Perfect Corp. partners with MAC Cosmetics and SoPost on product sampling experience

Artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) tech firm Perfect Corp. is teaming up with beauty brand MAC Cosmetics and online product sampling platform SoPost, for a first-to-market personalised product sampling experience.

Described as “next-generation product sampling,” the partnership will combine MAC Cosmetic consumers with a hyper-realistic AR virtual try-on and personalised AI shade matching, alongside the convenience of physical product sampling delivered to their door.

The digital-meets-physical personalised experience will be powered by the latest AI and AR technology and will launch with MAC’s bestselling Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in the UK, with 80,000 foundation samples available.

Perfect Corp. and MAC Cosmetics will provide the personalised sampling service through a call-to-action that sits across multiple activation points across the consumer journey including social platforms Facebook and Instagram, and retailer and brand websites. It will offer MAC customers the chance to claim a Studio Fix Fluid Foundation sample, which once clicked, will open to a special landing page that hosts the product-matching virtual try-on experience.

Using augmented reality and artificial intelligence, customers will discover the exact shade-match from 67 inclusive shades that is the best fit for them with the option to claim the sample product that was suggested. Customers will then be prompted to fill in their personal shipping information and samples will be delivered to their home.

MAC to utilise AR and AI to offer virtual try-on sampling experience with Perfect Corp. and SoPost

Perfect Corp. founder and chief executive, Alice Chang, said in a statement: “We are excited to partner with MAC Cosmetics and SoPost to pair virtual product discovery with physical product sampling for a new-age experiential product discovery journey.

“Consumers continue to turn to product sampling as a means for making more confident purchase decisions. We’re excited to use AI and AR virtual try-on as a way to best match MAC customers with foundation samples that best fit for their skin tone in order to boost consumer purchase confidence and help companies better distribute physical samples.”

The partnership aims to offer a tailored full circle consumer experience that bridges the gap between digital and physical worlds, allowing consumers and brands to make more confident sampling and purchase decisions. With SoPost following up with customers on MAC’s behalf for a review of their product sampling experience to gain valuable customer insights and drive customers to specific points of purchase online.

Fiona Sainty, vice president general manager of MAC Cosmetics UK and Ireland, said: “In an ever-evolving market where physical and digital is merged like never before, our next-generation VTO-driven SoPost experience combines shade-matching with sampling into one seamless customer journey. Allowing for a trial-driven product like foundation to become more accessible than ever.

“We have been able to offer our customers the joy of trying shades digitally through our MAC Virtual Try On service since 2020, but we wanted to take it a step further and now we can not only match, but also offer a sample which is delivered to you in the comfort of your own home.”

SoPost founder and chief executive, Jonathan Grubin added: “The growth of virtual try-on is a trend that we don’t see going away, and we’re thrilled to be working with the teams at MAC and Perfect Corp. to be taking the consumer experience a step further with samples delivered in-home.

“This first-to-market activation is an exciting development in the world of online sampling and demonstrates how people’s buying habits are changing - and how sampling can adapt.”