Amplifying Insights: Harnessing Voice Technology to Decode Customer Uncertainty in Marketing

Dr.Tongyao Shen, Pennsylvania State University

Date: November 11, 2024

Time:14:30-15:30 p.m

Venue: A203, Mingli Building, Lihu Campus, Shenzhen University

Host: Associate Professor Yinghui Zhou, Department of Marketing, SZUCM

Abstract

Verbal replies are frequently collected in various marketing contexts, such as voice surveys and focus groups. Thanks to advancements in voice technology, firms can now extract and utilize additional information from voice, including speaker identity, sentiment, and emotions, alongside linguistic content. However, the full potential of voice technology remains untapped, especially in the realm of response uncertainty—a significant marketing concept shown to help mitigate bias in customer responses. We trained and calibrated two groups of methods to infer uncertainty: one using raw data with deep learning models, and the other using key acoustic features (fundamental frequency) with machine learning models. The second group of methods preserve critical audio information while reducing privacy breach risks. After training and calibration, we applied three superior methods to two managerial applications: Net Promoter Score (NPS) and prediction polls. In a restaurant NPS survey, inferred uncertainty provided more accurate predictions at both the customer and restaurant levels. In football prediction polls, it improved prediction accuracy. These voice-based uncertainty inference methods should be valuable tools for practitioners, including CMOs, to obtain better customer insights.

Speaker's Biography

Tongyao Shen is a doctoral candidate in Marketing at the Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University. Her research centers on voice technology in marketing, marketing leadership, labor markets, virtual reality, and retailing. She will be joining the University of Alabama as an Assistant Professor of Marketing.

All interested facultyand studentsare welcome to attend!