New Intelligent Interaction Interfaces: Websites and Apps to Agents and Epps

Published September 7-17, 2024

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Digital Evolutions

For as long as we’ve known the Internet, websites have been integral to our digital landscape, serving as our destinations for news, entertainment, shopping, and more. My own Internet journey began in 1995 with an omnibus website (IndiaWorld) that I launched, followed by the creation of many others for different verticals. Even today, websites remain central to our online browsing. The early 2000s saw the emergence of mobile websites on clunky browsers on Nokia and other phones. Then, with the launch of the iPhone in 2007, apps revolutionised our interaction with the digital world. Our phones now host dozens of apps catering to every imaginable need. For the past three decades, websites (in both desktop and mobile formats) and apps have been the primary interfaces for interacting with the digital world and for brands to connect with their customers.

However, brand websites have become cluttered with pop-ups. Visit a homepage, and a chat window materialises. Browse a bit, and another pop-up emerges, soliciting an email address or urging us to download the app. On mobile devices, these pop-ups often cover much of the screen. Additionally, many websites are not optimised for the diverse range of mobile devices, making navigation and form entry challenging. Apps come with their own set of issues. We all have screens brimming with apps, much like our desktop screens once were. Every new app adds to the clutter, prompting the question: do we really need to download yet another app?

Push channels also face challenges. Email, the oldest push channel, has inboxes filled with ads and receipts. SMS, though more expensive, is no longer the instant P2P messaging haven it once was. WhatsApp is also heading in the same direction, with marketing and service messages along with spam outnumbering the important messages from friends and groups.

These frictions create barriers between brands and their customers, making it difficult for customers to engage easily. As a result, brands struggle to drive engagement, conversion, and retention (what I call “EnCoRe”). This leads to increased spending on adtech platforms to reach their own customers via retargeting. Every dollar spent on reacquisition reduces the brand’s bottom line, enriching adtech platforms, which have become “profipolies” (profit monopolies).

A transformation is on the horizon. The balance of power is shifting from clutter to clean, from adtechs to brands, and from acquisition to retention. New interaction interfaces, such as email apps (Epps) and AI agents, will revolutionise our daily lives and change the way brands connect with their customers.

Before we explore the new, let’s examine the old.

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Websites

(Written with help from Claude and ChatGPT)

The history of websites began in 1989 when Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web at CERN. The first website went live in 1991, marking the beginning of a digital revolution. Initially, websites were simple, text-based affairs, primarily used by academic institutions and government agencies. This simple page contained text and hyperlinks, a stark contrast to today’s multimedia-rich sites.

As the Internet gained popularity in the mid-1990s, businesses began to recognise its potential. The first commercial websites emerged, often serving as digital brochures. These early brand websites were static, offering basic information about products and services. They typically featured company information, contact details, and a catalog of products or services, with little interactivity or dynamic content. They were typically created using HTML and lacked sophisticated design elements.

The late 1990s and early 2000s saw rapid advancement in web technologies. The introduction of HTML 4, CSS, and JavaScript enabled more sophisticated and interactive websites. This period also saw the rise of e-commerce, with companies like Amazon and eBay leading the way. Brand websites evolved from mere information repositories to platforms for online transactions. The rise of broadband allowed for richer media content, such as images, audio, and video. Flash became popular for creating interactive animations and multimedia experiences, offering rich multimedia experiences but often at the cost of usability and search engine optimisation.

The mid-2000s brought a shift towards more user-centric design with the advent of Web 2.0. This era emphasised user-generated content, interactivity, and social features. Brand websites began incorporating blogs, forums, and user reviews. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter emerged, changing the way brands interacted with customers. The rise of content management systems like WordPress made it easier for brands to regularly update their websites and engage with customers.

The late 2000s and early 2010s were marked by the mobile revolution, initiated by the release of the iPhone in 2007. With the increasing use of smartphones, responsive design became crucial. Brand websites had to adapt to various screen sizes and touch interfaces. This period also saw the integration of social media, with many brand websites featuring social sharing buttons and feeds from various platforms.

In recent years, brand websites have become increasingly sophisticated. The use of HTML5, CSS3, and advanced JavaScript frameworks has enabled more dynamic and app-like experiences. Single-page applications (SPAs) and progressive web apps (PWAs) emerged, offering faster, more dynamic user experiences. Personalisation has become a key focus, with websites using data analytics and AI to tailor content to individual users. Many brand websites now incorporate chatbots for customer service and use AR/VR technologies for product visualisation.

The evolution of brand websites has also been influenced by changing consumer expectations and behaviours. Today’s users expect fast-loading, intuitive, and mobile-friendly websites. This has led to a trend towards minimalist design and a focus on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. Ecommerce has become seamless, with features like one-click purchasing and integrated payment gateways.

Security and privacy have become major concerns, especially with the implementation of regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Brand websites now prioritise data protection and transparency in data collection practices. HTTPS has become standard, and features like two-factor authentication add extra layers of security.

Looking ahead, the future of brand websites may involve even greater personalisation, increased use of AI for predictive content delivery, and integration with emerging technologies like voice interfaces and the Internet of Things.

Throughout this evolution, the core purpose of brand websites has remained constant: to serve as a digital storefront, information hub, and point of contact between companies and their customers. However, the ways in which they fulfil this purpose have become increasingly sophisticated and user-centric, reflecting broader trends in technology and user behaviour.

