Future Commerce

Bedfellows: How Boll & Branch Keeps Humans and AI in the Same Sheets

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Boll & Branch spent 12 years doing the unfashionable thing: perfecting the product first and figuring out distribution second. Chief Commercial Officer Katia Unlu joins Phillip and Brian on today’s episode to discuss Boll & Branch’s store expansion strategy, an AI-generated damage claim that went viral, and the case for stimulation over substitution. 

That’s Not How the Waffle Blanket Tears
Key takeaways:
  • Brands of the DTC era that failed were distracted by over-indexing on one hero product and not focusing on customer experiences that drive retention and brand love. 
  • Boll & Branch opens stores where their customers and ICP already live.
  • A human CX team caught an AI-generated image in a fraudulent damage claim thanks to the team’s sharp knowledge of the brand’s fabric and tear patterns. This is human expertise and technological advancement meeting in the middle.
  • Boll & Branch’s AI tools aim to stimulate the customer relationship rather than flatten it.
  • The 2027 playbook is boring, but it works. Focusing on the fundamentals is key.
  • [00:23:12] "People might buy something they enjoy, but they will actually defend what they love." – Brian Lange
  • [00:29:45] "There's no shortcut for what real-life consumer insights can give you when you just go and talk to people in stores." – Katia Unlu
  • [00:43:50] "We very much don’t want to substitute. We don't have an AI bot on our website that you can even ask questions to." – Katia Unlu
    • Associated Links:
    • Boll & Branch
    • Scott Tannen's LinkedIn post on AI-generated return fraud at Boll & Branch 
    • Read our in-store retail space analyses: Field Notes on Future Commerce
    • More on human vs. agent: Episode 447: The Agent Has Left the Building
    • Explore our Word of Mouth Index
    • Check out Future Commerce on YouTube
    • Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print
    • Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world
    • Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce

      • Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!


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      Future CommerceBy Phillip Jackson, Brian Lange
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