How can AI improve your personalisation services?

A subject capturing headlines inside and outside of the industry, Rob Fletcher considers some of the ways that artificial intelligence can support businesses in the print personalisation sector.

No matter which way you look, there is simply no escaping the buzz surrounding artificial intelligence, or AI if you prefer. While some have expressed concerns about the “robots taking over” and putting actual humans out of work, others are warmly welcoming new developments, using technology to advance their business and become more productive.

We have seen plenty of examples of the latter in practice in the print industry, with lots of print service providers (PSPs) using AI across their print business. Given some of the latest advancements, there are now opportunities for those in the personalisation sector to also take advantage and evolve with AI.

Here, FESPA.com offers food for thought by picking out some examples of how PSPs can utilise AI to improve their print personalisation services.

Imagination is endless

Directly related to print, phone accessories specialist PopSockets recently announced details of a new AI innovation to help customers with personalisation. Running under the theme ‘Imagination is Endless’, AI Customizer enables customers to translate their personal interests into custom designs on select PopSockets products.

Using the AI Customizer, individuals can transform their phones into “canvases of boundless self-expression”, no matter their level of creative skills. Using a printed phone case as an example, PopSockets said users can produce any image on the case, with the AI Customizer helping them bring their ideas to life.

Such is the significance of the development that PopSockets said the launch of the new AI Customizer makes the company the first accessory brand to offer consumers a direct AI customisation experience.

“Our AI Customizer perfectly embodies the spirit of PopSockets, symbolizing our dedication to innovation, originality, and self-expression,” PopSockets chief executive Gary Schoenfeld said. “This pioneering use of technology allows users to create a truly unique accessory for the product we use more than anything else – our phones.

“This breakthrough in AI technology truly reflects that Imagination is Endless, and we can’t wait to see the creative possibilities it brings to our community’s fingertips.”

Building trust

Helping consumers with their design is one thing, but when it comes to clothing and picking the right size, this can be a tricky process for the customer. When someone personalises a piece of clothing, this almost certainly means that it cannot be returned for a refund, which can in turn lead to hesitation when making a purchase.

However, advancements with AI means this could be a problem of the past, helping those PSPs that offer printed garments and clothing can secure new business. True Fit is an AI platform that decodes size and fit for consumers and apparel and footwear retailers.

True Fit is driven by Fashion Genome, a global, connected AI fit platform that covers the fit and style attributes from thousands of leading brands and preferences from True Fit’s active members.

“Merchants can connect their brand to True Fit’s Fashion Genome to remove shopper hesitation around fit, delivering consumer confidence and conversion, reducing fit-related returns and growing customer loyalty,” True Fit said.  “Fit is a trust exercise, and reimagining the rudimentary size guide by providing fit recommendations powered by millions of shoppers and enhanced by AI will help merchants of all sizes grow their brands profitably.”

True Fit recently expanded its network by linking up with Shopify, the commerce platform allows enables merchants to start, grow and manage a business. Merchants running on the platform can now link to True Fit and its AI tools.

“It is our mission to democratise access to the Fashion Genome and artificial intelligence widely across the industry, helping millions of consumers connect to the brands they love,” True Fit chief executive William Adler said.

“True Fit builds trust between shoppers and brands with deep learning, and in doing so helps merchants cultivate loyal first party audiences, rich consumer preference patterns, and key product fit insights that all help to optimise a profitable growth business.”

Connect with consumers

As all print companies will know, communication with customers is key to ensuring loyalty and repeat business. This is perhaps even more important when it comes to personalising work and making sure you deliver exactly what the customer wants; providing them with easy communication channels can ease this process.

One avenue of possibility is to consider setting up an AI chatbot on your website. While this can only get customers a certain distance before they may have to speak to a human, it is a useful first point of contact that sets them on the right path to a solution.

One expert in this area is Sendbird, a global provider of web and mobile communication APIs, which last month announced the official launch of its AI chatbot-powered, Salesforce Connector.

The tool allows businesses to conduct customer support chats directly within Salesforce, without the need for separate applications. This integration, Sendbird said, streamlines customer support processes by displaying agent availability, assigned cases, and simplifying the overall consultation procedure.

“By incorporating Sendbird's Smart Assistant, an AI-powered chatbot solution, personalised customer service experiences akin to human interactions are now possible,” Sendbird said. “Additionally, leveraging ChatGPT technology, the connector can summarise past customer interactions, assess message appropriateness, and automatically generate comprehensive chat transcripts upon session completion. Features such as real-time message notifications and automatic translation further enhance usability.

“Notably, these advanced functionalities are easily implementable without the need for extensive coding. Unlike traditional solutions that may take over a month for review, development, and deployment, Sendbird’s Salesforce Connector can be up and running in a matter of hours, exemplifying its prowess as a user-friendly SaaS solution for enterprise needs.”

These are just some examples of how AI technologies can help PSPs strengthen their print personalisation offering, with many other opportunities to explore. For further insight into the market and to speak with specialists about the other potential uses of AI in this sector, visit the Personalisation Experience 2024 at the FESPA Global Print Expo 2024 in Amsterdam from 19-2 March.

Discover the latest innovations in personalisation at Personalisation Experience 2024 at the RAI Amsterdam, Netherlands from 19th - 22nd March 2024. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear from leading minds and innovators sharing knowledge and experiences, see the latest developments and technology in personalised print solutions and network with those looking to help you grow your business. Register here to visit and use code PEXJ402.