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Apps

(Written with help from Claude and ChatGPT)

The concept of mobile applications, or “apps,” has roots that predate smartphones, tracing back to the early 1990s. The IBM Simon, released in 1994, was a pioneering device that combined a cell phone with a PDA (personal digital assistant), featuring built-in applications like a calendar, address book, and calculator. However, these early apps were rudimentary due to limited hardware and lack of a robust ecosystem.

The modern app ecosystem as we know it began with the launch of Apple’s iPhone in 2007, followed by the introduction of the App Store in 2008. This marked a revolutionary approach to mobile technology, featuring a capacitive touchscreen and a robust operating system (iOS). The App Store allowed third-party developers to create and distribute apps, opening the floodgates for innovation.

Initially, the App Store featured just 500 apps, but it quickly grew as developers recognised the potential of this new platform. Google followed suit with the Android Market (later Google Play Store) in 2008, setting the stage for the mobile app revolution. Other mobile operating systems like BlackBerry and Windows Phone also created their app ecosystems.

For brands, the early days of apps were experimental. Many simply replicated their websites in app form, not fully utilising the unique capabilities of mobile devices. However, forward-thinking companies began to create apps that offered genuine value to users, such as Nike+ which tracked running performance, or Starbucks’ app for mobile payments and rewards.

As smartphones became more sophisticated, so did apps. The introduction of features like GPS, accelerometers, and high-quality cameras opened up new possibilities. Social media apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram became mobile-first experiences, while new mobile-native platforms emerged. Games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush became cultural phenomena, demonstrating the potential for mobile gaming.

For brands, apps became a way to provide more immersive, personalised experiences. Retail apps incorporated augmented reality for virtual try-ons, while banking apps revolutionised personal finance management. The rise of push notifications allowed brands to communicate directly with users, although this eventually led to issues with notification fatigue.

The mid-2010s saw the rise of the “app economy,” with companies like Uber and Airbnb building entire business models around mobile apps. This period also saw increased competition in app stores, making it more challenging for brands to stand out. In response, many brands began focusing on app retention and engagement rather than just downloads.

The rise of push notifications has been a significant development in the app ecosystem. Introduced by Apple in 2009 and quickly adopted by other platforms, push notifications allowed apps to send alerts to users even when the app wasn’t actively running. Initially, push notifications were primarily used for basic updates like new messages or emails. However, as the technology evolved, so did its applications. Brands began using push notifications for marketing, personalised recommendations, and real-time updates. The ability to segment users and send targeted notifications based on behaviour, preferences, or location made push notifications a powerful tool for user engagement. However, the proliferation of notifications also led to challenges. Users began experiencing “notification fatigue,” leading to decreased engagement or even app uninstalls. This prompted both app developers and operating system makers to introduce more sophisticated notification management features, allowing users greater control over what notifications they receive and how they’re displayed.

The app landscape has continued to evolve. The introduction of 5G promises faster speeds and lower latency, enabling more complex and data-intensive apps. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being integrated into apps, offering personalised experiences and advanced functionalities. Voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant are becoming more prevalent, changing how users interact with their devices.

Recent years have seen a trend towards “super apps,” particularly in Asia, where a single app provides a wide range of services. WeChat in China, for example, combines messaging, social media, payments, and various third-party services.

The rise of wearable technology, such as smartwatches, has further expanded the app ecosystem. Brands now create apps tailored for these devices, often focusing on health, fitness, and quick interactions.

Security and privacy have become major concerns in apps also, especially following regulations like GDPR. Brands have had to balance personalisation with respect for user privacy in their app strategies. App stores have implemented stricter guidelines, and users have become more aware of data protection issues.

The future of apps may involve greater integration with AI and machine learning, more seamless interactions with Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and potentially a shift towards progressive web apps (PWAs) that blur the line between websites and native apps.

Throughout this evolution, successful brand apps have focused on providing genuine utility and value to users, rather than simply serving as another marketing channel. The most effective brand apps enhance the customer experience, foster loyalty, and provide services that are uniquely suited to the mobile context.

The evolution of apps reflects broader technological trends and changing user behaviours. From simple utilities to sophisticated, multifunctional tools, apps have become an integral part of our daily lives, transforming how brands connect with their customers and how we interact with the digital world.

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Inboxes

(Written with help from Claude and ChatGPT)

The evolution of digital inboxes reflects broader trends in technology and communication, showcasing how we interact with each other and businesses. From the early days of email to the modern era of instant messaging apps and the emergence of WhatsApp and RCS, the history of inboxes is a fascinating journey through technological advancements and changing user preferences.

Email, the oldest of these communication channels, has its roots in the 1960s. Initially developed for communication within ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet, email quickly became a fundamental tool for digital communication. Ray Tomlinson sent the first email in 1971, and by the 1980s, email had become a standard means of communication in academia and business. The 1990s saw widespread adoption of email with the introduction of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and personal computers. Services like AOL, Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail revolutionised email by offering free, web-based accounts, making it easier for people to communicate globally.

As email grew in popularity, it evolved from simple person-to-person communication to include newsletters, marketing messages, and transactional emails. This led to the development of spam filters and more sophisticated inbox management tools. Regulations like the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States were introduced to combat the growing issue of spam.

