Automated Voice Marketing

Companies trying to sell us stuff already analyze our buying habits and web-surfing patterns. Next, they’re looking to analyze our voices for clues about how to persuade us to buy. It’s called voice profiling, and anytime you use a smart assistant like Siri or Alexa or even one of those voice-activated customer service phone systems, you’re helping companies figure out who you are and what you want. Media systems researcher Joseph Turow explores this topic in his book “The Voice Catchers: How Marketers Listen In to Exploit Your Feelings, Your Privacy, and Your Wallet.” Turow is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s School for Communication.