Over the last few months, we've been taking a closer look at voice assistant devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. In this episode, we share how we overcame our scepticism of their usefulness and explore how these devices are used. We also question what effect they might have on future marketing. Ciaran took up a challenge laid down by digital marketing author, speaker and podcast listener, Dr Geraint Evans. Geraint agreed to try and convince Ciaran of the voice assistant's value in an interview which we recorded back in December 2018. As you will hear, Ciaran wasn't having any of it back then, but since spending time with Geraint and playing with a Google Assistant that now lives permanently in his kitchen, he has come around and is a big fan. Daniel's journey with the devices started at Christmas when he obtained both an Alexa device and a Google Home device. Since being installed, he's explored and experimented with these in many ways, including getting them to talk to one another. The global growth in the popularity of voice assistant devices such as the Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant makes them potentially a new and impactful medium for anyone working in marketing. We found you need to own one to understand the effect they have on the user. If you haven't played with voice assistants, we'd recommend you get one and start playing. They are an interesting thing. Useful Links Get In touch with Dr Geraint Evans What Was Google Wave? Google Assistant App Amazon Alexa App Learn how to build an Alexa Skill Interesting Voice Assistant SEO research recently published by SEMRush.