Kickass Chatbot Examples And Lessons We Can Learn From Them
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Chatbots are everything we want to be – smart, independent, and sometimes, funny. And what more, they can do wonders for your marketing strategy. A chatbot is a kind of interactive content that can serve various purposes, such as lead generation, customer feedback, customer support, etc. So how can you create the perfect chatbot? Well, we’re here to help you out! We at Outgrow compiled a list of ten of our favorite chatbot examples that we found online. So here’s a blog about some kickass chatbot examples and the lessons you can learn from them.
Top 10 Chatbot Examples
1. Domino’s Chatbot – Dom
Let’s start with some tasty chatbot examples? Domino’s launched its own Facebook messenger tailored chatbot in 2016. This chatbot allowed users to request food with a single word or emoji. It was a win-win for the introvert clan out there! With its enhanced UX, you could avoid the entire app download and the calling and simply had pizza delivered to your doorstep.
You just needed to sign up to the Easy Order System, which along with an address and contact details, saved a ‘favorite basket’ that could be requested later.
What’s special about this chatbot is that it’s not just another dough-brained bot. Don had a fresh human feel to it, with its subtle sense of humor and friendly tone. It was a successful attempt at building some brand awareness for the company. And the lesson that we learned from this chatbot is – Humanize your bot. Give it a personality. Users respond better to something that is interactive and they can relate to it.
2. Sephora Chatbot
How about beauty chatbot examples? Sephora launched its Facebook Messenger chatbot in 2016. It consisted of two parts – the Sephora Reservation Assistant and Color Match for Sephora Visual Artist. They had also released a chatbot on a messaging app called Kik earlier.
The new Sephora Reservation Assistant allows customers to book appointments for makeovers at Sephora stores nationwide. And the Color Match for Sephora Virtual Artist offers a shade matching extension of the existing Virtual Artist bot. It scans images and instantly provides the closest lipstick color match from Sephora’s inventory. These bots enhanced the ways in which their clients accessed their services. This ensured that the clients got exactly what they wanted and had a better experience.
It created a lot of interaction opportunities for the company. And moreover, these chatbots delivered an 11% higher conversion rate. And the biggest reason for the same is that- The chatbot added value to the customer. It incentivizes the customer to give up personal information and data more easily.
3. Nat Geo Genius’ Chatbot
Who wouldn’t love an opportunity to chat with one of the most iconic scientific minds to ever exist? National Geographic has just made that (kind of) possible with a new Facebook Messenger chatbot promoting their show Genius, a dramatic look at the life of Albert Einstein.’
National Geographic introduced its Facebook Messenger chatbot that talks to its audience by taking the personality of Albert Einstein. The chatbot was witty, humorous and was even adept at using pictures and GIFs as a means of replying. You could ask anything and everything about Einstein’s life – his relationships, the meaning of life, or why one should wear socks! You could ask as many ridiculous questions as you wanted and you’d receive an equally funny reply. It was the perfect way to popularize their new show Genius, by letting Einstein speak for himself.
One of the main reasons why the chatbot gained such huge popularity was because it was engaging. Your chatbots need to keep your audience hooked. They need to be able to offer your audience something that most chatbots do not. And who doesn’t love to talk to famous people, even if it’s as a bot?!
4. Agency Playbook’s Chatbot
Agency Playbook decided to embed a chatbot on their website in order to facilitate their lead generation process. Whenever a user went to their website and clicked on ‘Send to Messenger’, the funnel started qualifying for leads. He used it to replace the ‘Contact’ page on the website. Once those leads were qualified, the chatbot sent automated emails and reached out to high-value leads in person.
It created a more gratifying user experience because users received an immediate reaction rather than having to wait for a response. After about two months of this chatbot, the program sales doubled and high-end services increased by 74%. There was an overall increase in revenue by $250000. The important thing to note about this chatbot is that it had a set purpose. It is important to set your expectations from your chatbot and design it accordingly. Know whether you want it to help you with lead generation, gaining feedback, onboarding, etc.
5. Marvel’s Chatbot
This is our favorite among all chatbot examples. In 2017, Marvel announced its new Guardians of the Galaxy themed chatbot. They did this during their event of the ‘Secret Empire’. The audience could use the chatbot to converse with the legendary character of ‘Star-Lord’ to see what the Marvel characters are up to during Hydra’s takeover of the Earth. They could access the chatbot through the Facebook Messenger and the Twitter DM and play their own part in the Marvel Universe.
The audience also got access to some great fun puzzles and quizzes that guided them through the entire Marvel story and made them take part in it. They also became privy to some exclusive first-looks and to finding their local comic bookstores. They used the chatbot to talk about their brand as a whole, with every element integrated into one. The chatbot took you on an adventure of your own. It was able to build loyalty and engagement within its audience and popularize Marvel altogether. One extremely important lesson that we can learn from this chatbot is how you can use interactive content (chatbots) to build your brand. The chatbot didn’t restrict itself to one line of characters or one event but allowed you a sneak peek into everything.
6. Disney Zootopia’s Chatbot
The Zootopia Facebook page did a wonderful job attracting its fans through a theme-based story chatbot. The chatbot allowed the audience to solve a crime in the animated world of Zootopia by engrossing them in a game-like atmosphere. It was an attempt at creating a stronger fan base for the movie and to increase brand awareness.
