Burberry develops R Message offering with Apple
Burberry is partnering with Apple on a new service called R Message.
This will integrate with Burberry’s iOS app and allow store associates to directly message select clients. It will be piloted at its Manchester flagship before rolling out to all 431 global locations and 6,000 associates.
Burberry’s VP of Digital Commerce Mark Morris told Vogue Business that the service was developed because mobile-first customers are often just as informed about products as the brand’s own employees.
One of the most significant challenges to introducing this new technology has been the adoption of the app by store associates, he added. To that end, Burberry added a Newsfeed-style feature with company updates, advertising campaign images, and press mentions to encourage regular usage.
“You’ve got highly skilled associates who know how to serve in a luxury way, but even for a great associate, there might be 10% extra that you can give them by giving them the right information at the right time,” Morris said. “[Customers] now know much more about what they want… and to be at that service level where you can give credible advice, you need the basics.”
Burberry’s data science team, meanwhile, is researching how artificial intelligence might streamline the process.
