DELIVERING FASHION CONTENTS VIA MOBILE AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

Major labels have started experimenting with chatbots to deliver content and customer service to fans.

And coupled with the fact that younger generations increasingly expect customer service over social media and mobile apps means that brands need to be on those channels and ready to supply content and information that answer users’ questions.

While 87% of shoppers say that sales associates influence in-store purchasing decisions, more than half of shoppers feel that service is lacking online, according to Salesfloor’s 2016 Omnichannel Retail Associate Study.

During New York’s fall Fashion Week, Tommy Hilfiger launched Facebook Messenger’s first “fashion bot” to promote its Tommy x Gigi collection with Gigi Hadid. Users could click to message the brand on its Facebook page; after doing so, the chatbot walked them through the collection. In addition, customers could ask the bot questions and receive answers – the Tommy Hilfiger team pre-programmed it with more than 7,000 responses.

Fashion bot with Gigi Hadid

Soon after, Burberry rolled out its own Facebook Messenger chatbot in time for London Fashion Week. The bot gave users access to content around Burberry’s new collection, and offered real-time customer service.

The chatbot of Burberry

Brands can’t afford to skimp on customer service, so expect to see more companies leveraging chatbots and other forms of automated technology to deliver content and address customer issues.

Twitter announced that they were releasing two customer service chatbots for direct messages.

And Facebook had granted brands access to reach out to consumers directly via Messenger – provided that customer had previously engaged with the brand through a message or click-to-message NewsFeed ad.