Blog: wpp

Amazon and Microsoft have announced they will be collaborating around the Echo by allowing Microsoft’s Cortana service to be accessed through the voice control device. Whilst the move is not a direct merger between the company’s two respective voice assistants, it will now allow users commanding Cortana to open Alexa, meaning you will now be able to launch one of over 18,000 Alexa skills.

Former President and CEO of Netscape James L. Barksdale once said he knew of two ways to make money, ‘Bundling and Unbundling’. Whilst much of the focus has been on the unbundling factor of media, with consumers increasingly opting for more affordable SVOD services over cumbersome and expensive Pay-TV offerings, we could soon see another re-bundling factor occur.

After much anticipation, Snap Inc has released its Q2 earnings outlining the company’s progress in the past three months. Of course, much of the attention has focused on missing growth and revenue targets, as Snap continues to feel the pressure of competition with Facebook and other messaging services.

Whilst those uneasy by the company's IPO may feel vindicated by the stock’s falling price, it may not be wise to completely write-off Snap Inc. just yet. Snap Inc. is ‘a camera company’. If we momentarily ignore the questions over monetisation, Snapchat has a hold on youthful demographics that other services would die for, hence the eagerness of Facebook to mimic features of Snapchat such as lenses and Messenger Day, a clone of Snapchat’s Stories.