Voice technology creates new behaviors that affect your brand and your business.
This is the driving principle behind Talking to Me, the very first Scandinavian Voice Design agency. The team behind it had long foreseen the potential of voice technology and quickly noticed that companies are severely unprepared for the new ways consumers interact with brands.
So three Swedish entrepreneurs decided to pull up their socks and help companies draw business value from Voice while accommodating their voice-friendly users.
If you're only hearing about them now, it's high-time you became familiar with this fascinating agency and their findings. And what better way to get to know Talking to Me than reading our interview with Diana Mosa, the co-founder and Business Developer behind it. (As an exciting bonus, Diana is also an upcoming speaker at VOICE Summit!)
Let's dig in.
VOICE: What should brands know about Talking to Me?
Diana: Talking to Me approaches Voice and robotics from a user and design perspective. Many large companies have never considered the question "How does my brand sound" or even reflected on how voice technology can be integrated in their business.
That's where we come in.
We offer strategic advice on voice and help businesses define their Voice strategy. Other than that, we also make sure the strategy becomes reality by developing and optimizing voice applications for different platforms.
What kind of brands does Talking to Me usually work with?
Our services are relevant for all companies regardless of industry since Voice can be applied in different ways, but our customers are typically major enterprises that understand the importance of new technology and have a sense of urgency to get onboard.
Tell us about your personal journey with voice. What led you to become the co-founder of Scandinavia’s first voice design agency?
I came to a point at my last job as an IT consultant where I felt I wanted to influence to a greater extent within my professional space.
During this time, while looking around on different opportunities, I came in touch with my co-founders, Erik Lidsheim and Mattias Falkendal, who are two experienced entrepreneurs within the digital marketing and services space. They had a strong vision on how Voice will change human behavior and how that will lead to a (currently underestimated) disruption for brands.
It did not take long until I also understood the greatness of Voice and so I took the step to be a part of it.
What's the most exciting thing that has come from your experience with Talking to Me?
The most obvious answer would be working hands-on with Voice projects and customers, but I must say the second best has been playing an active part in the strong emerging Voice-community which is a great base for knowledge sharing and interaction.
It gives you a sense of belonging but also provides valuable insights from other markets that we’d never get otherwise. It’s interesting to see how different markets have different maturity levels and how we can learn from that.
Aside from being a voice-enthusiast, you've also made it your mission to "make diversity the new normal" in tech. Tell us a bit more about that.
It’s a mission with no end due to the gaps we are facing, not only between genders but
also the lack of representation. I’ve seen too many homogeneous organizations and, particularly in the Nordic countries, the higher up the hierarchy you go—the whiter and more male dominant it gets.
Talking to Me is taking a stand and we are starting with ourselves. We consciously focus our recruitment on female/non-binary persons and/or people with ethnic backgrounds other than Swedish. This practice will continue until we’ve reached our internal goals. It's controversial but it's what it takes to disrupt and create change.
VOICE is excited to have you speak at the Summit this July. Can you give us a peek into what you'll be sharing and who should attend your talk?
I will be taking part in two different sessions: ”Linguistics Panel 2” (7/24) and ”What is Inclusive Voice Design?” (7/25).
In the first session we’ll talk about the linguistic issues of voice design—from pronunciation to international interaction—that could come in handy for anyone designing Voice experiences.
In the second session we’ll discuss the importance of having a conscious approach when designing for Voice and how you can do it.
You don’t need to have a specific role or come from a certain industry to find these talks interesting or rewarding. We'll be touching on subjects that promote being conscious in your work and help you create accessible services and products for a wide range of people.
Everyone is welcome.
Meet 'Talking to Me' at VOICE
Whether you work in voice or want a voice-first strategy, you can attend both talks this July in "the Garden State," New Jersey. VOICE Summit will be glowing up Newark's NJIT once again with stunning keynotes, panels, demos and even the world's largest voice Hackathon.
For those of you who are also hyper-aware of diversity and inclusivity in tech, you'll have the chance to meet our wonderful collection of groups representing women and non-binary in Voice. We're also providing scholarships so 1000 attendees from marginalized communities can join the party. (More on that here.)
All in all, if you're in the Voice industry you definitely don't want to sit this one out. Book your spot at the Summit here and check out the VOICE 2019 agenda to start choosing your favorite sessions. (Whatever you do, don't miss the VOICE Summit Awards dinner!)
