AI Concierge PITALIy Launches 'Web Catalog Function'

AIVy Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Representative Director: Takuto Murakami, hereinafter 'AIVy') announces the launch of a new 'Web Catalog Function' for its AI customer service concierge 'PITALIy', where an AI avatar guides users through product information and service listings.

The AI avatar 'PITALIy' provides guidance in a conversational format based on existing product information, service listings, product categories, features, price ranges, usage scenarios, comparison points, and frequently asked questions. Users can deepen their understanding by asking the AI avatar questions about products or services of interest, rather than just browsing a catalog. For companies, this function helps promote product understanding, prevent drop-offs during comparison, and guide users toward next actions such as inquiries, purchases, reservations, and document requests.

■ Background of Development and Provision

The AI avatar 'PITALIy' conveys value that is difficult to communicate by simply listing product information.

While catalogs and product listing pages can efficiently display a large amount of product and service information, users need time and effort to find information relevant to them. Particularly for products that require comparison and consideration, such as high-functionality products, B2B materials, housing equipment, beauty appliances, educational courses, travel plans, and gift items, simply listing information often fails to convey value, leading to drop-offs during the consideration process.

In actual web customer service and marketing settings, the following issues repeatedly occur:

- High-functionality products and B2B materials require explanation to understand features and implementation benefits.
- Products like housing equipment and beauty appliances, where price, function, and usage scenarios are compared, are prone to drop-offs during consideration.
- PDF catalogs and static product pages alone do not easily lead to inquiries, purchases, reservations, or document requests.

These issues stem from the traditional catalog design of 'comprehensively presenting information.' In a structure where users are left to organize and filter information themselves, the burden of comparison increases with the number of products, resulting in increased drop-offs.

PITALIy's Web Catalog Function transforms catalogs that are 'just posted' or 'just browsed' into interactive sales content where users can deepen their understanding by asking the AI avatar questions.

■ Overview of the Web Catalog Function

The AI avatar 'PITALIy' guides product information and next actions based on user questions.

PITALIy's Web Catalog Function is a feature where the AI avatar provides product and service information to users in a conversational format, based on existing product information, service listings, product categories, features, price ranges, usage scenarios, comparison points, and frequently asked questions.

Users can directly ask the AI avatar questions about products or services of interest on the web catalog or product listing page. The AI avatar clearly explains product features, comparison points, usage scenarios, price ranges, and selection methods according to the user's questions and interests, naturally leading to next actions such as inquiries, purchases, reservations, and document requests.

This makes it possible to evolve static product listings and PDF catalogs into 'catalogs that can provide customer service,' which can be understood through conversation.

■ What the Web Catalog Function Achieves

By introducing the Web Catalog Function, the following uses become possible:

- Conversational guidance for product information and service listings
- Explanation of product categories, features, price ranges, and usage scenarios
- Guidance on comparison points for each product
- Utilization on post-exhibition follow-up sites and product introduction pages

This enables users to have an 'experience where they can easily find products relevant to them' and provides companies with 'customer service that integrates the visualization of interests and connection to next actions.'

■ Unique Features of PITALIy

1. Transform catalogs from 'something to browse' to 'interactive sales content you can ask questions about'

The AI avatar explains content that is difficult to convey with static product listings or PDF catalogs in a conversational format. Users can receive necessary information through conversation without having to read long texts, allowing the catalog browsing itself to be designed as a customer service experience.

2. Support understanding of products requiring comparison

This function is particularly effective for products that require explanation and comparison before selection, such as high-functionality products, B2B materials, housing equipment, beauty appliances, educational courses, travel plans, and gift items. It resolves user questions like 'It's hard to understand the difference in functions' or 'I want to organize the relationship between price and specifications' through dialogue.

3. Naturally lead to inquiries, purchases, reservations, and document requests

Rather than ending with product explanations, it guides users to pathways for inquiries, purchases, reservations, document requests, and LINE registration in the flow of heightened interest and understanding. It integrates the pathway from comparison to action.

4. Visualize user interests and hesitations for catalog improvement

Based on conversation logs, it allows you to understand which products are being viewed and at which comparison points users are hesitating. It is possible to continuously accumulate qualitative data that can be used for improving product pages, FAQs, sales materials, catalog content, and planning new products.

■ Expected Use Cases

The AI avatar 'PITALIy' supports a wide range of catalog customer service, including beauty appliances, housing equipment, B2B materials, and travel plans.

- Beauty Appliances: Interviews about functions, price ranges, target areas, and usage scenarios to organize and guide candidates from the lineup.
- Housing Equipment: Conversational guidance on specifications, price ranges, and construction examples for each equipment category (kitchen, bath, sanitary), leading to showroom visit reservations and inquiries.
- B2B Materials: Differentiating guidance on functions, pricing plans, implementation scale, and industry-specific examples according to user interests, setting up pathways for document requests and sales meeting reservations.
- Travel Plans: Interviews about travel style, companions, purpose, and length of stay to guide combinations of areas and accommodation plans.
- Educational Courses: Guidance on course content, target levels, learning styles, and fees, leading to free trials, document requests, and information session reservations.
- Gift Catalogs: Narrowing down and proposing gift candidates based on the recipient, occasion, budget, and preferences, reducing the burden of searching from a list.
- Post-Exhibition Follow-up Sites: Can be set up as a touchpoint for attendees to explore product lineups online that could not be fully introduced during the exhibition.
- E-commerce Product Listing Pages: Guiding category-specific product introductions, selection methods, rankings, and reviews according to user interests, naturally leading to product detail pages and purchase pathways.

■ Implementation Process

Support from product information organization to publication and improvement.

- Organize product/service information to be listed: Organize the product lineup to be guided, the value to be emphasized, and priorities.
- Organize product categories, features, price ranges, and usage scenarios: Clarify the axes for catalog guidance.
- Share existing catalogs, product pages, FAQs, and comparison tables: Provide existing assets for AI