I sat down with Pierre-Yves Calloc'h, Chief Digital Officer at Pernod Ricard, to discuss the company's journey in embracing AI, algorithms and automation to drive marketing effectiveness, sales performance, and consumer engagement. Pernod Ricard, known for its extensive portfolio of brands such as Absolut Vodka, Jameson, and Ballantine's, has been at the forefront of leveraging AI to make data-driven decisions and personalize consumer experiences.

Pierre-Yves shares insights into how AI has transformed various aspects of the business, from optimizing marketing investments and generating personalized content to empowering sales teams with tailored recommendations for each outlet. He emphasizes the importance of transparency, internal capability building, and the role of human judgment in challenging and interpreting AI-driven insights.

Looking ahead, Pierre-Yves envisions a future where AI will enable even greater personalization and adaptation to individual consumer preferences and moments. He highlights the potential for AI to enhance consumer experiences by ensuring that people find the right product at the right time, tailored to their specific desires and the social context of their consumption.

5 Key Insights:

1. Embrace AI and automation to drive marketing effectiveness, sales performance, and consumer engagement.

2. Foster a data-driven culture and empower teams to make decisions based on AI-generated insights while encouraging them to challenge and interpret the recommendations.

3. Invest in building internal AI capabilities to ensure transparency, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with business needs.

4. Prepare for a future where AI enables hyper-personalization and adaptation to individual consumer preferences and moments.

5. Ensure responsible and transparent use of AI, addressing consumer concerns and adhering to ethical guidelines.

I met Simon in the late nineties in Sydney when he had just started Australian Fashion Week. After the huge success of that event, he sold the business to IMG International, and went on to found Ordre, a business-to-business online wholesale marketplace for luxury designers, which has recently taken on Alibaba Group as a strategic investor. Catching up at his office in London, we had a fascinating chat about the use of AR/VR by global fashion buyers, the challenges of serving dynamic global consumer markets, the emergence of algorithmic fashion design and how AI will change the future of retail.

Martin Raymond is one of the world’s most respected consumer forecasters. He is the co-founder of The Future Laboratory, is editor-in-chief of Viewpoint magazine and LS:N Global, the online lifestyle news and consumer insight portal. Author of a number of books including ‘The Tomorrow People’ and ‘The Trend Forecaster’s Handbook’, he has a unique perspective on the skills required to anticipate consumer behavior. Visiting him in their London headquarters, and provisioned with a very English cup of tea, we spoke about the evolution of the ‘business of the future’, and how the algorithmic age is creating new challenges for understanding and building trust with customers.

Martin Lindstrom is one of the world’s foremost experts on building brands. Author of six best-selling books, and acclaimed by Time Magazine as one of the “World’s 100 Most Influential People”, Martin’s expertise is in the areas of consumer psychology, marketing, brands, and neuro-scientific research. I first met Martin many years ago, at the beginnings of the digital revolution in Australia - so it seemed appropriate that we re-connected once again at a cafe in Bondi Beach. We spoke about his new book, Small Data, and why it is better to gain insight through small observations of how people behave, rather than a blind devotion to big data. Make sure you listen through to the end of the podcast, when Martin outlines the 3 key actions that traditional brands need to take in order to re-invent themselves for the future.