Source: Facebook | Staples
Will Staples ‘Business is Human’ Campaign Connect With Customers?
Staples has launched a brand campaign highlighting its staff’s helpful “human” qualities to address anxieties over the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
The “Business is Human” campaign promotes Staples Business Advantage (SBA), the retailer’s membership program for business owners.
“The campaign reinforces the company’s belief that while artificial intelligence (AI) is and will continue to be a powerful tool, it is most effective when combined with human insights and expertise,” Staples said in a statement.
The initial campaign highlights a range of current Staples employees – including a delivery expert, a customer service rep, facilities solutions and furniture experts and a digital experience expert – in “human” situations.
Print executions of the campaign start by highlighting each Staples employee‘s “Workday Kickstart,” with one stating, “A cappuccino – because life is too short for bad coffee.” Employees then relate a “Fun Fact” about their role, such as Staples’ customer service department helping nearly seven million customers in 2022, or “Words of Wisdom” such as “Smiling conveys confidence, and immediately helps put customers at ease. Don’t forget to smile.”
The employees end up citing a Staples’ product they “Can’t Live Without.”
“When making big buying decisions, businesses demand more than interaction with an algorithm or a bot,” said John Lederer, CEO, Staples. “To best deliver for those customers, human intelligence is a must.”
The campaign comes as AI threatens to upend or replace jobs. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds 61 percent of Americans see A.I. as a threat to humanity.
Offering and promoting access to a “live agent” is common on customer service websites, but apps like ChatGPT are blurring the lines between human and machine assistance. AI can handle many customer service queries faster and more efficiently than human agents and many consumers may prefer to shop with AI assistance on selling floors.
Klarna’s The Future of Retail report, based on a survey of over 5,000 consumers in the U.S., UK, Germany, France and Sweden, found 59 percent are open to the idea of a robot approaching them in-store to take their measurements and recommend styles.
Discussion Questions
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What do you think of Staples’ “Business is Human” campaign focusing on its live representatives versus AI-driven agents? Will the quality of human help become even more critical as AI increasingly supports or drives customer interactions?
Poll
Loading …BrainTrust
Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
Jeff Sward
Founding Partner, Merchandising Metrics
They don’t have to talk me into it, I am already a (often frustrated) believer.
For so long retail news has been technologies that are designed to replace human contact – and human contact is what we need more of these days. There is a place for AI but not at the expense of humans.
Good job, Staples! I love a program that focuses on human interaction, human intelligence, and especially store associates. Sorry Klarna, but there won’t be a robot measuring or recommending fashions to me anytime soon.
My best in-store experiences lately have been, by far, with human beings armed with phones or tablets. If they can’t answer a question off the top their head, then the answer is a couple of clicks away. This kind of help prevented me from leaving empty-handed, and in some cases, leaving with a bigger basket than I intended. Humans + tech = 21st century customer service.
I think their campaign should be “Business is Ghostly” because I rarely find humans much less helpful ones at my local Staples. This sounds more gimmicky than substantial and it’s tied to the fear and hype based coattails of AI to get attention. As with anything, what’s said won’t work unless it’s actually what’s done. However, I agree that the combination of AI with humans in customer service will empower and enable a more effective, efficient and satisfying customer service experience.
Smart marketing move by Staples! By taking consumer anxieties into account and positioning their human team as the antidote, Staples is carving out a niche as the AI revolution continues.
Of course, this ad campaign means that Staples customers will expect to easily reach human associates. And that in-person associates need to be well trained and willing to provide adequate customer service. I’ll be interested to hear how Staples human CX team is prepared to rival the indifferent high school students of present day department stores.
Side note: While I’m all for the “words of wisdom” campaign idea, companies telling consumers to “smile” is a marketing pet peeve. Let’s agree to stop telling anyone to performatively express emotion in 2023.
Even if there were no such thing as AI, the Staples campaign sends an important message about human interaction. Three years after the pandemic, the “re-socialization” value of working in an office and shopping in a store can’t be overstated.
Staples is hitting on a hot topic that, on the surface, will resonate with their customers and advertising audience. However, after reading the article a few times, I’m not sure the message will get through in the way they intend. I’m not sure people will connect with stories from the front line at Staples with not having AI agents. I’m also not confident not using AI agents is a big enough value proposition for me to choose one retailer over another.
I wonder how much of Staples’ business needs a person vs. a computer? As they reduce their number of stores in favor of online, how much does anyone care about a person helping them with a box of pens or a case of paper? Not saying the human side isn’t important, but I wonder how much Business Advantage Members (not average consumers) have a need for humans?
Staples’ campaign will resonate with consumers who value relationships to build trust. A human touch, nuanced communication and personalized service still matter and drive sales.
The quality of human help will remain important to earn consumer confidence and loyalty. AI will free workers up from menial tasks to focus on caring for customers.
I agree with Staples message that AI is not a replacement for human interaction. This is something that will likely resonate with customers and potential customers and it’s a good way of using a buzzy-topic to reemphasize the services that Staples has to offer and the skilled staff its has across the various things it does.
Good for Staples. I like this campaign on many fronts. It addresses the humanity aspect, the soft skills that can be imparted by a human that AI cannot, such as a warm smile, an engaging hello, an extra ounce of effort that a bot may not consider. Will this result in more sales? Time will tell, but even if it doesn’t, the message should clearly resonate with consumers.
Too much of todays world has become fear-driven. The resonance with customers for Staples is not just about the fear of AI, but rather the ability for humans to go the extra mile. The convenience of humanity is the ability for one another to help each other through challenges and obstacles. This convenience cannot be digitized or converted into AI- at least not yet. It’s not about asking a ChatGPT question and getting an informative answer, it’s about a rep that walks you through a process and then makes sure you not only have what you need, but have it in a fair, equitable manner to hit your timelines and set you up for future success. This is about real service above and beyond and that’s very much a human trait.
