Innovative AI In Custom Fitting - Will It Diffuse?

Sammanfattning

This thesis investigates the diffusion conditions of Wilson Golf’s recently launched Wilson Fit AI, an innovative custom fitting technology that leverages artificial intelligence to enhance the customer experience. This technology has the potential to transform norms and disrupt the status quo in custom fitting. Using innovation diffusion theory, the author evaluates the diffusion opportunities for Wilson Fit AI by identifying key parameters within theoretical frameworks. Wilson Golf's reliance on retailers to reach end-consumers introduces an additional, relatively unexplored parameter to the innovation diffusion framework. This thesis examines retailers' perceptions of Wilson Fit AI, highlighting strengths such as accuracy, ease of use, and time-saving features, alongside areas for improvement like inclusivity and compatibility issues. Based on these insights, the study provides strategic recommendations for Wilson Golf to enhance its product and promote wider diffusion. The expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) also plays a central role in this thesis, focusing on customers' initial expectations and how well these expectations are met. Parallels between ECT and innovation diffusion theory are drawn to further illustrate suggestions for improvements to Wilson Fit AI. In conclusion, Wilson Fit AI is evaluated as having favorable conditions for diffusion, being generally perceived as a useful and well-performing tool by customers. However, Wilson Golf's weak brand and the product's lack of inclusivity present challenges to its wider diffusion.