ONLINE SHOPPING'S NEW FACELIFT

THE way consumers interact with brands and do their shopping is about to shift following the launch of facial recognition technology by digital media specialist Yeahpoint.

Yeahpoint has developed three new applications using technology that will bring futuristic shopping to the modern marketplace in commercially viable packages, expected to appear in retail stores and supermarkets within months.

The applications include MiMirror, a digital mirror that integrates social media with the customer’s in-store experience, facial recognition order matching for the supermarket and audience measurement scanning to allow retailers to target real time content to suit consumers.

Yeahpoint CEO John Anderson says the future is ‘finally here’, with the three new products marking an exciting opportunity for consumers, organisations and retailers.

“There has been talk of utilising facial scanning in the consumer marketplace for years, but it has never been financially and commercially viable until now,” he says.

Anderson says the MiMirror application is packaged as both a touch screen and digital mirror, allowing customers to try on various products such as clothes and accessories and use the mirror to take photographs and share them with friends online for a second opinion.

“MiMirror is a fantastic opportunity for retailers, specifically those in the fashion industry, to give their customers the ability to make more informed decisions while also having a lot of fun,” he says.

“The ability for customers to share their experience via Facebook also gives retailers an incredible opportunity to utilise social media to grow their business.”

The facial recognition technology can also be used at the checkout as the application can match customer orders to eliminate order miss-matching and lengthy cues. Privacy issues are managed via an ‘opt-in’ methodology to ensure the customer ultimately decides as to whether they are happy to be scanned.

“Now, goods and services can be matched to the customer based on extremely accurate facial matching software, which is great for both retailers and consumers alike,” says Anderson.

“Consumers benefit from a much more streamlined process to save time and retailers reduce overheads through a much simpler logistical process.”

Anderson says the applications run on Yeahpoint’s yeahWARE CODE9 software platform, which allows the company to integrate with any operating system or third party applications.

“In addition, our audience measurement tool can bolt on to almost any existing system to not only scan a person’s face, but also determine their size, gender, age and even their mood through the use of the very latest pinpoint facial scanning technology,” he says.

“While it may sound futuristic, it allows content such as in-store advertising to be tailored to the consumer in real time, as well as providing organisations with a way of collecting valuable data on the types of people who are engaging their brand.”

With strong growth potential in a wide range of global markets, Anderson says the solutions are multi-adaptable.

“These three products are just the beginning and with yeahpoint growing by the day, we’re looking to continue to develop innovative cutting edge self service solutions that will change the global digital service landscape forever,” he says.