On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.
Cindy Chen is co-founder of FancyTech, an AI content creation tool that works across categories like fashion, beauty, and food and beverage.
How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I lead global brand partnerships at FancyTech. I help brands and companies generate product images and image-to-videos using GenAI. We work with apparel, luxury, and e-commerce brands to adapt across social and marketing channels in an efficient and automated way. We’ve helped more than 500 brands produce on average 10,000 videos per day. Instead of hiring a team to do photo shoots and the logistical planning required, we create images and videos with the channel and audience in mind. Brands just have to send us a product photo, and we do the rest. This is becoming more necessary because of the sheer volume of visual assets needed to stand out and the costs of creating them. GenAI can solve this problem, and we have tailored our technology to specialize in product marketing for retailers.
One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? My past experiences working at luxury retailer Moda Oprandi and Alibaba have helped me gain a deep understanding of brand perspective across the spectrum. At Alibaba, I led brand campaigns during Single’s Day, the biggest annual retail holiday in the world, by incorporating strategic digital activations to drive sales. At FancyTech, I have the opportunity to take all my learnings and work with our driven internal tech team to develop innovative AI solutions for brands. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that GenAI is in the early stage of being adopted in real-world scenarios. It’s so important to understand both the technology and retail brands’ pain points to create a solution that can achieve the desired outcomes.
Retail news that keeps industry pros in the know
Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.
What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? I’ve worked with many global brands at FancyTech—Starbucks, Skechers, ASICS, Chopard, to name a few. A particular campaign that comes to mind is one we did with a bespoke high-end watch brand to create realistic and aesthetic product videos with meticulous detail that is difficult to achieve in a studio shoot. We first used laser scanning technology to capture the product from every angle and used our proprietary GenAI to add elements of lighting, motion, and digitally generated backgrounds to create a luxurious aura. The end result was an impactful, visually engaging product showcase consistent with the brand DNA. Watching the video ourselves, it was as if the watch was right in front of you with all the details on full display.
Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? AI transformation in retail excites me. It’s a growing phenomenon as AI technologies and the retail landscape continue to evolve. Real-life application of GenAI technology is the area I focus on, and every day I gain more insights into how brands are thinking about their adoption journey. Specifically, AI-generated content is a trend that has shaped the retail industry and will continue to do so. AI can help retailers of all sizes effectively showcase their products to consumers at scale.
What’s your go-to coffee order? Just a simple latte with whole milk. I’m easy.
Worst piece of advice you’ve received? “Ask ChatGPT this question.” I did and received the worst answers.
What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? I loved my Nike Dunk shoes back then, and still love them. They’re timeless. My favorite retail product now is my absolutely essential MacBook.