A new Adobe Analytics survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers has found that voice assistants and smart speakers are becoming increasingly popular. Adobe predicts that following the next holiday season, almost half of U.S. consumers will own a smart speaker. The market has grown about 15 percent in less than one year; more than 32 percent of consumers now own a smart speaker. People are most commonly using such tech to play music, check weather forecasts, set alarms/reminders as well as obtain directions, check sports scores and traffic, and ask fun questions.

“Emerging use” includes activities such as smart home commands, shopping, food delivery, and making calls.

“Fortunately for behemoths like Google and Amazon, people are also less weirded out by talking to a machine,” reports Digital Trends. “After what Adobe postulated was a period of transition, 72 percent of owners say they’re comfortable using voice commands in front of others, versus an acceptance rate of less than 30 percent among non-owners.”

“Conversely, 76 percent of smart speaker owners increased their use of voice assistants in the past year, and more than 70 percent of smart speaker owners say they use the devices at least daily, with 44 percent saying they use them multiple times in a day.”

“Marketers should note that voice interest remains high for the upcoming holiday season,” notes CMO.com. “In fact, 45 percent of consumers who already own a smart speaker said they plan to purchase another one for themselves, and 23 percent plan to buy one for someone else. Additionally, 23 percent of non-owners said they plan to buy one for themselves, while 9 percent plan to purchase one for someone else.”

“Brands are now in a place where they have to integrate voice into their overall strategy,” suggested Colin Morris, director of product management for Adobe Analytics. “In order to deliver an experience that feels connected and seamless, they not only need data, but they also require the tools to drive action, better personalize, and polish the content the serve — all of which require a holistic, cross-channel view of the customer.”