Dive Brief:

• Augmented reality company Modiface has integrated simulation technology into a chatbot on Facebook Messenger to help users try on different lipsticks, marking a new use case in the rapid evolution of chatbots for retail purposes.
• The Modiface AR bot allows users to upload a selfie into an ongoing beauty chat on Messenger, which can then be modified using facial recognition technology to show users how different shades of lipstick would look on them.
• Modiface is the first beauty advisor to launch on Facebook Messenger. The company's CEO believes that combining chatbot technology with facial recognition and simulation can help the beauty industry achieve new sales by letting customers try on products without a trip to the store. 

Dive Insight:

The chatbot evolution is set to accelerate into a revolution, and it could radically change the retail industry whether or not retailers are ready for that to happen. Chatbot technology may already be known as a force of change in the industry when it comes to user experience and customer support, but the Modiface example shows how it could be used in a way that goes far beyond the simple functions many have talked about.

The gateway to that radical change may not be caused by any single retailer, but rather the readiness of messaging applications to enable chatbot services to use their applications in new and interesting ways. A couple of months ago, Facebook announced it would open Messenger to chatbot services, and Modiface's beauty advisor and lipstick try-on simulation is one of the first results.

Can a chatbot-enabled simulation within a messaging application completely replace the value of more personal and in-person customer support? Not right now. But, it's clear the technology is rapidly becoming more sophisticated, which means that brands and retailers need to explore how to make chatbots part of their customer service and sale engines. It's also time to engage in a chat with companies like Modiface, which already offers many custom branded AR chatbot services, to figure out how brands and retailer can make more use of their technology, particularly through social media channels.