5 Brands Taking CX To The Next Level With Facebook Messenger

50 minutes. That’s the amount of time that the average user spends inside of Facebook’s messaging apps each day, according to a May article by the New York Times.

5 Brands Taking CX To The Next Level With Facebook Messenger

50 minutes. That’s the amount of time that the average user spends inside of Facebook’s messaging apps each day, according to a May article by the New York Times.

As brands continue on their quest to reach consumers wherever they are, it’s no wonder, then, why so many have made moves with Facebook Messenger.

“We’ve seen brands use Messenger as a driver for brand awareness, launching viral campaigns to drive engagement and increase affinity,” said Stefanos Loukakos, Head of Messenger Business, at Facebook. “This can be centered around an event, a launch or a seasonal moment. Further down the funnel we’ve seen businesses generate leads and acquire new customers in a way that is more natural and conversational and less transactional and disjointed.”

According to Loukakos, brands are also using Messenger to enable transactions, allowing people to browse, shop and buy—all within the Messenger experience.

Here are 5 brands doing cool things with Facebook Messenger.

1. SnapTravel

SnapTravel, a hotel booking startup, has built their entire business on messaging, with all customer interactions and bookings taking place on Facebook Messenger and via SMS.

The most simple questions and FAQs are automated, with human agents stepping in for more complex inquiries, Loukakos said. What’s more, SnapTravel has made over $1 million in revenue on the platform to date, and recently raised $8 million to further its messaging-first business model.

2. Sephora

Sephora created the Sephora Reservation Assistant, an appointment booking bot for reserving makeovers at Sephora stores across the U.S.

Using the bot, people can share their location and the service they want, and then instantly receive the closest dates and times available. They can then complete the appointment without ever leaving the Messenger app.

“Thanks to their bot, Sephora saw an 11% increase in booking rates compared to other digital channels, with people who booked appointments through the bot spending on average over $50,” Loukakos said.

3. The Golden State Warriors

During the recent NBA playoffs, the Golden State Warriors created the Warriors Playoff Assistant to interact with fans and answer questions, provide live updates like game information, scores, videos, and more. The bot also provided player stats, assisted with purchasing tickets or merchandise and even provided parking updates for fans attending a playoff game.

4. Activision—Call Of Duty

Ahead of the release of the video game, “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare,” Activision launched a Call of Duty Lt. Reyes bot, a character from the upcoming first-person shooter game who would reveal clues about the upcoming release.

In only its first 24 hours online, the bot exchanged over 6 million chats with fans. This was a great way to increase engagement and get gamers excited about the new release.

5. UNICEF

UNICEF’s U-Report bot is a low-cost way to reach young people all over the world and empower them to have a positive impact on their environment. So far the bot has assisted in understanding young people’s views on development issues and helped them gain access to critical and even lifesaving information. U-Report has influenced policy, improved emergency response and empowered young people to get involved from countries all over the world. Without a bot, this is something that would have taken UNICEF years to do.

“We anticipate that messaging will continue to play an increasingly prominent role in the way businesses and people interact, and that these interactions will happen in apps where people are already spending the majority of their time,” Loukakos said.

“When setting out to build an experience on Messenger, it is crucial that brands first consider why they are doing it, and what they hope to achieve,” he said. “Messenger has the potential to be an extremely powerful lever for your business, but in the absence of clear goals and metrics of success, your likelihood of driving business outcomes diminish.”