Say It Now Enables Radio Listeners to Donate to Charities with A Simple Alexa Command!

Some of the UK’s leading charities are set to benefit from a new partnership that enables donors to pledge money quickly, securely, and easily through Alexa-enabled devices. Voice technology company, Say It Now, has teamed up with digital advertising exchange DAX to enable people to respond directly to radio advertisements on their smart speaker and use voice commands to donate to their chosen charity.

NSPCC, RNIB, Crisis, Macmillan Cancer Support and Global’s Make Some Noise are the first to engage, with each planning separate advertising campaigns. The initiative will provide a crucial boost as UK charities look for new ways to generate income in the wake of the coronavirus.

(31%t of charities surveyed by Pro Bono Economics reported that how COVID-19 had affected their ability to fundraise was their biggest single issue. An additional study by the independent charity revealed that the sector is facing a £10.1 billion funding gap over the next six months.)

Say It Now secured funding from Innovate UK to create the donation channel for not-for-profit organizations following the call from the UK’s innovation agency for ambitious technologies to build UK resilience after the coronavirus outbreak. Targeted audio ads will run specifically on devices that support a voice assistant; listeners can find out more about the individual charity or donate straight away with a simple verbal instruction.

(This makes the assumption, based on Say It Now’s direct industry experience, that most voice assistants are directly linked to a payment service, such as Amazon Pay.) Transactions are frictionless while the connected nature of the devices enables the direct effect of ad spend on user engagement to be measured.

Say It Now Enables Radio Listeners to Donate to Charities with A Simple Alexa Command!

Say It Now has developed the technology as evolving consumer habits see people embrace voice commerce to complement mobile and e-commerce. According to the company, 34% of UK households have a smart speaker and 72% of people with smart speakers use them as part of their daily routines.

The use of smart speakers has increased by 12% each month during Covid-19. Listening to audio remains the most popular activity on smart speakers while voice transactions are projected to be worth £3.5 billion in 2022.

The pandemic has accelerated existing trends, paving the way for voice technology which is versatile, contactless and increasingly part of daily life. The Innovate UK funding enables us to use our voice experience and work alongside our media partner DAX to develop ‘tech for good’ as charities look for new ways to generate income in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The aim is to demonstrate that ‘voice giving’ is a viable donation channel both now and for the future.