The rise of mobile devices in the 2000s changed how people interacted with their email inboxes. BlackBerry devices popularised the concept of “push” email, allowing for instant notification of new messages. This set the stage for the always-connected nature of modern digital communication.

Today’s email inboxes are far more complex than their predecessors, often including AI-powered sorting, focused inboxes that prioritise important messages, and integration with productivity tools. Despite challenges, email has remained a vital communication tool due to its versatility and reliability.

Short Message Service (SMS) emerged in the 1990s as a convenient way to send brief text messages between mobile phones. The first SMS was sent in 1992, and by the early 2000s, it had become a ubiquitous form of communication. SMS inboxes were initially simple, chronological lists of messages. As mobile phones became more sophisticated, these inboxes evolved to include features like threaded conversations and multimedia messages (MMS).

SMS quickly became a popular marketing channel for brands, leading to the concept of “text marketing.” However, the limited character count and lack of rich media support in traditional SMS posed challenges for more complex communications. Despite the rise of other messaging platforms, SMS has remained relevant due to its universal compatibility and reliability, especially in areas with limited internet connectivity.

The late 2000s and early 2010s saw the rise of Over-The-Top (OTT) messaging apps, with WhatsApp leading the charge after its launch in 2009. These apps leveraged the widespread availability of smartphones and the Internet to offer free, instant messaging with rich features. WhatsApp’s user-friendly interface, multimedia capabilities, and end-to-end encryption made it an instant hit, quickly becoming the preferred messaging app for millions of users worldwide, surpassing traditional SMS in many regions.

For users, these new messaging apps offered a more engaging and feature-rich inbox experience. For brands, they presented both opportunities and challenges. The business use of WhatsApp has grown significantly, particularly with the introduction of WhatsApp Business. This has allowed companies to have verified profiles, automated messages, and analytics, transforming WhatsApp inboxes into customer service and marketing channels.

Rich Communication Services (RCS) represents the next evolution in messaging, developed as a successor to SMS. RCS aims to bring the functionality of apps like WhatsApp to the native messaging app on smartphones, offering enhanced features such as high-resolution images, videos, group chats, read receipts, and more. It has the potential to upgrade business communication by enabling more interactive and engaging messages, such as sending boarding passes, event tickets, and promotional offers directly to customers’ messaging apps.

Looking ahead, the future of inboxes is likely to involve greater integration of AI for message prioritisation and automated responses. There’s also a trend towards unified inboxes that combine messages from various platforms into a single interface.

Privacy concerns continue to shape the evolution of inboxes. End-to-end encryption, once rare, is now expected in messaging apps. Users are becoming more aware of data collection practices, influencing how they interact with branded messages in their inboxes.

For brands, the challenge is to navigate this complex landscape of inboxes effectively. This involves choosing the right channels for different types of communications, respecting user preferences and privacy, and providing value rather than contributing to information overload.

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Challenges

(Written with help from Claude and ChatGPT)

Each of the interaction interfaces we have discussed faces challenges.

Websites

1. User Experience and Engagement:

1. • Information Overload: Many brand websites struggle to balance comprehensive information with user-friendly navigation. Providing all necessary details without overwhelming visitors is crucial to prevent high bounce rates and decreased engagement. Many brand websites are cluttered with pop-ups and intrusive advertisements, which can frustrate users and drive them away. Ensuring that websites are responsive, intuitive, and free of unnecessary distractions is critical for maintaining user engagement. Brands must balance the need to capture user data (e.g., email addresses) with providing a pleasant browsing experience.
   • Personalisation at Scale: Implementing effective personalisation across a website for numerous visitors with diverse needs and preferences is technically challenging and resource-intensive. While personalisation can significantly improve user experience, doing so at scale requires advanced data analytics and robust backend systems.
   • Mobile Optimisation: Despite the prevalence of mobile browsing, many websites still fail to provide a seamless mobile experience. Issues with responsive design, load times, and functionality can alienate a large portion of users who primarily access the internet via mobile devices. Ensuring websites are fully optimized for mobile use is critical for maintaining engagement and accessibility.

2. SEO and Discoverability:

1. • Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Staying at the top of search results requires continuous effort and adaptation to changing algorithms. Brands must invest in high-quality content, keyword optimisation, and technical SEO practices to improve discoverability. Failure to rank well can result in reduced traffic and missed opportunities to connect with potential customers.

3. Security and Privacy:

1. • Data Protection: Ensuring the security and privacy of user data is paramount as data breaches become more common. Brands must implement robust security measures such as SSL certificates, firewalls, and regular security audits. Compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA is also essential. Any lapse in security can lead to a loss of customer trust and severe reputational damage.

Apps

1. User Acquisition and Retention:

1. • High Acquisition Costs: With millions of apps available, brands face significant challenges in getting users to download their apps and, more importantly, continue using them over time. The costs of user acquisition are high, and retention rates often drop dramatically after initial downloads. Brands must focus on delivering exceptional value and user experience to retain customers and encourage regular use.
   • Push Notification Fatigue: While push notifications can be an effective engagement tool, overuse or poorly timed notifications can lead to user annoyance and app deletion. Striking the right balance between keeping users informed and respecting their attention is a constant challenge.
   • App Store Visibility: Ensuring that a brand’s app is discoverable among millions of others is increasingly difficult. This requires ongoing optimization of app store listings and potentially significant marketing budgets.

