Among the many trends for offline indoor marketing in 2022-2023, interactivity takes a special position. There are two main reasons for this trend.

First, shoppers have gotten used to a high level of convenience available online — truly personalized promotions, delivery services, huge selection opportunities, and so on. Second, people desire really impressive experiences and they seek them offline. Despite the fact that we’ve gotten used to online shopping, we’re seeing a renaissance of brick and mortar since the pandemic restrictions have faded out. More than 70% of consumers expect hybrid shopping opportunities from retailers. A smart retailer needs to match these expectations, and diverse interactive scenarios come in handy to do just that.

It is important to provide a connection with a brand because modern consumers (72%) tend to buy less, but more consciously — they prefer to know a brand before buying. To help you pursue this trend, we have prepared an idea you must try in your store: Smart Shopping Assistant.

Smart Assistant

AI-powered Smart Shopping Assistant is a great opportunity to revolutionize your relationships with consumers. What are the main perks?

• It improves customer experience;
• Enhances brand awareness;
• Contributes to sales increase;
• Educates shoppers;
• Helps you know your audience.

What options do you have when it comes to an in-store Smart Assistant?

There are many solutions on the market that call themselves Smart Shopping Assistants, from mobile apps to voice assistants in a store. Their main purpose is to help shoppers with making decisions and provide recommendations with the help of AI-powered technologies. But to create a truly immersive experience, we recommend using interactive screens to arrange personalized communications with customers.

This type of Smart Assistant can do plenty of things after recognizing a customer. You can advise on products, show special offers, and provide answers to the most frequently asked questions. The interface on the screen can be either human or in the form of a chatbot: either option proves to be very appealing to shoppers, since they feel a personal touch. Technically, any communication scenario is possible. It is up to you to decide which stages the Smart Assistant will take your shoppers through.  

You are able to show tailored content to your audience based not only on gender targeting, but on plenty of other options. Let’s have a look at what options we have here:

• Hairstyle
• Emotions
• Smile
• Ethnicity
• Accessories like hats or glasses.

After the system has recognized the necessary parameters, the Assistant starts showing messages tailored for the shopper (based on their cohort).

Real example of using Smart Assistant for a brand

Let’s see an example of how it works in real life for a renowned electronics brand. 

When no one is in front of the screen, there will be regular content with the face of a virtual assistant. When someone is approaching the screen, we detect that a person is near and change the content to a call to action – for example, it could be some fake messenger, as if the virtual assistant is communicating with the customer, engaging them to have a conversation. 

After that, the picture is changed to show specific relevant content, let's say based on gender. For example, it could show how a device works in real life, and convey an atmosphere tailored for a specific type of person.  

Finally, we provide the customer with a QR code, which they can scan with their mobile device and be taken instantly to your website, your loyalty program, or a sign-in page. This way, Displayforce helps you to collect the customer’s details. And from this moment on, this person becomes your client, not just a passerby.

The system analyzes the engagement (based on the dwell time), the demographic parameters of the shopper, and their emotional reactions, so you can change your campaigns in the future based on these insights.

Like this scenario? Register a platform to implement this template for free!

Social media and external data integration

Using a Smart Assistant or any other interactive screen in a store is already a great solution. But you can get even more out of it!

Deloitte found that shoppers who use social media in a store are four times more likely to make larger purchases as a result of getting a digital shopping experience. That’s why we recommend polishing your social media and promoting it on the displays in-store. You can use QR codes for this purpose as well.

It also helps if you have a loyalty program including mobile applications encouraging a consumer to scan a QR code or use Bluetooth to send pop-ups. Such an approach broadens the spectrum of personalization opportunities and implies smart upselling, because you already know for sure what the interests of this particular client are. But be careful with personal data in this case!

Recap

So, it’s pretty clear that to stay afloat, retailers have to fulfill the sophisticated needs of their customers. Now we’re not just talking about good service; the service must blend with technologies in a new way, incorporating digitization into an extraordinary customer experience while still leaving some room for a human touch. 

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, contact us and our experts will help you with developing your own transformation scenario.