At the Personal Care Products Council’s (PCPC) recent Annual Meeting, speaker Max Bennett, Co-Founder and CEO of generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform Alby, provided a comprehensive overview of the current state of generative and conversational AI, large language models (LLM), and their impact on e-retailers, including beauty and personal care product brands.
To learn more about the transformative potential of Generative question-and-answer technology in the cosmetics and personal care industries, we spoke to Bennett for his experience and insights.
Bennett’s career in e-commerce began with co-founding Bluecore, a company dedicated to enhancing customer experiences across various channels, including email, web, and SMS. There, he collaborated with major global brands like Sephora and CVS to drive personalized interactions and foster customer loyalty through targeted personalization strategies.
In his current role, Bennett continues to leverage his expertise to revolutionize customer experiences within the beauty and personal care industries. He uses Generative AI to enhance the overall shopping experience and drive conversion rates.
How cosmetics and PBC brands can benefit from AI
For “cosmetics and personal care product manufacturers and suppliers considering LLM integration,” Bennett began, the implementation should focus on “data privacy, accuracy, and ease of use.”
AI-powered LLMs “can transform customer interactions by providing personalized, insightful responses,” he explained, “but it's crucial to handle customer data with the utmost care, ensure that responses are accurate, and design experiences such that shoppers understand how to use the tools” to have a practical impact on consumer conversions for product purchases.
Bennett then highlighted the most significant benefit of implementing generative AI tools to improve user experience and alleviate common pain points in the cosmetics and personal care product industries is “combating misinformation about product formulations and ingredients.”
Major pain points and solutions
“One of the key challenges in the cosmetics and personal care industries is the complexity of the products,” he continued. Consumers have many questions about cosmetics and personal care products, which often leads them to do their own research, which leads to decision paralysis as well as confusion, given that the internet is full of inconsistent information.”
Therefore, “by providing accurate, scientifically-backed information directly to consumers, LLMs can help clarify misconceptions and build trust,” he illustrated.
Further, he continued, “AI can analyze customer concerns and feedback at scale, enabling companies to address misinformation proactively and tailor communications to educate their audience more effectively.”
He concluded that there is great potential and opportunity for cosmetics and PBC companies to embrace AI to improve customer experience and increase product sales. “The greatest opportunity lies in using LLMs to help consumers and internal employees get easier access to information,” he said. As a result, the future holds promise for sustainable growth due to continued innovations in AI.
