CosmeticsDesign-USA (CDU) spoke to Melissa Bridgeford (MB), CEO and co-founder of Wizard Conversational Commerce, an AI-powered, two-way SMS platform designed to assist manufacturers present extra personalised and interesting cellular purchasing experiences.
On this interview we discover out in regards to the potential affect this sort of software program may have for DTC magnificence manufacturers and the way it may help overcome particular challenges and hurdles manufacturers face on this area, in addition to getting a glance in on the place the corporate’s know-how is heading sooner or later.
CDU: What’s the potential affect of conversational commerce as a device for magnificence and skincare DTC manufacturers?
MB: AI-powered conversational commerce is a robust device for magnificence and skincare manufacturers to have interaction, market and promote to their shoppers. Buyer retention and lifelong worth are extra vital than ever for manufacturers, and conventional SMS 1.0 advertising ways of batch and blast – with net hyperlinks and promo codes – are not enough to fulfill client’s digital wants.
Wizard’s is disrupting the one-way spammy SMS 1.0 area with a pleasant two-way conversational AI expertise SMS2.0 to drive gross sales, search and customer support through textual content. With Wizard, manufacturers can ship interactive and personalised advertising campaigns that generate engagement, information, gross sales, and loyalty. In the meantime, shoppers get real-time and personalised product solutions and suggestions from their favourite manufacturers, whereas additionally having the ability to full checkout and funds through textual content, enabling shoppers to bypass the online fully. The consequence is a rise in repeat buy charges and client loyalty.
A fantastic instance of that is Fig.1, a fast-growing skincare model that turned to Wizard to supply two-way SMS as a brand new channel for purchasers to instantly buy merchandise, obtain personalised recs, and ask questions. With Wizard, Fig.1 is offering personalised connections with clients, reaching 85% engagement through textual content. This excessive engagement and personal touch has pushed a ~20% enhance so as quantity and a repeat buy price of 28% through textual content.
CDU: What ache factors does conversational commerce remedy for magnificence and skincare DTC manufacturers?
MB: Conventional SMS advertising (SMS 1.0) sends batch and blast messaging to shoppers which can be one-size-fits-all, which really feel very spammy and generic. With regards to magnificence and skincare, each client’s wants and routine are distinctive and types’ advertising must comply with swimsuit. Conversational commerce allows magnificence and skincare manufacturers to ship a full-service digital purchasing expertise to deal with shoppers’ personalised skincare or magnificence wants.
One instance of that is AAVRANI, a skincare model that bridges the hole between magnificence and wellness by combining historic Indian wellness rituals with fashionable science. The model turned to Wizard to raise and personalize their digital buyer expertise utilizing two-way conversational commerce (SMS 2.0).
Decided to not bombard shoppers with spammy web site hyperlinks and promo codes, AAVRANI is utilizing Wizard’s AI-powered platform to supply shoppers with stay skincare consultants, personalised product suggestions, and simple ordering – all through textual content. And the outcomes are highly effective, AAVRANI has seen a 23% enhance in gross sales and +36x ROl with Wizard.
CDU: What are some challenges that magnificence and skincare DTC manufacturers are at the moment dealing with? How does conversational commerce remedy these points?
MB: From influencers sharing their go-to skincare merchandise to YouTube magnificence tutorials, there’s a wealth of knowledge and recommendation on the market and shoppers are overwhelmed. As a result of no two folks’s skincare or magnificence wants are the identical, most shoppers wind up utilizing merchandise that aren’t proper for them and might stroll away feeling annoyed and unhappy with a model.
Prospects usually want reassurance, data, or validation earlier than making a private buy. Questions like “is it protected for nursing ladies?” or “is it hypoallergenic?” come up usually for purchasers simply earlier than checkout. In these instances, professional reassurance goes a great distance in the direction of changing uncertainty into an order.
With AI-powered conversational commerce, magnificence and skincare manufacturers are serving to shoppers discover the merchandise and routines which can be finest for them. Wizard’s two-way textual content platform permits manufacturers and clients to work together by way of product discovery, product search, orders, repeat purchases, and subscriptions – all of which drive buyer lifetime worth and retention too. As quickly as a buyer runs out of a product they love, all it takes to re-order it’s a easy textual content.
For instance, Underneath Luna, a non-toxic hair and skincare product line, turned to Wizard to offer clients a direct line to hair care consultants and a straightforward manner to purchase their favourite merchandise. Underneath Luna makes use of Wizard to have 1:1 conversations with their clients, offering personalised suggestions on the way to get essentially the most out of their merchandise, and in doing so, they’ve constructed a loyal and engaged fanbase.
In simply two months with Wizard, Underneath Luna’s textual content channel elevated gross sales by 8% and drove +70x ROI. Because of Wizard’s conversational capabilities, 50% of Underneath Luna subscribers actively interact in two-way conversations with hair care consultants when searching for recommendation or product suggestions. A win-win for each shoppers and Underneath Luna, and Wizard.
CDU: How are DTC manufacturers utilizing conversational commerce as a part of their omnichannel methods right now?
MB: There’s not a transparent distinction between on-line and offline channels. Magnificence shoppers uncover merchandise on TikTok, try the product in-store at Sephora, and later convert on cellular after asking a couple of private inquiries to a digital CX agent. Successful manufacturers are making themselves accessible to shoppers at any level within the purchasing journey, and on each channel of communication, throughout platforms like net, social and textual content.
Wizard’s Ai-powered conversational commerce is highly effective for these manufacturers as a result of it immediately understands and responds to the buyer’s wants, which may imply the distinction between an deserted cart and a purchase order. In doing so, Wizard is bridging the hole in on-line and offline by powering conversions by way of dialog and making a seamless buyer journey through textual content.
CDU: Are there any future plans for additional innovation on the Wizard platform?
MB: We lately launched our new WizardAi ChatGPT product that’s primarily based on a mixture of our proprietary fashions and OpenAI fashions, and built-in into our automated backend to assist funds, checkout and orders. WizardAi delivers a first-of-its-kind highly effective end-to-end purchasing expertise through textual content. We’re so enthusiastic about this milestone.