2. Platform Fragmentation and Compatibility:

1. • Device and OS Variability: Developing apps that work seamlessly across various devices and operating systems is complex. Differences in screen sizes, hardware capabilities, and OS versions can lead to inconsistent user experiences. Brands need to invest in thorough testing and optimization to ensure their apps function well across the diverse ecosystem of Android and iOS devices.

3. Data Privacy and Permissions:

1. • User Trust: Managing app permissions transparently and responsibly is essential to maintaining user trust. Overly intrusive permission requests can deter users from installing or using the app. Brands must ensure they only request necessary permissions and provide clear explanations for why the data is needed. Adhering to data privacy regulations and implementing robust security measures is also critical.

Inboxes (Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and RCS)

1. Deliverability and Visibility:

1. • Spam Filters and Folder Placement: Ensuring messages reach the primary inbox rather than spam or promotional folders is an ongoing challenge for email. For SMS and messaging apps, the challenge is cutting through the noise of numerous messages users receive daily. Brands need to maintain good sender reputations, adhere to best practices for content and frequency, and utilise authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to improve email deliverability.

2. Engagement and Relevance:

1. • Message Overload: Capturing the attention of users in inboxes inundated with messages is increasingly difficult. Generic, non-personalized messages are often ignored or deleted. Brands must leverage data analytics and segmentation to send targeted, relevant content that resonates with individual users. Using techniques like A/B testing, dynamic content, and personalised subject lines can significantly improve engagement rates.

3. Privacy and Consent:

1. • Regulatory Compliance: Navigating complex legal requirements when messaging customers is a major challenge. Brands must obtain explicit consent from users to send them messages, provide easy unsubscribe options, and manage data appropriately. Compliance with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA is critical to avoid legal issues and maintain customer trust.

4. Cross-Channel Consistency:

1. • Unified Messaging: Maintaining a consistent message and user experience across multiple channels (email, SMS, WhatsApp, etc.) is challenging. Managing customer preferences, avoiding message duplication, and ensuring seamless transitions between channels are essential for effective communication. Brands must develop integrated strategies to ensure that their messaging is coherent and synchronized across all platforms.

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In summary, while websites, apps, and inboxes each offer unique opportunities for brand-customer messaging, they also present distinct challenges. Brands must navigate these obstacles by focusing on user experience, maintaining security and privacy, and leveraging data to deliver personalized and relevant communications. By addressing these challenges effectively, brands can enhance their interactions with customers and build stronger, more trusting relationships.

So what innovations can transform our interaction interfaces?

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Innovations

I asked Claude to list out the emerging technologies that can improve our interaction interfaces.

Conversational AI and Chatbots: Advanced AI-powered chatbots could become the primary interface for brand-customer interactions. These could integrate across websites, apps, and messaging platforms, providing a consistent, personalized experience. They could handle complex queries, perform transactions, and even proactively engage customers based on their behavior and preferences.

Voice Interfaces: As voice recognition technology improves, voice commands could become a primary way to interact with brands. This could involve dedicated voice apps or integration with existing voice assistants like Aruna or Google Assistant. Users could check their account status, make purchases, or get customer support entirely through voice commands.

Augmented Reality (AR) Interfaces: AR could transform how customers interact with products and services. For example, furniture brands could let customers visualize products in their homes before purchase, or beauty brands could offer virtual try-ons. This technology could be integrated into apps or work through web browsers, offering immersive experiences without requiring downloads.

Virtual Reality (VR) Environments: As VR technology becomes more accessible, brands could create virtual spaces for customer interactions. This could range from virtual stores to immersive product demonstrations or even customer service environments.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs): While still in early stages, BCIs could eventually allow users to interact with digital interfaces through thought alone. This could revolutionize accessibility and offer entirely new ways of engaging with digital content.

Holographic Displays: Holographic technology could create three-dimensional interfaces that users can interact with in physical space. This could blend the digital and physical worlds in new ways, offering novel experiences for product visualization or data presentation.

Gesture-Based Interfaces: Advanced motion sensing could allow users to control interfaces through gestures, potentially replacing or supplementing touch screens. This could be particularly useful in public spaces or for hands-free interactions.

Ambient Computing: This involves embedding computing capabilities into everyday objects and environments. For brand interactions, this could mean seamlessly integrating services into a customer’s daily life without requiring explicit app opens or website visits.

Unified Communication Hubs: These could consolidate all brand communications (emails, texts, app notifications, etc.) into a single, AI-powered interface that prioritizes and presents information based on user preferences and behavior.

Emotional Recognition Interfaces: By using cameras and AI to recognize facial expressions and emotional states, interfaces could adapt their content and tone to match the user’s mood, creating more empathetic and effective communications.

A few additional recommendations from ChatGPT.

Wearable Devices: Devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and AR glasses are becoming increasingly popular. These devices offer new ways for brands to interact with customers, providing notifications, personalized health insights, and contextual information. Integrating brand experiences with wearable technology can enhance user engagement by offering timely and relevant interactions.

