Havas Media Group has selected Say It Now, a London-based adtech firm, to lead its voice commerce in Canada.
Created in 2018, Say It Now specialises in voice marketing and commerce, claiming to have a ‘unique’ product in a ‘rapidly growing’ sector.
The news comes two months after the big six agency launched Staybl, a ‘first-of-its-kind’ web browser application designed to compensate for hand tremors and improve digital experiences for people living with Parkinson’s Disease.
The exclusive two year partnership across Canada will see Havas become the agent for Actionable Audio Ads (CTV/outdoor advertising). Say It Now will also grow the ‘creative capacity’ surrounding Actionable Ads, benefiting from the resources of Havas’ creative, media, and investment offerings.
“The objective of this dynamic partnership is to rapidly build scale and to secure a leading position in a bilingual market with a comprehensive voice ad technology offering,” Havas Media Group said.
“From interactive voice ads to proactive and responsive suggestions, voice commerce is emerging as a real source of revenue for companies looking to prove ROI on their voice investments.”
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Havas has a pre-existing relationship with GetStarted, a North American voice technology platform founded by tech entrepreneur Norbert Horvath. In 2021 Say It Now acquired GetStarted to accelerate its strategic growth and consolidate its market leading position, which resulted in the finalisation of this deal.
“At HMG we are constantly searching for ways to further improve the Media Experience that we build for clients and connect them with their target audience in the most meaningful ways, wherever they are and through whatever content they consume,” Havas Media Group director of investments Nick Cedar said.
“Voice commerce, and Actionable Audio, is an exciting development in the way that brands speak with their Canadian customers and we’re thrilled to partner with Say It Now to deliver more meaningful media experiences for our clients.”
The collaboration from the big six agency in Canada was led by Nick Cedar, Director of Investments.
Say It Now chief technology officer Nobert Horvath added: “The team at Havas is always striving for better ways to serve their extraordinary client base, and their recognition of the huge potential of voice commerce has delivered Say it Now a significant opportunity to collaborate with their exceptional teams to deliver meaningful Actionable Audio campaigns for their clients – many of the most trusted and successful brands in the world.”
“Emerging technologies such as voice commerce stand to shake up the traditional ways that brands speak with their customers. Actionable adverts, which can be adjusted in response to real time data, will breathe new life into marketing brainstorms across Canada and beyond as teams realise the potential of this new tool.”
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