TechnologyJun 29, 2021
This New Virtual Try-On Technology Was Created for JewelersTechnologyAug 11, 2021
Hootsuite Acquires AI Messaging Platform Heyday for $48M
It allows retailers to connect with shoppers one-one-one around the clock.
Vancouver, British Columbia—Social media management tool Hootsuite has acquired Canadian artificial intelligence (AI) platform Heyday for CAD $60 million (about $47.7 million at current exchange rates).
Heyday is a customer messaging platform that allows one-on-one interaction between retailers and shoppers on social media and messaging apps around the clock.
It integrates with branded websites and apps, e-commerce platforms, product feeds, and order tracking management systems.
Heyday provides customer support automation, with features like Frequently Asked Question automation, order tracking management, and automated customer surveys. It also offers sales automation, like product catalogue integration, restock notifications, and smart insights, as well as analytics.
Since the start of the pandemic, the adoption and use of social media has skyrocketed.
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According to Hootsuite’s Digital 2021 Report, more than 4.2 billion active social media users are spending an average of two hours and 25 minutes a day on social and messaging platforms.
What’s more, they expect brands and companies to be there, too.
A study by Edison Research found that 39 percent of social media users expect a reply from companies within an hour.
At the same time, the average response time is five hours, the same study found.
Through the acquisition, Hootsuite’s combination of automation and AI will allow brands to respond with personalized messages in real-time to shoppers.
Top brands already using Heyday include Lacoste, Decathlon, Cirque du Soleil, Danone, Rudsak, and Jack & Jones.
“Social is the new interface of commerce and customer care,” said Hootsuite CEO Tom Keiser. “Modern day brands have to manage a multitude of daily interactions and conversations at scale, which is impossible to do without AI automation. With the acquisition of Heyday, Hootsuite will now give AI capabilities to marketing, sales, and support teams globally so they can deliver exceptional experiences at scale.”
Earlier this year, Hootsuite acquired Sparkcentral, which also allows for one-one-one conversation messaging through Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, WhatsApp, WeChat, SMS, and Chat.
The platform also provides data to inform future interactions and predict customer needs and allows users to send surveys for feedback and insights.
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