Blockchain Technology and Decentralized Apps (DApps): Blockchain offers transparency, security, and decentralization, which can transform digital interactions. For websites and apps, blockchain can enable secure transactions, verifiable digital identities, and transparent supply chains. Brands can leverage blockchain to build trust and provide innovative solutions. Built on blockchain technology, DApps offer users more control over their data and interactions. They can provide secure, transparent, and decentralized services, which are particularly valuable for industries requiring high levels of trust and security.

Hyper-Personalization and Predictive Analytics: Leveraging big data and AI, hyper-personalization provides individualized experiences based on user behavior, preferences, and real-time data. Brands can deliver tailored content, offers, and recommendations across websites, apps, and inboxes, significantly enhancing user engagement and satisfaction. Using machine learning algorithms, predictive analytics can anticipate user needs and behaviors. Brands can use this technology to offer proactive support, personalized marketing campaigns, and optimized user journeys, leading to improved engagement and conversion rates.

**

Exciting indeed! Going forward, I will focus on two new interaction interfaces that I am most optimistic about: AI agents on brand properties and AMP-powered email apps (Epps).

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AI Agents – 1

Imagine the website and apps of tomorrow. Instead of the complex widgets on home pages and multitude of navigational options, there is just a search bar. Just as Google.com’s clean search interface replaced Yahoo’s directory-based navigation, this search bar (powered by a friendly AI agent or chatbot) becomes the gateway to all the brand’s offering. It puts the user first, looking to solve problems. For known users, it could even give prompts based on where they are in their journey. In fact, there could be two entry points for interaction: the search bar and a “Me” page with context just for the user (the starting point for a generated journey continuously refined with the help of the digital twin of the user).

Imagine the websites and apps of tomorrow, powered by sophisticated AI Agents. Instead of cluttered home pages with complex widgets and a multitude of navigational options, there is a clean, intuitive interface centred around an intelligent interaction point. This transformation mirrors how Google’s streamlined search interface revolutionised web navigation, replacing directory-based systems like Yahoo’s.

At the heart of this new interface is an AI Agent, manifesting as either a prominent search bar or a conversational chatbot. This AI Agent becomes the primary gateway to all of the brand’s offerings. It’s not just a tool for finding products or information; it’s a smart interface that puts the user first, actively working to solve problems, anticipate needs, and guide the customer journey.

For known users, the system goes a step further. It provides personalised interactions based on where they are in their customer journey, leveraging insights from their Digital Twin and the brand’s Large Customer Model (LCM). These could include tailored suggestions, proactive problem-solving, or contextual information delivery.

The interface thus evolves to offer two main entry points for interaction:

1. The AI Agent interface: This serves as the primary tool for exploration, problem-solving, and discovery. It can take the form of a search bar for text input or a more conversational chatbot interface.
2. A personalised “Me” page: This becomes the starting point for a generated journey, continuously refined with the help of the user’s Digital Twin. It provides context-specific information, recommendations, and actions tailored to the individual user.

To bring these ideas to life, let’s follow a day in the life of Arun, a customer of A1Fashions, a fictional tech-savvy fashion retailer in 2025. (Crafted by Claude.)

Arun wakes up to a personalised notification from A1Fashions on his smartwatch. The message, crafted by the Co-Marketer, reminds Arun of an upcoming event and suggests checking out some outfit ideas.

Intrigued, Arun opens the A1Fashions app on their smartphone. Instead of a cluttered homepage, he is greeted by a clean interface with a prominent AI Agent interface and a “Me” button.

Arun taps the “Me” button, revealing a personalised dashboard. It shows his recent purchases, upcoming events, and style preferences, all curated by his Digital Twin. A section titled “For Your Next Adventure” catches Arun’s eye, displaying outfit suggestions for his upcoming trip.

Curious about one of the suggested outfits, Arun types “Tell me more about the blue jacket” into the AI Agent interface. The AI responds conversationally, providing details about the jacket’s material, care instructions, and how it would fit into Arun’s existing wardrobe. It even anticipates Arun’s next question, offering, “Would you like to see how it looks on you?”

When Arun confirms, the AI activates an AR feature, allowing Arun to see a virtual representation of himself wearing the jacket. The AI Agent guides Arun through the process, suggesting different angles and lighting conditions to get the best view.

Satisfied with the look, Arun says, “I’ll take it.” The AI Agent seamlessly processes the order, applying Arun’s preferred payment method and delivery options without any need for Arun to navigate through multiple pages or forms. It then proactively asks if Arun would like to see accessories that complement the jacket.

Later that day, Arun has a question about the return policy for their purchase. He opens the A1Fashions app and simply asks the question to the AI Agent. The AI provides a clear answer, tailored to Arun’s specific purchase and loyalty status. It goes a step further, offering to set a reminder for the last day to return the item if Arun is unsure about keeping it.

In the evening, as Arun is planning for his trip, he remembers they he might need some travel accessories. He returns to the A1Fashions app and asks the AI Agent, “What travel accessories would you recommend for my upcoming trip?” The AI, drawing on Arun’s travel details, previous purchases, and current trends, provides a curated list of suggestions. It even factors in the weather forecast for Arun’s destination.

Throughout these interactions, the AI Agent maintains context, remembering previous conversations and adapting its responses accordingly. It anticipates Arun’s needs, offers proactive suggestions, and provides a seamless, personalised shopping experience.

