What, why and how: chatbots for brands

Chatbots look likely to be a cornerstone of many brands' marketing campaigns this year with the programs capable of generating automated engagement with consumers. Able to sit within messaging apps and communicate when prompted, chatbots can serve a wide variety of roles; the Guardian is distributing news; Activision engaged fans with the Call of Duty Series, Domino's Pizza is accepting food orders, and KLM's flight assistant houses boarding pass and flight times. For creative brands with on tap digital talent, the sky's the limit. The Drum has touched down with Paul Walsh, the founder of bCRM, a chatbot campaign management tool, which is now integrated with BotKit, one of the most widely used bot creation tools, to outline the basics for prospective brands. The Drum: What benefits can chatbots bring to consumers?