Sephora has started its experience with the use of chatbots. The beauty retailer regularly chats with customers, whether it's sharing teen dance tips on the Kik platform or helping shoppers book appointments at its store via Facebook Messenger.
This type of interactive exchange, in which brands, primarily through messaging apps or chatbots, engage one-on-one with customers, is the future of marketing.
But many are lost when it comes to doing so. the percentage of companies currently using messaging apps for marketing purposes is still quite low, and even lower is the percentage that believes that existing chatbots and other two-way communication platforms will allow them to achieve the desired level of Feedback.
In part, this is because chatbot capabilities are still limited. “People had high expectations that bots would be super smart and have smart conversations,” says Adelyn Zhou, CMO of Topbots, a research firm focused on artificial intelligence.“AI is not at that level yet. There are a ton of possibilities, but the conversational channel is still relatively new."
Peter Friedman (LiveWorld) recommends that brands combine automation with human supervision, emphasizing the case of Marriott's failed foray into personalized interactions last year. With Facebook Messenger, the hotel chain sent personalized notes directly to customers' Facebook inboxes. The AI was unable to determine when the hints were required and when not, the feature caught the attention of many users and they called it creepy. Now, Marriott allows travelers to start conversations on Messenger and employs a team of people to monitor the channel.
Leaving aside Marriott's misstep with its unfortunate experience, not to mention Tay (Microsoft -Twitter) or more recently Alice (Yandex) Friedman says that Facebook Messenger is a good starting point for brands looking to develop their two-way communication capabilities. Ultimately though, companies should be available to answer questions and engage with customers across multiple platforms. "People are increasingly demanding: they want to interact with brands when they want, on the channels they like to use"Zhou says.
This availability is what differentiates conversational marketing from digital marketing: is a change from "always on" to "always present", Friedman says. The Amazon Alexa speaker is a good example, as it's continuously (but unobtrusively) on call, ready to respond and provide help. Companies must be "always present to support the conversation, but only when the client wants to have this support"says Friedman.
As for Sephora, the conversation seems to be paying off. The beauty brand said it has seen an 11 percent increase in bookings thanks to the chatbot for this purpose.
Source: Adweek
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