SAP Hybris adds facial recognition, Internet of Things-triggered campaigns and attribution

Last month, Germany-based SAP acquired consumer identity provider Gigya for its Hybris Marketing Cloud.

The move signaled that SAP is getting serious about identity management across its marketing and ecommerce platform, as marketers get ready for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May.

This week, SAP is introducing several new features to help distinguish itself from major competitors like Adobe or Salesforce. They include facial recognition, Internet of Things-based marketing, integrated attribution and full GDPR support.

The new capabilities include:

• Facial recognition software that can determine a shopper’s gender and age, allowing targeted recommendations based on available inventory.
• Internet of Things campaigns that can be triggered by data from a sensor in a “thing,” such as a message about new sneakers on sale when a consumer’s fitness tracker hits a milestone.
• Customer attribution across channels, available as a single view. “Customer attribution embedded within a marketing platform is a real game changer,” Global VP Jackie Palmer told me via email.
• Full support for GDPR.
• Integration with WeChat, the messaging app that is popular in China.

Along with these new features, SAP is also announcing a version of Hybris for telecommunication and media industries, developed in conjunction with IBM. It provides a ready-to-use, regulation-compliant framework designed for such service providers’ needs as streamlining complex purchases.