Dive Brief:
- Pebble Beach Resorts enlisted the computing power of Watson, the artificial intelligence technology developed by International Business Machines (IBM), to develop a smartphone application for visitors to the famed golf course, according to an IBM press release. The new app, which can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices, is hosted by IBM’s cloud computing service.
- The app relies on the Watson Conversation application program interface to provide a voice-activated digital assistant to visitors, Venture Beat reported. Smartphone users can use the app to ask questions about Pebble Beach amenities like restaurants and shops. It also provides a guided tour of famed 17-Mile Drive. Other features include information about daily events, calendar reminders and push notifications of promotions at resort restaurants and shops.
- Professional surfer Laird Hamilton and volleyball star Gabrielle Reece were hired to promote the app, whose features also include information about daily events, calendar reminders and push notifications of promotions at restaurants and shops.
Dive Insight:
Pebble Beach’s app has some great features that make it more like a digital assistant than a mere search engine that shows nearby amenities. Voice commands, curated tours, interactive guides and souvenir movies from the resort that can be shared on social media show ways to incorporate emerging mobile technology into travel and recreation.
As consumer use grows for voice-activated digital assistants, both at home and on the road, marketers have been developing mini interfaces to enable to users to engage around quick, specific activities, like order a product or find a nearby location. The Pebble Beach is interesting because the resort is making a bigger commitment to voice activation and digital assistance, making it the cornerstone of its new app. As such, IBM is likely hoping the app will serve as an example fo other marketers about how they might leverage the technology going forward.
Resorts throughout the world are adapting smartphone technologies to provide visitors with additional information and entertainment options, one of the most popular being the My Disney Experience app that lets users plan their visit, explore the parks and enhance their experience while at Walt Disney properties.
IBM clearly wants to show that Watson can be applied to smartphone apps after demonstrating the technology in other settings. Last month, the computing giant showed off Watson’s artificial intelligence at the Masters golf tournament with an application that auto-curated highlights, IBM said, but the application was intended to demonstrate how Watson can help sports broadcasters cover golf events.