The users could chat with Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s protagonist through the bot. The enthusiastic police bunny gives you a bunch of clues and makes you a part of a crime-solving team. The chatbot has pre-programmed responses on the basis of the storyline. Successfully solving the mystery earned the users a badge with their first name on it, thus gratifying an emotion of progress. The movie also used the chatbot to further promote the DVD that was going to be released a few days later.
Thus, we see how Zootopia used the feature of the chatbot to make the audience feel more involved with the brand. It was an engaging way of imprinting themselves in the minds of their audience. Zootopia managed to make the audience a part of the team rather than some one-sided promotion. Interacting with your audience always has a stronger chance of leaving a mark.
7. Marriott International’s Chatbot
Marriott International decided to use chatbots in 2017 to enhance their customers’ stay with them. They surpassed conventional chatbot use by not restricting it to just reservations and feedback. The company optimized its chatbot to stay with its customer from the beginning till the very end – before, during, and after their stay.
You can use the chatbot to check for availability of rooms, prices, etc. before you make your bookings. Then, you can make your reservation using the same bot. For most bots, the work would end here. But Marriott programmed its chatbot to help you during your stay as well. You will be able to receive personalized articles about the place’s restaurants, tourist spots, and more such travel advice. And later, the bot collects feedback, recommendations and more.
This was a great way for the hotel chain to improve its customer experience using the chatbot. It will increase customer loyalty towards the brand and also engage them in their loyalty rewards program. Moreover, it is also helpful in increasing your customer retention rates.
8. Nike’s Chatbot
Nike’s new chatbot on Facebook messenger allowed users a lot more than just browsing and buying sneakers. You could use the bot to design your own shoes! You can create personalized shoes on the app itself by uploading photos, blending options, or using ‘magic match’. It also allowed you to choose a color theme from the NikeiD 24-colour spectrum. This is a perfect example of how you can use interactive content to offer personalized and customized services to your customers. The chatbot gives you an Air Max 90 to match whether it’s a painting, landscape, or any other picture.
The chatbot also allowed users to style their own outfits. There were various available styles, ranging from ‘the working girl’ to ‘the sporty girl’. This feature shows that the target audience for Nike was mainly females. You could buy these styled outfits, share them, or customize them to your own preference.
One important thing to learn from Nike’s chatbot is – Personalize your customer experience through interactive content. Nike was able to increase engagement with its audience. Moreover, it was a really cost-effective way of getting to know your customers’ preferences and insights for product improvement. The chatbot drove the CTR 12.5x higher than the brand average. The chatbot was fun and made the customers feel valued. In turn, this encouraged the users not only to create their own sneakers but also to buy them.
9. Burberry Chatbot
Well, the apparel industry hasn’t stayed behind in making the best use of the chatbot bandwagon either. Taking a cue from Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry launched a fashion chatbot of its own in 2016. (2016 seems to be a great year for chatbots, eh?) To be able to use the chatbot, one just had to go to the Burberry Facebook page and scan the QR code with their mobile. This was followed by a virtual Save-The-Date for their London show and a sneak-peak into the inspirations for the line of the show.
Then they were guided through a series of fun mazes and puzzles to be able to navigate through all the products. The chatbot was extremely interactive and engaging. The chatbot uses images and GIFs to educate the reader about their products. And the bot even directed users to a page where they could purchase the fashion show outfits once they were available after the show.
The brand was able to promote its entire fashion show line in a quick, cost-effective way. Moreover, it made it very convenient for its customers to access the product without having to wait for the show. They were able to educate the users about their brand without coming off as pushy. By offering them a sneak peek into the aspirations of the line, they consolidated customer loyalty and improved their experience. Chatbots are an efficient way of instant communication and Burberry made the best of it.
10. Mercedes’ Chatbot – Ask Mercedes
Here is the last of our chatbot examples.
What is the first thing you do when you first buy a car? Of course, after you’ve taken in the ‘new car smell’, get confused about all of its amazing features, we’re guessing? That’s when your user guide becomes your best friend. But instead of going through a thick manual, what if you could just ask someone everything you wanted to know? Well, that’s exactly what Mercedes did!
The chatbot used Natural Language Processing to pinpoint what a user is asking. It then asks follow-up questions to narrow it down before using text, images and other media to guide them. Some of the Mercedes’ models also have a feature where a user can simply use their smartphone to scan the interior of their car and have the app point out what’s what. You can also ask the chatbot things about the brand Mercedes that are irrelevant to the car. Today, the bot is being translated into multiple other languages.
This was a great tactic deployed by Mercedes to increase their customer retention rate. And more than that, it used the chatbot to establish brand loyalty within its customers. It was a great way of nurturing its customers and building trust for the brand. It helped the users understand the product better and make the best use of it.
Conclusion
That’s all, folks! We hope you learned something because we definitely did. These are some amazing chatbot examples that we all can learn a thing or two from. So how about getting on that laptop and creating a chatbot for your own brand? And if you’re confused about where to start, we at Outgrow are here to help you out. Click here to sign up with Outgrow and create a great chatbot in a few simple steps.
Antara Agarwal is a full time marketing consultant at Outgrow. She can be found packing her bags for her next trip, often to the mountains. And in one of those bags you will always find a half finished book she’s been struggling with for months.