In the digital age, ads are part of our culture. But chances are, the only time you ever talk about an advertisement you've seen is after the Super Bowl commercials air.
But what if you could talk to an ad, and it could talk back? Now that would be the talk of the town.
This is the primary mission for SmartConvos, an Atlanta-based conversational marketing and advertisement startup that uses AI to make ads jump off the screen and interact with users.
“We’re trying to make display ads people can remember … We’re trying to make advertising an experience," Danielle Major, CEO of SmartConvos, said.
Major, who co-founded SmartConvos with her programmer husband, said the average person is exposed to as many as 4,000 ads a day. Creating an advertisement that stands out among the crowd is a struggle for all advertising agencies and businesses alike. Most consumers probably wouldn't describe a display ad as "cool," either, Major said.
“Our customers are marketers and advertising agencies, or every business who advertises, which is every business," she said. "The main problem is mainly that display ads have been the same for 20 odd years.”
Now more than ever, it's important to consumers that they have a voice when interacting with brands and products, Major said. Imagine if a Coca-Cola display ad asked you what your favorite flavor of coke was and you continued to have a conversation. You could even be rewarded with a free coke for interacting with the ad. This is the future Major is striving for with SmartConvos---an experience customers can enjoy and feel involved in rather than a static interaction.
“Let’s say (the client is) a B2B company—they get a chance to explain what their tech does," she said. "A normal display ad wouldn’t do. With our ads, you can find out who’s talking to it, your business will be helped by our technology (and it’s) an opportunity to have a conversation.”
Even though it sounds like something you might see in "Blade Runner," Major said the tech was designed for people who aren't tech savvy. After all, she said, advertisers aren't developers.
“With our technology, these customers, they can make these ads themselves, you don’t need an AI or software developer, you create your own AI bot," she said. "Whatever you want to say (we can do) and implement the ad wherever you want.”
To date, SmartConvos is bootstrapped, but is open to the idea of funding. The company has pilot campaigns going on throughout the city with local clients. SmartConvos graduated from the Atlanta Tech Village cohort and is also part of the state's tech incubator ATDC.
They currently have a small team of five but are working toward growing their members, Major said.
Having her husband as a teammate is a benefit more than a hindrance, she said. Major, who has two small children, said being a working mom who also works with her partner can be tough at times, but it's also rewarding. She said she hopes her children can look back and say, "Mom and Dad worked really hard to get us where we are now."
“Some people say (being a working mom) weakens you," she said. "I feel like it can sometimes makes you strong. Other women need to know this is a possibility. I have a 2-year-old and 7-year-old daughter. It’s definitely not easy to manage a startup and have kids, you just have to figure out how to use your time very wisely.”
As for SmartConvos and their next steps, Major looks forward to growing her company and said she's never enjoyed working more than she has now.
“It’s not only been a huge learning experience," she said. "I’ve learned more about myself and my capabilities than in any other job.”
