A skill for Amazon Alexa and Google Action by Speed-U-Up
by Simon Wiesinger & Kerstin Semmelrock
Have you already thought about what to do during you next trip to Tyrol? No? So probably you will not even have to waste your time by searching for adventures hiking paths and recommendable restaurants. Speed-u-up (SUU) has developed a solution in cooperation with the tourism organisation Tyrol, which allows us to ask Alexa or the Google assistant for insider tips for this region. Are you already curious what Tyrol has to offer?
What is SUU?
SUU is a digital service provider in the field of online marketing, setting a strong focus on new technologies. Since SUU is based in Innsbruck, they are mainly operating in the DACH region, where the company has managed to build a strong network within alpine tourist destinations. SUU is offering a wide range of future-orientated concepts to DMOs tourism associations, but also to single hotels. SUU is eager to serve individual customer needs and to offer their clients competitive advantages. Therefore, their team is trying to develop continuously and to adapt to upcoming trends. The company consists of different departments like a technology and system unit, a performance team, or a content studio. Their broad portfolio of digital solutions includes among others: marketing conversions, semantic annotation, skills for smart assistants, CRM, SME, programmatic advertising, newsletters, storytelling, blogging, content production or social media and influencer marketing (Speed-u-up, 2020; Rädler, 2020).
“Experience Tyrol”
SUU is already experienced in creating smart skills and voice apps for Alexa and co. and has recently developed a solution for the tourism organization Tyrol called “Experience Tyrol”, by co-creating in an open innovation process with several tourism destinations in Tyrol. This approach led to plenty of inputs from different stakeholders and SUU could add an enormous amount of information to the tool. Nevertheless, this smart skill doesn´t stop learning so new information can be added continuously (Speed-u-up,2020; Rädler, 2020). The skill “Experience Tyrol” is free to download and can be activated with the Amazon Echo Dot, a device that runs through Android 6.0+ or iOS10.0+ or Google Home. “Experience Tyrol” gives users insider tips on how to spend their time, where to eat and what to experience in Tyrol. Moreover, weather forecasts, insider stories, language training to get familiar to the local dialect and many more possibilities are provided. After the skill is installed on a fitting device (e.g. smartphone, Echo Dot, Google Home) it can be simply activated by using specific verbal formulations (Tirol Werbung, 2020).
Even if already more destinations started to use voice assistants, SUU in co-creation with the tourism organization Tyrol remains pioneers in this field. As mentioned before, they are trying to stay on the edge of knowledge when it comes to new technologies, to also develop innovative tech-solutions in future. Through this case, students got an overview of solutions that an online marketing agency offers to the tourism industry. Due to the fact that some students aim to work in the tourism sector later on, definitely some interesting insights.
References and further readings
https://www.ttr.tirol/innovation-und-inspiration/skilltirol
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07VWWJL1T
https://assistant.google.com/services/a/uid/000000e47a03bc4f?hl=de_de
Rädler, A. (2020; Mach 30th ; April 6th, ;May 10th). Speed-u-up. (Wiesinger S. Interviewer)