Generative AI (Gen AI) continues to bring real transformation to the FMCG sector and encourages brands to embrace innovative ideas far beyond their imagination. Whilst previously brands felt constrained by a lack of resources, budget or personnel, with the constant evolution of Gen AI, brands are no longer limited by the tools they have to hand.
From logistics and customer service to marketing and operations, Gen AI has been a disruptive force for good for both businesses and consumers.
Indeed, a McKinsey report estimates that generative AI could contribute up to $4.4 trillion in annual global productivity. In retail and consumer packaged goods, the potential impact is equally significant at $400 billion to $660 billion annually.
As the adoption of this intuitive AI technology becomes more mainstream, expect to see increased shifts in consumer behaviors as they also turn to Gen AI for guidance on everything from college papers to dinner suggestions.
To respond to this growing demand, more and more brands are fuelling innovation with Gen AI to create exciting new tools and applications that delight and inspire consumers.
In this article, we explore five innovative examples of how leading consumer brands are engaging customers and accelerating business growth:
1 – Mattel uses DALL-E 2 to spark creativity
Mattel was looking for more unique ways to create and design their beloved Hot Wheels cars so they turned to DALL∙E 2, an AI system that skillfully creates custom images based on a series of prompts the user inputs.
Using text-to-image generation, the product design team generates dozens of images, with each iteration stimulating new ideas that could then be tweaked and refined to help designers create a fully fleshed-out rendering of a new Hot Wheels model car.
The outcome was a living, breathing mood board featuring automated artwork to inspire future car models.
Leading product design at Mattel Future Lab, Carrie Buse, hopes DALL∙E 2 will act as a companion tool to inspire better design saying “Sometimes quantity can help you find the quality.”
The Mattel Future Lab was developed to explore innovative ideas such as the metaverse or NFTs and with DALL∙E 2, the team can better imagine what these virtual experiences could look like. These AI systems can help Mattel make exciting, new predictions that can determine the potential of future product design projects.
Read also: How generative AI is revolutionizing education
2 – Coca-Cola invites artists to create real magic
By delving into its extensive archives, iconic beverage brand Coke used AI to enable artists to generate original artwork featuring Coke’s creative assets. Creators from across the globe were encouraged to participate in a crowdsourced campaign to submit their AI-powered designs for a chance to feature their work on Coke’s digital billboards in New York’s Times Square and London’s Piccadilly Circus.
Combining the functionalities of GPT 4 and DALL∙E 2 to create a custom sandbox, artists could access a special online dashboard featuring Coke’s archival assets before inputting prompts to develop their designs.
The Real Magic campaign was well received by fans with over 1 million views on YouTube and 1.4 million engagements across social media.
Global Chief Marketing Officer, Manolo Arroyo spoke about the potential of AI and how the company will “Leverage OpenAI’s technology in their marketing function to re-imagine how they produce creative content.”
From groundbreaking marketing campaigns to seamless customer service, Coke sees almost limitless opportunities to improve operations with gen AI.
3 – GE Appliances uses AI to combat food waste
In a bid to reduce food waste in the home, GE Appliances launched the Flavorly AI feature on their SmartHQ App which provides users with customized recipes that simplify home cooking.
By harnessing cloud technology and generative AI, Flavorly identifies the specific ingredients in a smart fridge before generating creative recipes optimized to use up those items before they spoil.
Sharing his insights on the intuitive tool, GE Appliances CEO Kevin Nolan, said AI technology “Accelerated their timeline to bring game-changing solutions like Flavorly to market,” in a matter of days rather than a year.
This fusion of AI technology and human ingenuity enabled GE Appliances to contribute to the food waste effort – estimated at more than 125 million pounds in the U.S. alone – while offering customers a one-of-a-kind cooking experience powered by generative AI.
4 – Cadbury uses star power to engage consumers
To celebrate Diwali, Mondelēz teamed up with Rephrase.ai to launch a groundbreaking AI avatar campaign featuring India’s biggest celebrity, Shah Rukh Khan.
The #NotJustACadburyAd campaign was fronted by a digital avatar of India’s most beloved superstar after Cadbury/Mondelēz obtained permission from the actor to license his face and voice.
After developing 500 personalized video ads tailored to refer to local stores in certain areas, Rephrase.ai launched a microsite where Indian shopkeepers inputted their store names to receive a customized video of Shahrukh Khan endorsing their store.
Following the success of the AI campaign, Mondelēz saw a remarkable 29% growth in Cadbury Celebrations’ sales during Diwali with record-breaking Diwali sales for the participating stores.
105,000 users logged on to the campaign engaging with over 130,000 versions of the ad, earning PR coverage worth over $1.5 million.
5 – Hasbro proves AI is more than just a game
Keen to entice a new generation of game fans, toy maker Hasbro launched an online version of their much-loved board game Trivial Pursuit, using AI to generate questions based on players’ suggestions.
Trivial Pursuit Infinite hopes to capture new and old fans alike with this digital version providing more personalized gameplay and increased accessibility.
Not only can players share their game results with friends but Hasbro can also learn from the players based on feedback of their playing experience.
“At Hasbro, we believe that human creators are at the heart of making great games and that new tools like generative AI can help unleash creators’ imaginations and help deliver brand new experiences that players will love,” said Gray Bright, vice-president of artificial intelligence and gaming innovation at Hasbro.
Transformative Impact of Gen AI on Consumer Brand Marketing and Sales
The seemingly unstoppable rise of AI, and particularly generative AI, has already seen the greatest impact in key areas of marketing and sales. Whether creating memorable customer experiences or implementing automated processes to boost productivity, consumer brands are already seeing tangible revenue and brand awareness results.
AI technology continues to impact how consumer brands engage their customers as they deliver curated moments and seamless experiences. As long as brands continue to create responsive AI-enabled tools that speak to the needs of consumers, they can gain a competitive edge within their respective sectors.
Consumer brands should keep pushing further past their preconceived limitations to re-imagine new frontiers with generative AI.
Leveraging Gen AI for Growth with NeuroSYS
Here at NeuroSYS, we help companies identify the areas where they can leverage Gen AI and implement their digital transformation. We have worked with clients across multiple sectors on everything from Generative AI projects to software development to power innovation and supercharge business growth. To learn the details, go to the Case Studies section.
If you want to explore Gen AI opportunities for your company, reach out today to book our AI discovery workshop.
