The application of Chatbot Technology in Online Shopper Marketing of the German Fashion Industry

Abstract

Since the internet has gained importance as a business platform, the world has seen an influx of ideas and new online tools. Internet as well as digitalisation have significantly altered the business landscape in many industries. One of the new tools that has been entering the market for several years now is the chatbot. The possibilities of chatbot technology are already quite well recognised in terms of its use as a service bot that answers simple recurring questions. However, for shopper marketing it is still a very new and hardly explored technology. The aim of this bachelor thesis is to assess the possibilities of chatbot technology in online shopper marketing. The fashion industry has been chosen as the target market for this research. For this purpose, an insight into the fashion industry is first given. In the course of this, it will be explained why online shopper marketing has gained such an importance for the fashion industry in recent years, as well as what activities are included in it. In this context the chatbot solution will be introduced. It will be dealt with the question how to maximise the utilisation of chatbot technology in order to improve online shopper marketing. In the course of this work, a survey will be conducted to clarify the acceptance of Germans towards chatbot technology as well as desired chatbot characteristics. The conclusion will provide guidance on how a chatbot should look like in the German fashion market and can be used by companies as a reference for the implementation of chatbot technology.