The Product
Amazon Echo is a voice command device and a wireless speaker that was launched in 2015 by Ecommerce giant Amazon.com. Originally, it was called a tube shaped voice assistant, but in the last one year Echo has managed to take over several households. The success of Echo has resulted in introduction of variants such as Dot and Tap. The voice assistant used in Echo is called Alexa and it is the voice command used to activate the device. Echo can be used for many things such as playing music, listening to news, weather, alarm clock, work calendar, entertainment, to-do-lists, and many more things (Palladino).
Innovation Process
The adoption process, which includes awareness, interest, evaluation, trial and adoption / rejection, applies to the product as Amazon Echo has gone through these stages and had been gained some form of acceptance in voice assistant market. In 2014, Amazon introduced Echo and in 2015 it was launched which helped in creating awareness of the product among customers. The interest generated has helped Amazon to sell several Echo products to many households. Evaluation of the product from customers has been successful as many customers have been using the product and its success has helped Amazon to launch its variants Tap and Dot. The last one year has been a successful trial has resulted in adoption of Echo in the market.
The diffusion process is made of innovators, early adopters, early majority, later majority and the laggards. The innovators and early adopters are risk-takers who were willing to buy Echo when the product was launched either due to their interest or trusting the Amazon brand name. Early majority consists of people who hear the positive reviews for the product and feel they need to experience the product. Later majority consists of customers who adopt Echo after it has been proven to be a success in the market and many people around them have the product. Laggards are the customers who might not buy Echo, until no other options are available.
Amazon’s aim of introducing Echo is completely changing the way consumers behave. Therefore, Echo is supposed to be a discontinuous innovation that replaces the menial methods of performing daily activities and using Echo as replacement for several activities. The product provides added value in terms of voice assistance as buyers can rely on the smart technology of Echo and ease of use makes it adoption easier. There are barriers to adoption such as understanding the device, user acceptance, proof of value, cost, reliability, etc. After using Echo for a few days, all these barriers can be overcome, also the having a positive outlook towards the product can make product adoption easier.
The five features that affect product adoption are relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, complexity, and observability. There are relative advantages of adapting Amazon Echo as it is an all-in-one voice assistant to make customer’s life easier. The compatibility of Echo can be understood through the benefits it provides and the needs it fulfils in daily life.
Complexity in case of Amazon Echo is significantly lower as it relatively easier to use and customers develop a habit of using Echo. Trialability determines the rate of diffusion experienced by Echo, which has reached the majority of customers. Observability means the ease of watching the advantages of Echo, which means the Echo’s advantages, are easily observable by the society.
Conclusion
Amazon Echo has become a one-stop solution for many individuals and families as the Alexa voice assistant has become part of their daily life. Echo’s is going through the adoption and diffusion processes and its success can be measured through the niche it has developed as a voice assistant. Amazon is a discontinuous innovation that is aiming to change the way consumers understand and behave with voice assistant technology.
Works Cited
Palladino., Valentina. One year after Alexa: Amazon’s Echo has found a small but smart niche, Ars Technica. Arstechnica.com. 9 May 2016. Web. 10 May 2016.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/05/one-year-after-alexa-amazons-echo-has-found-a-small-but-smart-niche/
