LED and camera to monitor a driver’s face– detecting changes in eye movement and eyelid and head position, and sounding an alarm when lack of alertness could cause an accident. Watch this video to see it in action:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rowGY8z6TQ0&w=560&h=345]

Top 10 reasons CES matters

The Lab team is heading to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week to roam the showrooms and take part in the massive gadget brain-exchange. We’ll be blogging live through the weekend–and here are 10 reasons you should stay tuned:

1. It’s like Paris’ Ready-to-Wear event of the year–but instead showcasing gadgets in Vegas. While there will be far more geeky men than hot models in pretty get-ups (I’ve already heard that a fellow digerati femme was one of only 10 women on her plane to Vegas), this is the place to look for what technologies and consumer electronics are coming down the line in ’09. THIS is the place where dreams are made, battles are won, hearts are broken. Okay, perhaps I’m pushing it. But, if you have any desire to keep abreast with technology, stay tuned (preferably here) for all the latest and greatest advances in consumer tech.

2. We might finally learn if this is the year the Internet will kill the TV star. (Check out the WSJ’s round up of reasons how it might). It likely won’t–but this year even a scaled back CES promises some amazing new solutions for watching video and TV via the Internet including two of my favorite new devices: New player ZeeVee is presenting their ZvBox which turns computers into an HDTV channel on your TV set; WhereverTV allows consumers to watch hundreds of international television shows on your television via the Internet (sign me up!)

Stay with me, I’ve got 8 more reasons CES is THE consumer event of the year: Continue reading “Top 10 reasons CES matters”