Hearst is hearing opportunities in Amazon Echo and Google Home.
To date, Elle, O, The Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Esquire have all tested voice features. “Esquire Wisdom” — dispensing tips on fashion, food and relationships — launched this week on Google Home. First up: Fourth of July weekend grilling and picnic tips.
“It’s a unique opportunity for the brand to bring its voice to life, literally,” said Sheel Shah, director of mobile growth and innovation at Hearst Magazines Digital Media. “Esquire’s tone and point of view is both engaging and fun, a perfect combination for voice platforms. Because it’s still early days for adoption on voice platforms, we believe simplicity, quality and relevance are key.”
Good Housekeeping debuted last your on Amazon Echo with stain-removal tips, read by Carolyn Forte, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab. O featured a reading of Oprah’s book “What I Know For Sure.” Elle moved into Amazon Alexa in May with a daily horoscope feature that plays when prompted with, “Alexa, open Horoscope.” The program is an extension of the magazine’s monthly horoscope, which is compiled by twin sisters Ophira and Tali Edut, known as The Astro Twins.
“We want to engage consumers where they’re spending time. With [platforms like] Google Assistant, we can bring a new form of entertainment to our fans each day,” Shah said.
