Mastercard makes next move into voice with ‘Priceless Experiences’ skill

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Mastercard said it is launching its first skill for smart speakers as part of its journey towards multisensory auditory and visual branding.

The Priceless Experiences skill has been devised as an audio resource for Mastercard customers wishing to locate unique experiences at home or when travelling. It works by uttering ‘Open Priceless Experiences’ to an Alexa-enabled Google smart speaker or accessing Priceless.com.

The tool will be available this summer and compatible in major US cities such as New York, Boston and Miami initially, with international cities set to join the fray from 2020.

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“Voice is the next frontier of search and retail. Sound – and in this case the Priceless Experiences skill marked by the Mastercard sonic brand – is a powerful way for us to create a culturally-relevant and emotional connection with consumers, ” Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Mastercard, Raja Rajamannar said.

Available experiences include touring a private art collection in Miami’s Design District, dining at the chef’s table at an LA restaurant and visiting the world’s first urban rooftop vineyard. Future experiences will include a behind the scenes tour of the Forbidden City in Beijing and VIP tickets to The Brit Awards.

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Mastercard’s audio advance has been sparked by surveys showing that 75% of US households will own a smart speaker by 2020, with the accompanying voice shopping market predicted to top $40bn by 2022.

In February Mastercard unveiled its own sonic brand identity in the form of a distinctive melody to be played whenever a customer interacts with the brand, including Priceless activations.

Yetunde Adegoke (The Drum)