Madison Reed Launches New AI Tools to Further Its Mission of Revolutionizing the Way Women Color Their Hair

Building on its Decade of AI Leadership in the Beauty Space, the Award-Winning Hair Color Brand Introduces a Comprehensive AI Ecosystem

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Madison Reed, the prestige beauty brand that has revolutionized the hair color industry, today announced a suite of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to further drive automation and efficiencies while improving the experience for guests and employees. Since launching in 2013, Madison Reed has been a steward in leveraging technology, including AI, and now the company is taking it a step further by rolling out agentic AI tools to elevate customers’ end-to-end journey with the brand and streamline its brick-and-mortar operations.

Madison Reed first launched AI by offering guests an instantaneous, personalized, and fully digital color match quiz in 2016, followed by a virtual reality hair color try-on experience – technologies that were pivotal to disrupting the industry by launching hair color as a direct-to-consumer business. Madison Reed’s quiz has delivered more than 20 million virtual color matches to date.

Recognizing the opportunity to build on these capabilities, Madison Reed has partnered with Sierra to build an AI agent that delivers three distinct capabilities through its chat function affectionately named Madi: enhanced product discovery; customer support and facilitation of subscription management; as well as online scheduling and cancellations across the company’s 97 Hair Color Bars. Following successful product and experience testing, Madi is now handling up to 100 percent of the brand’s web traffic, improving Madison Reed’s lifetime customer support value while increasing efficiency. With 24/7 chat availability the brand is seeing a 30x increase in chat interaction with a 2x increase in guests’ likelihood to book an appointment, while subscription cancellations are cut in half for customers working with Madi.

“Madison Reed was founded in the belief that great technology and a great customer experience go hand-in-hand,” said Clay Bavor, co-founder of Sierra. “Over a decade later, they’ve become a leader in AI, with an agent—Madi—that can handle everything from product recommendations, to customer support and appointments.”

Madison Reed has also deployed AI tools to transform operations across its nationwide Hair Color Bars. These upgrades have enabled increased productivity and improved performance all while maintaining the essential human connection the brand is known for. Key benefits from the newly incorporated AI capabilities include:

• Revolutionizing workforce planning with AI by automating complex scheduling decisions and team need forecasts to provide more time for managers and colorists to prioritize their customers.
• Streamlining operations across Hair Color Bars through personalized customer profiles and improved booking functionality, supporting the company’s ability to offer women consistent results, regardless of whether they color at home or visit any of Madison Reed’s Hair Color Bar locations.

“Madison Reed is redefining what it means to be a trailblazer by embracing AI across every part of its operations,” said Jon Callaghan, Co-Founder True Ventures. “From precise color matching to faster service and a more seamless user experience, they are integrating advanced technology into one of the most high-touch, emotionally resonant consumer categories. In doing so, Madison Reed continues to elevate the hair color journey while driving meaningful business outcomes and setting new standards for personalization and efficiency.”

“Since our inception, Madison Reed has been harnessing the transformative power of technology and AI to elevate one of the most personal and empowering rituals in a woman’s life—coloring her hair,” said Amy Errett, CEO and Founder of Madison Reed. “Today, we’re taking those innovations even further by integrating AI throughout our guest experience on our site and in our Hair Color Bars nationwide. This advancement not only boosts operational efficiency and productivity, it also enriches the guest journey while freeing up our expert colorists to focus on what they do best: helping women look and feel their most confident.”

The brand noted its recent initiatives are part of ongoing moves to build out its internal and external AI capabilities to deliver an exceptional experience for Madison Reed guests and team members, as it continues to expand within the $12 billion U.S. hair color market.

About Madison Reed

Founded in 2013, Madison Reed is a prestige beauty brand that has revolutionized the hair color industry. Madison Reed offers 85+ shades of high-quality hair color, Smart 8-Free formulas made in Italy, technology, personalized service, and the freedom to get high-quality results whether they color their hair at home or by a professional colorist in one of Madison Reed’s 97+ Hair Color Bars across the country. Products can be found online at www.Madison-Reed.com, Madison Reed Hair Color Bars nationwide, Ulta Beauty, Amazon and select Sally Beauty, Target and Walmart stores. Stay up-to-date by following us on Instagram and TikTok.

Contacts

Media Contact
SolComms

Megan Keller

madisonreed@solcomms.co