Chris Gould from AIM kicked off the first session setting the scene talking about the eco system of connected devices and where we are now with the smart speaker market.
Matt Deegan from Folder Media then talked about Fun Kids, which was primarily a radio platform but now more focused on delivering content for kids and families on various platforms and connected devices. Matt talked about their cross platform strategy and how they focus on content and package that up for various platforms.
Matt talked about Fun Kids strategy for smart speakers as well, including how the station continues to think about new ways to work with the technology. He gave an example of their new Fun Kids Facts skill, which allows kids to ask Alexa for facts.
Chris then talked about smart speakers and how the audience has grown rapidly. He said that “40% of Bauer’s internet hours are coming from a smart speaker at the moment”. However the technology is not perfect, they make mistakes. For example Alexa might select the wrong station for one with the same name but in a different country. Through initiatives such as Australia’s RadioApp, built by the radio industry, you fix this with enhance matching methods to find the right station.
Joe D’Angelo from Xperi then talked about connected cars. The vehicle industry is changing and they are now providing rich engaging experiences for drivers, by including now playing information displayed in car. He talked about how they work with public open sources, aggregators and directly with radio stations to accomplish this. They also collect listening metrics from their platform and exploring ways to deliver added value back to broadcasters.
