Louis Vuitton launches its Facebook chatbot

In a bid to think “client first”, Louis Vuitton has launched a chatbot on Facebook Messenger that advises shoppers on products, aiming to provide meaningful feedback during the busy holiday period.

The bot is powered by mode.AI, which has also previously partnered with the likes of Levi’s with its artificial intelligence, visual search and machine learning technology.

It aims to give clients a more “sophisticated, personalized, visual and conversational online shopping experience” via Facebook, where Louis Vuitton currently has more than 20 million followers.

The main focus is on search– users can converse with the bot to discover the brand’s full line of products, as well as use it to get suggestions on specific items. It uses natural language processing to facilitate a more advanced search experience.

They can also share items with friends directly through it, and get votes in return on what to buy. Additional services include info on stores worldwide, access to product care instructions and a conversational view on the brand itself, from its fashion shows to its history and the craftsmanship behind its products.

Louis Vuitton CEO, Michael Burke, said: “At Louis Vuitton, we always think client first. Today, our clients like to be connected to the Louis Vuitton universe wherever they are. They shop in our stores worldwide and are often in contact with their personal shoppers. They also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. and find our products on louisvuitton.com. It became evident that we should create the Louis Vuitton Virtual Advisor powered by mode.ai, a 24h/7 service to be able to fully meet their needs.”

“We are still in the very early stage of AI technology adoption in the retail industry. The dominance of e-commerce isn’t just a trend, but an ever-growing arena, giving luxury brands like Louis Vuitton the opportunity to reach and sell to their customers in new and exciting ways. As shoppers continue to move online, the most forward-thinking companies will turn to AI chatbot technology to meet these shifting client demands,” said mode.ai CEO Eitan Sharon.

Burke added: “The [bot] is designed to increase the quality of the relationship we have with our clients by enhancing and personalizing the shopping experience. We see messaging platforms as future key drivers of conversations with our clients, and potential for the integration of artificial intelligence and chatbot technologies to further enhance service to clients across these new channels.”

The experience is currently only available on Facebook Messenger in the US, but there are plans to roll it out to Europe and Japan next, as well as across additional platforms including WeChat and Line.