At CES last week, L’Oréal unveiled Perso, an AI-powered device that mixes personalized skincare and cosmetics for the customer in their own home. Available for purchase in 2021, Perso can create lipstick, foundation, and skincare solutions that are unique to the user and based on preferences, a real-time skin assessment and external data (such as pollution levels and weather). Before Perso mixes the products via its three swappable motorised cartridges, users will be able to preview the look using augmented reality. They will also be able to link their social accounts to Perso’s app to find colour inspirations from their fave influencers.

OK… it ain’t easy to describe… go watch the video and come right back for a look at how this tackles both sides of the personalization coin:

Personalisation: Controlled. Digital tools have equipped self-improvement-obsessed consumers with the ability to experiment with their wellness, identity and more. Welcome to the era of LAB RATS - where consumers see health and wellness as an engineering problem begging to be solved, and they delight in the test-and-fix process. They expect to take an active role in optimising your offering in a quest to unlock their full potential. Perso’s lipstick solution meets that expectation, allowing consumers to play, experiment, have fun and have full control to achieve their desired look. Could you develop a product that gives customers greater control when it comes to their personalisation choices?

Personalisation: Outsourced. On the other hand, consumers are pressed for time. Constantly assessing and responding to their own needs or circumstances every day is exhausting. Getting things ‘just right’ can be a chore. Here’s your opportunity to offer METAMORPHIC DESIGN - products, services and experiences that automatically adapt around the changing needs of the user. This is what Perso is offering with its foundation and skincare solutions. And they’re not alone, 39% of global businesses say they’ve started to deliver personalised experiences in real-time (Adobe & E-consultancy, 2019). In fact, Shiseido’s new venture Optune already offers a similar smart dispenser for skincare. Could you offer ‘relevance-as-a-service’ and help consumers outsource their personalisation?

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