Before bed, Arun receives another notification from A1Fashions. The AI Agent, noting that Arun has been planning for a trip, offers a personalised travel checklist based on Arun’s destinations and preferences. It even suggests a few last-minute items Arun might have forgotten, seamlessly blending helpful content with subtle product recommendations.

**

Arun’s user story and interaction with futuristic A1Books vividly illustrates the transformative power of AI Agents in revolutionising the customer experience. By creating a more engaging, efficient, and deeply personalised interaction with the brand, AI agents redefine the very nature of digital commerce. The AI Agent transcends its role as a mere reactive tool, evolving into a proactive assistant, intuitive guide, and sophisticated problem-solver. It exemplifies the core principles of Retention Re-engineering, ingeniously converting routine interactions into golden opportunities for strengthening customer relationships and generating recurring revenue streams.

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AI Agents – 2

Technology Review writes: “[AI Agents] are AI models and algorithms that can autonomously make decisions in a dynamic world, says Jim Fan, a senior research scientist at Nvidia who leads the company’s AI agents initiative. The grand vision for AI agents is a system that can execute a vast range of tasks, much like a human assistant. In the future, it could help you book your vacation, but it will also remember if you prefer swanky hotels, so it will only suggest hotels that have four stars or more and then go ahead and book the one you pick from the range of options it offers you. It will then also suggest flights that work best with your calendar, and plan the itinerary for your trip according to your preferences. It could make a list of things to pack based on that plan and the weather forecast. It might even send your itinerary to any friends it knows live in your destination and invite them along. In the workplace, it could analyze your to-do list and execute tasks from it, such as sending calendar invites, memos, or emails.”

Benjamin Labaschin writes in “What are AI Agents?”; “AI agents are tools designed to allow users to interact with LLMs to achieve a more productive or creative workflow as seamlessly as possible. Before AI agents, users would be forced to build their own statistical language models—a time-consuming, technical, and expensive endeavor! Now, with AI agents, users who want to interact with AI simply get to log in to an interface and conduct business ranging from asking questions of their documents to getting help with their homework. At a more granular level, you might think of AI agents as UI “wrappers” around the models that power them. That is to say, AI agents are often user-friendly “frontends” that make using the models that fuel them easier, often by focusing and limiting just how users interact with the model. Take ChatGPT, for instance. The models fueling ChatGPT (GPT-3.5 Turbo or GPT-4) are massively complex, powerful, and difficult to use and operate on their own. As an AI agent, ChatGPT abstracts away these models’ technical features and allows users to interact with them simply via text.”

Harvard Business Review introduces a new idea called “echoverse marketing.” It writes:

Today, companies must navigate a new kind of communication landscape: the “echoverse.” This new terrain is defined by a complex web of feedback loops and reverberations that are created by consumers, brands, news media, investors, communities, society, and artificial intelligence (AI) agents. This assemblage of actors continuously interact, influence, and respond to each other across a myriad of digital channels, platforms, and devices, creating a dynamic where messages circulate and echo, being amplified, modified, or dampened by ongoing interactions.

The echoverse has a few other defining features. In it:

• Communication is omnidirectional. Messages flow in all directions, originating from any point and resonating through multiple interactions, being sent, received, and reshaped by various actors.
• Roles are blurred. Traditional roles of message sender and receiver are increasingly indistinct. Any actor may initiate conversations and modify, contradict, or reinforce messages. Every participant (i.e., actor) is both a creator and a consumer of content, thereby moving, changing, and affecting other actors.
• Messages are continuously evolving. Messages are created by feedback loops and actors whose participation in communication is dynamic — in other words, continuously and simultaneously changing.
• Value creation is collective. Meaning is not constructed by a single sender but by an assemblage of human and nonhuman actors. In this way, meaning is co-created and co-owned by the interactions of all participants, each adding their own context, interpretation, resources, and future contributions.

In the case of Arun and A1Fashions, the AI Agent’s context-aware, intelligent assistance eliminates the need for Arun to navigate through a labyrinth of platforms and interfaces. Instead, it offers a unified, intuitive, and seamless interaction point that adapts to his needs and preferences in real-time. This shift represents a paradigm change in digital experience design, placing the user firmly at the centre of every interaction.

For brands like A1Fashions, this approach unlocks a treasure trove of benefits: significantly higher engagement rates, markedly improved customer satisfaction, and a multitude of opportunities for hyper-personalised marketing. The AI Agent’s ability to understand context, anticipate needs, and provide tailored solutions not only enhances the user experience but also drives key business metrics such as conversion rates, average order value, and customer lifetime value.

In essence, this Agentic AI-driven approach paves the way for a new era of brand-customer interaction – one that is more intimate, more valuable, and more aligned with the individual needs of each customer. It represents a shift from transactional relationships to ongoing conversations, from generic interactions to tailored experiences, and from reactive service to proactive engagement. This is the future of digital engagement and commerce, where technology doesn’t just facilitate transactions, but nurtures relationships and drives exponential forever profitable growth to create a Profipoly.

9

Epps – 1

Imagine the email of tomorrow. It is not a poster demanding a click to a landing page. Instead, it is self-contained, interactive, dynamic, and frictionless. It is the website and app embedded in an email – an Epp (email app). All primary actions can be performed within the Epps body and footer containers.

Epps represent the next evolution in email engagement, leveraging AMP technology to create fully functional, app-like experiences. They are multi-screen implementations that interact with backend databases, update in real-time when opened, and are entirely self-contained within the email inbox. Unlike traditional emails or even AMPs, Epps have no need for a companion website or app.

