When you think about shopping for sportswear, Nike definitely comes to mind. Nike has created a benchmark when it comes to innovation and has been a top sports brand for several years. However, recently Nike has changed its business model to meet its customers' demands and deliver a phenomenal customer experience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has helped the brand fuel its customer engagement experience, which has led to more growth. This is not surprising as, in recent years, the eCommerce industry has seen immense growth, and numerous brands like Nike have taken several steps to make this digital transformation in effect.
AI has been an integral part due to its ability to find and navigate products tailored for customers and render suggestions to customers. In addition, they automate several backend processes without using a separate inventory management system.
Nike's COO Eric Sprunk mentioned that the company is set to be more customer-centric instead of focusing its sales via intermediaries. Nike's digital segment has observed a drastic growth over the years. The company's sales turnover saw a
12% rise between 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
Topics to cover
- Nike Hyper-Accurate App Uses AI
- Nike Acquired Profound Insights
- Virtual Assistants
- Customer Engagement Program
- Wrapping Up
Nike Hyper-Accurate App Uses AI
Nike has created an app to strengthen its relationship with customers. Its app renders hyper-accurate sizing suggestions for its shoes by scanning your feet with a smartphone cam. This app aims to address the issues of customers ordering and wearing the wrong size shoe.
The app used AR tech to scan your feet with a mobile phone cam, measuring each foot's dimensions with a 13-point measuring system. The sizing forecasts are programmed using AI, meaning that the more users use it, the more precise it will become.
Moreover, Nike uses its apps such as NIKE SNEAKRS, Nike Training Club, and the Nike app to gather user data. Later, this data can be used to get valuable insights and used to help Nike decide which designs to manufacture and which products to stock in which stores.
Nike succeeds in directly selling the customer as to how the brand is using data and data analytics to deliver an exceptional customer experience. For example, the Nike app renders users with access to the Nike Plus Rewards Program, offering specially tailored offers to members only, priority access to events, tailored workouts, quick access to the latest products, and more.
Nike Acquired Profound Insights
A couple of years ago, Nike acquired Zodiac, a
data analytics company. Zodiac allows Nike to obtain profound insights from users using the Nike app and other devices like Fitbits to understand user habits and forecast buying decisions.
With the help of data analytics, Nike succeeded in enhancing its customer purchase & retention techniques by recognizing who to target and when to target them. For example, if a user typically purchases shows every 8 months, and it's been over a year since the purchase, Nike will reach out and remind the users to make a purchase.
Nike also acquired a 3D scanning company, Invertex specializing in using automation tech to create consumer and medical gadgets. Invertex has created Nike Fit, the latest scanning tech that uses a blend of data science, machine learning, computer vision, and suggestion engine to find customers' the best fit' for each shoe.
Nike Fit reminds users to use their mobile phone cam to scan their feet, and the app automatically offers a suggested size range for that individual.
Virtual Assistants
Nike has used AI and big data to help users via personal virtual assistants. These assistants can do the following-
- Makes forecasts for sales and segmentation
- Enable the use of voice and photo search
- Evaluate customer preferences and their past behavior
- Examine reviews
- Process orders
- Recommend solutions and respond to queries, etc.
These assistants are also known as chatbots, and Nike is already using them to increase their conversion rate. The company is significantly using data algorithms to grow customer trust.
Customer Engagement Program
Nike uses AI tech to communicate their products to its customers in a personalized manner. This is done through-
- Ready-to-use products
- Modern apps and tailored programs
- Rewarding loyalty programs
- Retail stores that fade the line between virtual and physical experiences.
Nike's AI solutions forecast the customer's requirements and help the brand meet them. It conveys to the customers what they actually want and if it is achievable. Nike's annual revenue makes $39.12 billion, and investments in AI have helped boost the income through Nike's websites, apps, and retail store together).
With AI and big data implementation, the following have been made possible-
- 24*7 availability - AI-powered services such as chatbots are available round the clock. The round-the-clock service is one of the most wanted things in customer support, but it seemed almost impossible until AI emerged.
- Self-reliance - AI changes the shopping experience for you to wait for your turn as chatbots are already managing most customer queries online.
- Enhanced Personalization - AI pushes Nike to directly sell its customers, leaving out the intermediaries and providing full-fledged customized and experiential shopping.
- Delivers happy experience - Serving clients patiently and happily is the most important thing in customer service which AI can fulfill. AI is sure to render a smiling assistance delivery a quality user experience.
Wrapping Up
This shows how proactive the brand is as it implements advanced and modern technologies into its business before its competitors overtake them. They are constantly upgrading themselves with the latest tech.
Customers' preferences and needs are dynamic, which means you need to stay at par to implement those changes in your business. Hence, investing in data science and
Aartificial Intelligence can provide you profound customer insights to keep updated with what your customers want.
After you invest in AI and build a great team, leverage the data in every way to receive great insights and make the best decisions for your business- Just like Nike!
Contact HData Systems Today.
Harnil Oza is a CEO of HData Systems - Data Science Company & Hyperlink InfoSystem a top mobile app development company in Canada, USA, UK, and India having a team of best app developers who deliver best mobile solutions mainly on Android and iOS platform and also listed as one of the top app development companies by leading research platform.