German cosmetics manufacturer Henkel has announced Choicify, a mobile colour consultation service that helps consumers to find the right hair colour using their smartphones.
There is no need to download an app: consumers can simply use the QR code on the product, or the NFC chip reader at the point of sale.
The wide range of hair colours on display in a store can quickly leave customers confused, says Henkel, and it’s not always immediately obvious which product will result in the right hair colour, or even how the colours differ.
With Choicify, the customer accesses the service on her smartphone by scanning the QR code on the product or using the NFC chip. A few taps are required to establish the user’s current hair colour and their desired new colour from a series of menus, and the program then suggests the best choice of product, including products that are not Henkel’s own.
“The quality of the product recommendation is ensured through the combination of advanced big data algorithms for colour prediction and through colorimetric measurements,” said Dr Georg Knübel, Director, New Technologies at Henkel.
The idea for Choicify arose out of a workshop where Henkel was thrashing out ideas for creating new business models for digital services.
“Our aim was to deliver a simple and easy to use mobile solution that helps consumers to find the right brand or shade at the point of sale without them having to download an app,” said Dr Nils Daecke, the company’s Corporate Vice-President, Digital Marketing International.
Choicify will initially be tested at selected retailers in Germany and also used as an online support tool at color-choice.com. It can also be used directly at choicify.net/