Transforming emails from static messages into powerful, interactive platforms, Epps can include features like interactive product catalogs, personalised recommendations, and complete checkout processes including payments. By keeping users within the email environment, they significantly reduce friction in the customer journey, potentially leading to higher conversion rates and improved experiences.

Epps (like WhatsApp Flows) represent a new frontier in digital interaction, revolutionising how brands engage with customers. Both technologies eschew traditional interfaces in favour of more intuitive, conversational experiences embedded within familiar communication channels. These innovations share a common goal: to reduce friction and enhance engagement by meeting users where they already are – in their inboxes or messaging apps. By eliminating the need for external websites or app downloads, they create seamless, self-contained experiences that can handle complex interactions.

This shift towards more immediate, contextual, and user-friendly interfaces marks a significant evolution in digital communication, promising to streamline customer journeys and deepen brand relationships across multiple touchpoints.

To bring Epps to life, let’s follow a day in the life of Arun, a customer of A1Fashions, a fictional tech-savvy fashion retailer in 2025. (Crafted by Claude.)

Arun opens the A1Fashions email in his email inbox. Instead of a static promotional email, he’s greeted by an interactive, app-like experience. The Epp presents a personalised showcase of the new collection, filtered based on Arun’s style preferences and past purchases. As he browses, he notices an interactive feature allowing him to see the environmental impact of each item – from water usage in production to carbon footprint in shipping.

Impressed by a recycled-material jacket, Arun taps for more details. The carousel in the Epp expands to show a 360-degree view of the jacket. Arun is also able to change colors with a swipe.

Deciding to purchase, Arun adds the jacket to his cart. The Epp then suggests a “complete the look” option, showcasing complementary items. Arun selects a pair of eco-friendly shoes, adding them to his cart as well.

At checkout, the Epp offers multiple sustainable delivery. Arun chooses a slightly longer delivery time with the lowest carbon footprint. He completes the purchase seamlessly within the Epp using his saved payment method, and confirmed with an OTP that he enters in the Epp itself.

Later that day, Arun opens the same Epp. It now shows his order status and invites him to join A1Fashions’ sustainability challenge. Intrigued, Arun taps to learn more. The Epp container now expands to reveal a gamified experience where customers earn points for making sustainable fashion choices and recycling old clothes.

Excited by the initiative, Arun uses the Epp to schedule a pickup for some old clothes he wants to recycle. With a single tap, he also opts in to an “Eco Mini” from A1Fashions – a 7-day newsletter with eco-friendly care tips for his new purchases.

Throughout the week, Arun interacts with the A1Fashions Epp multiple times – checking his sustainability score, tracking his order, and even chatting with a virtual stylist for advice on mixing and matching his new sustainable pieces with his existing wardrobe.

**

This immersive, interactive experience showcases how Epps can transform a simple product launch email into a comprehensive platform for engagement, education, gamification, and commerce. The Epp serves as a dynamic, ever-present touchpoint between Arun and A1Fashions, continuously updating and adapting to his interactions and preferences. It not only facilitates purchases but also fosters a deeper connection between the customer and the brand, turning every email interaction into an opportunity for meaningful engagement and value creation.

10

Epps – 2

Epps are the new upgrade for emails. As I wrote in Upgrading Email Marketing: Epps, ActionAds, and More, “By eliminating the need to navigate to external landing pages, AMP significantly reduces friction, fostering a more interactive and responsive email environment. This interactivity is the cornerstone of email’s future. AMP paves the way for innovative concepts like Epps and ActionAds – dynamic, interactive alternatives to traditional static banner ads. These advancements have the potential to transform emails from simple messages into powerful, app-like experiences within the inbox…If Email 1.0 represented the era of static HTML content, and Email 2.0 ushered in the age of interactive AMP-powered experiences, then Email 3.0 (E3) heralds the transformative fusion of AMP’s interactivity with AI’s predictive power and personalisation capabilities. This convergence promises to redefine email marketing, turning every message into a dynamic, individualised touchpoint in the customer journey. E3 can combat AdWaste and boost profitability for brands by enabling hotlines, addressing the issue of attention recession.”

In Email’s New Triad: AMPs, Epps, Ads, I wrote:

Epps offer many advantages over traditional emails and apps:

• Enhanced Engagement: By providing interactive elements within the email, Epps significantly boost user engagement. Features like quizzes and games make emails more engaging and can transform routine interactions into enjoyable experiences.
• Improved User Experience: The real-time update capability ensures that users always have access to the latest information. This reduces the need for multiple emails and enhances the relevance and timeliness of the content.
• Increased Conversion Rates: Epps streamline the user journey by allowing actions to be completed within the email. This reduces friction and increases the likelihood of conversion, whether it’s making a purchase, opening a new bank account, or browsing a stock portfolio.