Its great to see Staples wanting to distinguish their brand by getting back to the fundamentals – all great businesses are customer and human-centric first. Yes, it is good to integrate and leverage technology and AI when and where it makes sense – just don’t lose sight of the one-on-one, human interactions, for that is where connection, understanding and memorable experiences can thrive.
Can they “walk the talk”? I like the campaign. It is exactly what I want when I call customer service. I actually called Staples. I got “Choose 1”,… all the way through “Choose 6”. Then the bot asked me for my phone number. “It didn’t match. Enter again.” It still didn’t match, and finally, “Would you like to talk to a representative?
Better than most, but not good enough for me.
Can they “walk the talk”? I like the campaign. It is exactly what I want when I call customer service. I actually called Staples. I got “Choose 1”,… all the way through “Choose 6”. Then the bot asked me for my phone number. “It didn’t match. Enter again.” It still didn’t match, and finally, “Would you like to talk to a representative?
Better than most, but not good enough for me.
I find the campaign a bit ironic. Walk into any Staples store and you are hard pressed to find an associate who oozes with enthusiasm and is just dying to help you. Before Staples worries about AI versus humans it ought to improve its human-to-human connection points. As to the rest of it I think we need to remember that AI is this season’s Metaverse – lots of hype, very little fact. Labor is expensive and businesses want to maximize profits, so it should be no surprise that employers turn to technology to replace people. After all, it’s been happening since the Industrial Revolution and it’s not likely to stop. Customers want solutions and whether they get those solutions from a machine or a human is going to increasingly make less and less difference. The real difference know is that it is white collar workers that are being replaced. Amazing how our sense of outrage increases the closer the pain gets to home.
Can’t even find a Staples store in the Twin Cities when they used to be ubiquitous. The one by my house was kicked out by its landlord after the retailer decided not to pay rent at the beginning of the pandemic. There’s a liquor store in that bay now, which may be a more important office supply nowadays…
The CEOs observations about the campaign sound excellent. The execution sounds misguided and stereotyped – that they say no more than people are people. It is disappointing that their agency didn’t dig deeply and find unique things to say which show why this matters to customers.
Staples better be 110% certain their people are up to the task or they will become the butt of endless jokes, sarcasm and snide remarks. That’s not to throw shade on their idea. Like many things, a blend of human and machine driven intelligence can be a powerful differentiator. But don’t promise a championship unless you know you have the team that can execute the game plan.
Yes, the campaign in and of itself is timely and should resonate in a generic sense with a majority of consumers, especially those who have grown weary (and leary) of AI buzzwords and advanced technology replacing human interaction. However, specific to the 2nd question, it is essential for retailers to increase the quality of the associate help if they are going to make that a differentiator for their business. As others have noted on this thread, Staples (and a lot of other retailers) isn’t necessarily known for enthusiastic and plentiful staff; so if this is going to be their messaging going forward, I would hope that it would be coupled with a lot of additional internal staff training. Human interaction doesn’t have to mean “no technology”, but finding the right balance of providing that human touch experience with technology as information provider is essential for retailers.
It’s a great way to connect on a hot topic. And it’s so true. AI isn’t going to replace humans any time soon, just augment their work. Get rid of some of the mundane. Elevate what we work on. And it’s a very reassuring message in uncertain times where change is the new normal. Well done Staples.
I think that this campaign is the most customer-centric and professional I have seen is a very lung time. In fact, I cannot think of ever seeing a better campaign. Well done Staples!
Some amount of thumbs downery simply for relevance…or really the lack of it: while people may have questions or anxiety over AI – or are simply sick-to-death of hearing about it! – an office supply store is about the last place in the world where I would expect to find help.
This might be the perfect example of where creative and the realities of the retail experience are mismatched. Staples has shut many of their stores, stores remaining have few associates working there. When you go online or call, the experience isn’t much different than other retailers.
A perfect example. The press release cited in this story doesn’t contain any examples of the campaign, it just talks about it. Another as I would have loved to have seen what they are doing without need to search extensively for it. What a miss!
You can’t fight AI. It’s here, and it will be an important technology that will only improve. That said, AI will not kill the human workforce. I always joke, “Did video kill the radio star?” (MTV reference) Also, ATMs did not eliminate bank teller jobs. All kidding aside, there must be a balance between digital and human-to-human support. The companies that find the right balance, which is always changing, are the ones that win.
Staples ‘Business is Human’ campaign is a brilliant idea that consumers will receive well. The human factor is becoming more, not less, relevant in retailing and services. Technology must be a supportive enabler that enhances the human experience. However, Staples must revisit their staffing levels and the state of their stores. The idea can work well, but execution will be Staples’ Achilles heel.
I like the Staples, “human” campaign but at this present time, a very large majority of consumers are unworried about AI, simply put, because believe it or not, they don’t yet know what it is, nor what it means. Although given that Staples serves a business-customer the percentage of consumers aware might be greater than say, a supermarket.
Also keep in mind that “human” promises are usually not well executed in stores, so consumers are skeptical of such a promise. But Staples offers some tangible benefits and that will help.
Most retailers using AI will not refer to it, or call it, “AI” nor Artificial Intelligence. The technology will be branded into specific names for advertising. It will be sold to consumers as a great advantage.
Staples has depicted the value of humans in the chain brilliantly. AI will replace humans in processes that don’t require humans, but there’s enough space for employees to work on other experience-driven functions and areas. Irrespective of how sophisticated AI becomes, there will always be a need for human interaction, understanding, and empathy.