Firework, a digital commerce solutions provider, has just released a beta of the first-ever generative AI live shopping solution, which has got us thinking about how CE retailers can leverage video commerce solutions to drive in-store traffic.
Video commerce and live-stream shopping exploded during the pandemic as a means of driving online consumer engagement in a manner that is more immersive than traditional e-commerce channels. Although brick-and-mortar retail outlets have long since reopened, a study from GE Profile, which was discussed in Executive Brand Director Todd Getz’s educational keynote at AVB’s Summit 2023, reveals that eCommerce still plays a significant role in the customer’s shopping journey.
According to Getz, the shopper on average engages in 11 steps, beginning online, before setting foot in the store and engaging in an actual purchase. That’s because, for big-ticket items such as TVs, appliances, or computers, consumers typically want to get hands-on with the product in a physical retail setting before making a purchasing decision.
However, this dynamic doesn’t change the fact that the research journey, which goes hand in hand with having an online experience that stands apart from competitors, is the best way to get customers into your store. This is where video commerce solutions, such as Firework’s generative AI come into play.
Using Firework’s AI solution shoppers can ask questions about the products or services featured in the video long after it has ended. From there, Firework’s AI engine will provide accurate, real-time responses based on user input, the content of the video, and other associated metadata. The new AI engine makes use of a large language model, meaning it can understand and respond to questions in a wide range of languages. Beyond language recognition, the AI engine can be customized to reflect each business’s unique voice.
For creative retailers, this type of technology could provide major benefits. Imagine this: a customer visits your website to see the latest and greatest washing machine. Instead of just having a typical product page with images and specs, there is a video of a member of your sales team giving a 15-minute demo of the product. From there, consumers can use the chat function to ask questions and get personalized responses from the AI engine regardless if it’s 3 am or 3 pm.
Not only does this type of solution provide an amazing opportunity to personalize the shopping journey, but it also establishes your website as a resource customers will return to for product education thereby increasing awareness of your brand.
