Brief:

• Reebok is giving away limited-edition versions of its Club C sneaker to users of the voice-powered Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. By saying "Open Reebok Sneaker Drop" to the virtual assistants, fans can enter a contest to win the shoes decorated with Swarovski crystals, according to a company announcement.
• Entrants can check the status of their entry by saying "Ask Reebok Sneaker Drop if I won" on Sept. 7 between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Eastern, where they can share the passcode "Get my Club C's." Reebok will select 50 winners of the limited-edition sneakers.
• The athletic wear brand is running the voice-powered contest to extend its "Nails" spot from July that stars brand ambassador Cardi B, ending with the broader campaign slogan, "Sport the Unexpected."

Insight:

Reebok's giveaway of limited-edition Club C sneakers marks the first time that the maker of athletic apparel has used voice-powered platforms for a product drop. The campaign aims to appeal to younger consumers who are more likely to be tuned into mobile and voice technology than older generations. The number of millennial users of smart speakers grew 38% last year to 24.9 million in the U.S., with older members of the demographic group being the earliest adopters of the voice-powered tech, per researcher eMarketer.

Reebook is the latest brand to offer a product drop — a popular marketing strategy among makers of sneakers and streetwear to drive demand for exclusive, limited-edition merchandise — through voice-powered assistants. In February, Nike released its Adapt BB self-lacing shoes with a real-time sale during an NBA game. Google Assistant users were told to "ask Nike" to buy the shoes, which were featured during the game's halftime. Nike sold out of the shoes in six minutes, Voicebot.ai reported, suggesting that popular brands may explore similar tactics to drum up buzz around a product launch.

The voice-centric move is likely to appeal to consumers, as the number of Americans who shop by smart speaker will rise 31.6% to 31 million this year, and by another 11.8% to 34.7 million in 2020, eMarketer forecast in a separate report. By 2021, about four out of 10 smart speaker owners in the U.S. — 38 million people — will shop through the voice-powered devices, search for products, ask about prices or make a final purchase.

The growing popularity of voice commerce has pushed marketers to gradually adopt the technology. About a quarter of North American marketers have launched a voice app, per a recent survey by Vociebot.ai and Voices.com. Another 10% of marketers said they expect to introduce a voice app either this year or next, bringing the total to 34% by the end of 2020.