Madison Reed – a Technology Startup with Color at its Core – Further Disrupts the Hair Care Industry by Introducing “Madi,” a Facebook Messenger Chatbot with Computer Vision
Launch of transformational bot technology means the future of color consultation has arrived: Madi is a colorist in your pocket, available 24/7
Nov 15, 2016
SAN FRANCISCO – November 15, 2016 – Prestige hair color brand Madison Reed today announced a first-ever in the hair care industry: a bot infused with computer vision that recognizes a woman’s hair color and recommends a match just as skillfully as any of Madison Reed’s expert colorists. Madi – the high-tech little sister of Madison Reed – lives exclusively in the world of SMS text and Facebook Messenger’s mobile app, meaning women can now have a personalized conversation about hair color from the convenience of their phone, day or night.
This revolutionary, high-touch experience begins when a selfie is uploaded. Using the science of image recognition and hair localization, Madi analyzes the photo and identifies a woman’s primary hair color plus the nuance of secondary tones, then suggests the perfect color. Artificial intelligence fuels her natural language processing, which is why it’s so easy to chat with Madi.
Madi is the latest advancement from Madison Reed, which continues to use groundbreaking mobile technology to reimagine at-home hair color and hair care. The San Francisco-based startup previously stunned the hair care industry by introducing an award-winning smartphone app with voice-recognition and voice-controls. Once the app is launched, a woman can put on gloves, start the hair dyeing process, and use verbal commands to get step-by-step instructions without ever touching her phone.
“Madi builds upon our legacy of innovation,” said Amy Errett, founder and CEO of Madison Reed. “From our company’s inception, we recognized that technology could transform the $50 billion hair care industry. With Madi, our biggest technical challenge has been creating an experience that rivals a woman's consultation with a professional colorist, which is a very personal interaction. I’m proud to say we’ve succeed in making Madi as trustworthy as she is smart.”
“We coded the knowledge of our expert colorists into Madi's proprietary recommendation engine, but it’s her vision and conversational intelligence that really brings her to life," said Dave King, chief technology officer at Madison Reed. “If a human touch is desired, she can bring a licensed colorist into the conversation for a live chat, which is an extremely rare feature. So in a crowded sea of bots that simply deliver content or facilitate e-commerce transactions, Madi stands alone.”
Although there is deep technology involved, the customer’s experience is convenient, seamless and fun. Madi prompts users to upload a selfie focused on the face and hair. If the lighting is bad, she’ll suggest a retake. Then she’ll ask a few quick questions and recommend the perfect hair color. If the customer decides to make a purchase, Madison Reed’s mobile site springs into action and sends color to a user’s front door. Who knew a selfie could be this useful?
There are two ways to chat with Madi: text “hello” to 62824 (MATCH), or open Facebook Messenger’s mobile app, search for Madison Reed, and select “Get Started.” If texting, data rates may apply; available in the U.S. only.
About Madison Reed:
Madison Reed is a San Francisco, California-based company disrupting the $50 billion hair care industry by using technology in creative ways to make the at-home hair color experience a more luxurious, fearless, happy process. The direct-to-consumer line has quickly become recognized as a category leader thanks to a nutrient-rich hair color formula crafted without ammonia, resorcinol, parabens, and PPD – the irritating chemicals typically found in hair color. The entire line of color products is enriched with argan oil, keratin, and ginseng root. In addition to salon-quality hair color, delivered on a flexible schedule, Madison Reed offers additional products to perfect, protect, and prolong hair color. Madison Reed empowers the modern woman to look and feel her best, with support from expert colorists, plus 24/7 color recommendations. Visit www.Madison-Reed.com for more information.
Contact:
Nora Murray, 419-250-0016
nora@madison-reed.com
This revolutionary, high-touch experience begins when a selfie is uploaded. Using the science of image recognition and hair localization, Madi analyzes the photo and identifies a woman’s primary hair color plus the nuance of secondary tones, then suggests the perfect color. Artificial intelligence fuels her natural language processing, which is why it’s so easy to chat with Madi.
Madi is the latest advancement from Madison Reed, which continues to use groundbreaking mobile technology to reimagine at-home hair color and hair care. The San Francisco-based startup previously stunned the hair care industry by introducing an award-winning smartphone app with voice-recognition and voice-controls. Once the app is launched, a woman can put on gloves, start the hair dyeing process, and use verbal commands to get step-by-step instructions without ever touching her phone.
“Madi builds upon our legacy of innovation,” said Amy Errett, founder and CEO of Madison Reed. “From our company’s inception, we recognized that technology could transform the $50 billion hair care industry. With Madi, our biggest technical challenge has been creating an experience that rivals a woman's consultation with a professional colorist, which is a very personal interaction. I’m proud to say we’ve succeed in making Madi as trustworthy as she is smart.”
“We coded the knowledge of our expert colorists into Madi's proprietary recommendation engine, but it’s her vision and conversational intelligence that really brings her to life," said Dave King, chief technology officer at Madison Reed. “If a human touch is desired, she can bring a licensed colorist into the conversation for a live chat, which is an extremely rare feature. So in a crowded sea of bots that simply deliver content or facilitate e-commerce transactions, Madi stands alone.”
Although there is deep technology involved, the customer’s experience is convenient, seamless and fun. Madi prompts users to upload a selfie focused on the face and hair. If the lighting is bad, she’ll suggest a retake. Then she’ll ask a few quick questions and recommend the perfect hair color. If the customer decides to make a purchase, Madison Reed’s mobile site springs into action and sends color to a user’s front door. Who knew a selfie could be this useful?
There are two ways to chat with Madi: text “hello” to 62824 (MATCH), or open Facebook Messenger’s mobile app, search for Madison Reed, and select “Get Started.” If texting, data rates may apply; available in the U.S. only.
About Madison Reed:
Madison Reed is a San Francisco, California-based company disrupting the $50 billion hair care industry by using technology in creative ways to make the at-home hair color experience a more luxurious, fearless, happy process. The direct-to-consumer line has quickly become recognized as a category leader thanks to a nutrient-rich hair color formula crafted without ammonia, resorcinol, parabens, and PPD – the irritating chemicals typically found in hair color. The entire line of color products is enriched with argan oil, keratin, and ginseng root. In addition to salon-quality hair color, delivered on a flexible schedule, Madison Reed offers additional products to perfect, protect, and prolong hair color. Madison Reed empowers the modern woman to look and feel her best, with support from expert colorists, plus 24/7 color recommendations. Visit www.Madison-Reed.com for more information.
Contact:
Nora Murray, 419-250-0016
nora@madison-reed.com