Blog

4 ways AI changes the pizza game

For some entrepreneurs, AI is just a buzzword or abstract concept with no real application in their business — maybe because on the surface it seems so complex. But it's actually quite the opposite. And through a basic understanding of it, operators can use AI to elevate their digital marketing to help grow customers and sales.

May 29, 2019

By Tanuj Joshi/Eulerity CEO and co-founder

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming an important part of small business marketing. For over a decade, Fortune 500 companies have been harnessing its power, but it's only been in recent years that tools have become more accessible to smaller business owners, like many pizza brands. 

For some entrepreneurs, AI is just a buzzword or an abstract concept that has no real application in their business — maybe because on the surface it seems so complex. But it's actually quite the opposite. By having even a basic understanding of it, small business owners can use AI to elevate their digital marketing to help drive customers and, in turn, sales.

Here are four ways pizza brand can use AI for digital marketing:

 
Automated advertising

The world of digital marketing is complex and for a marketing manager overseeing hundreds of restaurants or a local owner running the day-to-day operations, there's simply no time to do all the heavy lifting required to run the most effective campaign. Human analysis and optimization of digital marketing campaign, which should ideally occurs several times daily, are time-consuming and costly. 

But marketers are using AI and machine learning tools like that of my company to help automate advertising for smaller businesses and restaurant brand, so managers can focus on daily business functions instead of social media marketing campaigns and budget allocation for them. 

In fact, since machine learning deploys 24/7 algorithmic-based optimization in the interest of the the pizza brand's marketing objectives, a sizable competitive advantage is already established. In fact, one brand that implemented machine learning through our company, Gotan, reported its usual seven-day turnaround for digital marketing creative was cut to just 107 seconds. 

Predictive customer behavior

New technology has hit the market that can predict what consumers will buy with an incredibly high level of accuracy by using data and deep learning, a subset of AI, to predict what consumers will do and how they'll do it. The easiest way to think of this technology in action is when you log in to Netflix or Amazon and are served with suggested shows to watch or products to buy. 

If you've ever felt like these services "know" you, well, that's AI at work. As technology continues to advance, brands will slowly get rid of the "customer profile" they've been using to market and instead hone in on each specific customer and his or her habits to better serve them and drive revenue. 

Ordering via voice search

With the growth of Amazon's Alexa and Google Home, several national brands have incorporated voice-activated ordering. Domino's was an early adopter in 2014 with the launch of its virtual, voice-ordering technology "Dom" and Wingstop partnered with Alexa in 2017 to make ordering easier. While voice-ordering is still in its infancy -- bringing in only about $2 billion annually now, OC&C Strategy Consultants is quoted as saying that will jump to $40 billion in 2022.

Chatbots

If you've ever visited a website where a small chat function appears on your screen asking something simple like, "How can I help you today?" or if you've ever asked Siri where the nearest Dunkin' is, you've interacted with a chatbot. Chatbots use AI systems that act as customer service representatives. Users interact with chatbots via voice or text, much as they would do with a human. 
Chatbot developers create scripts of potential customer scenarios, which are then programmed to create a software application. Chatbots can provide on-demand responses to common questions, which can save brands time and money and even lead to higher customer satisfaction. In fact, business solutions review platform, G2, said that by 2020, 85% of consumer interactions will be handled without a human.

What's next?

The focus on AI has produced significant growth in the tech segment over the last five years, with computers now powerful enough to handle sophisticated models that can solve new and different approaches to problems. While no one knows what AI's effect on our society will be in the long term, we can all agree it is and will be disruptive. With this in mind, brands that take advantage of its applications early on are well-positioned to get and stay ahead of the competition and earn market share.

About the author:Tanuj Joshi is co-founder and CEO of Eulerity, an app that uses machine learning to simplify digital advertising for small business owners, including more than 100 foodservice and retail clients. 

Photo: iStock