Woven attends IBM Watson Summit in Sydney and Melbourne

Earlier this year, Woven attended the IBM Watson Summit in Sydney and Melbourne. For those who are unaware, Watson is an IBM supercomputer that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and sophisticated analytical software, resulting in a high performing “question answering” machine. The name Watson may ring a bell from when the supercomputer beat out humans to become the first computer to win US quiz show, Jeopardy, back in 2011.

What excites us about AI is that it’s beginning to work its way into all aspects of our lives, even if you may not realise it. Think of self-checkout cash registers at the supermarket and the advanced security machine checks at the airport. While you may not stop and consciously think about it, AI technology surrounds us and its potential will continue to grow as the technology progresses.

Thanks largely to IBM, it’s no longer a risk for tech companies to focus on AI and doing so has now become a necessity. Gone are the days when AI was thought of as a thing of science fiction - many ecommerce businesses are already using forms of AI in order to gain better results. Once upon a time, IBM Watson may have only been a question answering machine but today, it is so much more.

Machine learning solutions

Many of the solutions mentioned at the Summit rely on machine learning, which sees algorithms ‘learning’ how to perform tasks by processing massive amounts of data (hence the industry buzzword, ‘big-data computing’) and finding patterns within the information. Think of when you wake up in the middle of the night and know where to feel for a light switch in a new dark room thanks to association and repetition. Machine learning is no different.

What is of particular interest to Woven and our customers’ interests are the opportunities AI presents in terms of smarter ecommerce experiences and marketing automation. We’re already seeing some excellent examples of how AI is helping content marketers to serve up more relevant content and ultimately, a better user experience.

AI Implementation in industry

The North Face, a popular outdoor clothing retailer, tested a mobile app in 2016 that allowed its customers to interact with Watson. By asking one or two simple questions, Watson helps shoppers to find the perfect item for them without having to filter through North Face’s entire range. While the testing period for the app is now over, the company has kept Watson running if you’re keen to take a look at how it works for yourself.

When we look at retargeting customers, the potential for the use of AI is huge. Retailers are already using facial recognition to capture how long customer’s spend inside physical stores and near what products. Say you walk into JB Hi-Fi and spend 30 minutes looking at headphones, this information is stored ahead of your next visit. This customer can also be sent special offers on headphones via email or SMS as AI continues to develop and progress. Omni-channel retailers in particular, stand to benefit immensely from the effective use of this technology as they market to customers.

Even everyday household items showcase the benefits of AI integration - consider the partnership between Amazon’s Alexa and LG’s Smart InstaView refrigerators. LG’s fridge has an in-built virtual assistant and webOS software, all while providing users with news and weather forecasts. Best of all, it helps users with their shopping orders which is especially handy for those who are time poor or who just dislike food shopping.

Considering AI for your business

We’ve just touched on a few examples of how AI technology is being used by businesses who are leading innovation in their chosen industry. Any company looking to implement AI in their content marketing strategy needs to consider its beneficial aspects and focus on user outcomes for their customers. Features and functions that are not helpful to customers are likely to wind up being nothing but a costly exercise.

Where many content marketers and their AI resources fall short is being able to equally understand the contextual relevance of their content and map the impact of content to search. When done properly, with help from advanced AI tools like Watson, content marketers are producing more relevant, valuable and engaging content for customers, prospects and the brand.

While the AI revolution is definitely an exciting proposition for marketers and ecommerce, it’s best to start your AI journey by picking one desired result. As an IBM partner, our team can guide you as to how AI can help to maximise your bottom line.

If you’d like to discuss how AI can be used to benefit your business, contact us today.