Epps have wide-ranging applications across various industries:

• Retail and E-Commerce: Epps can showcase interactive catalogs, personalised shopping recommendations, and flash sales, all within the email. Users can browse, select, and purchase products directly from their inbox.
• Banking and Finance: Financial institutions can use Epps to provide account management tools, loan applications, and investment portfolio updates, enhancing the convenience and accessibility of financial services.
• Travel and Hospitality: Epps can facilitate flight and hotel bookings, itinerary management, and loyalty program updates, making travel planning seamless and integrated.
• Healthcare: Healthcare providers can use Epps for appointment scheduling, telehealth consultations, and medication management, improving patient engagement and care management.
• Media and Entertainment: Epps can deliver streaming schedules, interactive content, and personalised recommendations, enhancing user engagement with media services.

**

As we stand on the cusp of a new era in digital interaction, AI Agents and Epps emerge as powerful, complementary forces reshaping the landscape of user engagement. While AI Agents transform websites and apps into intuitive, conversational platforms, Epps revolutionise the email inbox, turning it into a dynamic, interactive hub. Together, they represent a paradigm shift in how brands connect with their customers, offering seamless, personalised experiences that transcend traditional digital boundaries.

AI Agents provide an intelligent, context-aware interface that anticipates user needs and guides them through complex interactions on brand properties. Simultaneously, Epps bring this level of interactivity and personalisation directly into the inbox, enabling rich, app-like experiences without the need for external navigation. This synergy creates a cohesive ecosystem where every touchpoint – whether on a website, in an app, or within an email – becomes an opportunity for meaningful engagement.

The combination of AI Agents and Epps addresses the growing need for frictionless, relevant, and immediate interactions in our increasingly digital lives. They not only simplify user experiences but also empower brands to build deeper, more nuanced relationships with their customers. As these technologies continue to evolve, we can anticipate a future where the lines between different digital interfaces blur, creating a unified, intelligent interaction layer that adapts to user preferences and behaviours in real-time. This new frontier of intelligent interaction interfaces will transform customer engagement, drive brand loyalty, and unlock new possibilities for personalized marketing and service delivery.

11

Summary and Future

I asked Claude to provide a summary of my essay.

1. Evolution of Digital Interfaces:
   • Websites have been central to digital interactions since the 1990s.
   • Mobile apps revolutionized digital engagement from 2007 onwards.
   • Push channels like email, SMS, and WhatsApp have faced challenges with clutter and engagement.
2. Challenges with Current Interfaces:
   • Websites: Information overload, personalization at scale, mobile optimization.
   • Apps: User acquisition and retention, push notification fatigue, app store visibility.
   • Inboxes: Deliverability, engagement, privacy concerns, cross-channel consistency.
3. Focus on Two New Interfaces:
   • AI Agents
   • Epps (Email Apps)
4. AI Agents:
   • Transform websites and apps into intuitive, conversational platforms.
   • Provide personalized interactions based on user’s journey and preferences.
   • Offer proactive assistance and seamless transactions.
5. Epps:
   • Leverage AMP technology to create interactive, app-like experiences within emails.
   • Enable self-contained actions without leaving the email.
   • Transform emails into platforms for engagement, education, and commerce.
6. Benefits of AI Agents and Epps:
   • Reduce friction in customer journeys.
   • Enhance personalization and user engagement.
   • Streamline interactions and improve conversion rates.
   • Create deeper, more meaningful brand-customer relationships.
7. Future Outlook:
   • AI Agents and Epps will work complementarily to reshape user engagement.
   • They will create a unified, intelligent interaction layer across digital touchpoints.
   • This new frontier promises to transform customer engagement and drive brand loyalty.

**

In the emerging landscape of digital marketing and customer engagement, the convergence of Large Customer Models (LCMs), Co-Marketer, Digital Twins, and E3 (Email 3.0) innovations can create a transformative ecosystem for brand-customer interactions. This new world is characterised by hyper-personalization, predictive engagement, and seamless, multi-channel experiences.

Large Customer Models serve as the foundational AI, aggregating and analysing vast amounts of customer data to generate deep insights into behaviours, preferences, and trends. These models power the personalisation engines that drive tailored experiences across all touchpoints. Digital Twins, both for individual customers and customer segments, act as virtual representations that simulate and predict behaviour. They enable the Co-Marketer to test strategies, anticipate needs, and craft highly personalised experiences in real-time.

E3 innovations, particularly Epps (Email Apps) and ActionAds, transform the email inbox from a static communication channel into a dynamic, interactive platform. Epps bring app-like functionality directly into emails, while ActionAds enable frictionless, in-email conversions (and new revenues).

AI Agents, powered by these technologies, serve as intelligent interfaces across websites and apps, providing conversational, context-aware interactions that anticipate and fulfil customer needs proactively.

The synergy of these elements creates a brand-customer world where:

1. Every interaction is personalised and contextually relevant.
2. Brands can anticipate and meet customer needs before they’re explicitly expressed.
3. The lines between different channels (email, web, app) blur, creating a unified, seamless experience.
4. Customer engagement becomes more interactive, immersive, and value-driven.
5. Marketing evolves from transactional to relational, fostering deeper brand loyalty.

This ecosystem enables brands to create “hotlines” with their customers, driving higher engagement, conversion, and retention rates. It addresses the challenges of attention recession and AdWaste by delivering more relevant, timely, and valuable interactions.

Ultimately, this new brand-customer world promises to revolutionise marketing, shifting focus from acquisition to retention, and enabling brands to build stronger, more profitable relationships with their customers. It represents a significant step towards the Profipoly vision, where brands can achieve exponential forever profitable growth through deep, technology-enabled customer relationships.