Leading consumer companies like Coca-Cola, Nike and Starbucks are embedding artificial intelligence into their core strategies, demonstrating scalable applications in marketing, retail and supply chain management, while highlighting the importance of organisational culture and security amid rapid technological change.
Top consumer brands are increasingly embedding artificial intelligence into core operations and customer experiences, turning experimental projects into s...
Continue Reading This Article
Enjoy this article as well as all of our content, including reports, news, tips and more.
By registering or signing into your SRM Today account, you agree to SRM Today's Terms of Use and consent to the processing of your personal information as described in our Privacy Policy.
calable programmes that other companies , large and small , are watching closely.
Coca‑Cola has become one of the most visible examples. According to the company, its “Create Real Magic” initiative, first launched in March 2023 in collaboration with OpenAI and Bain & Company, invited digital artists worldwide to rework iconic Coca‑Cola assets using generative AI; selected works were displayed on digital billboards in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus. The company then deepened its commitments: in April 2024 Coca‑Cola announced a five‑year strategic partnership with Microsoft and a $1.1 billion investment to accelerate cloud and generative AI across marketing, manufacturing and supply chain functions. The brand says holiday activations built on that work used Azure AI to power multilingual experiences , including an interactive digital Santa and personalised snow‑globe features , that reached millions of users in dozens of languages. Coca‑Cola positions these moves as both a marketing platform and a way to democratise creative tools for external creators; industry coverage shows the programme has also included summits and creative academies to foster a wider creator community.
Nike has focused its AI strategy inside the retail environment. Industry reporting describes deployments of RFID and related data systems that recognise customers on entry and surface personalised product recommendations tied to individual Nike profiles. Nike frames those capabilities as a means to create a seamless, tailored in‑store experience while improving inventory visibility and operational efficiency.
Starbucks has taken a data‑centric route. The company’s Deep Brew platform analyses behaviour from millions of app users to personalise offers, optimise staffing and manage inventory, with the stated aim of smoothing operations and increasing relevancy for customers across digital and physical channels.
Those headline examples matter because they illustrate pathways through which advanced AI applications can “trickle down” to smaller businesses. Small‑business owners are reportedly studying large brands’ use cases to learn how to deploy AI for customer engagement, scheduling, inventory and targeted offers without replicating the scale of enterprise investment.
At the same time, independent research underscores that technology alone is not a panacea. A Deloitte study of nearly 1,400 professionals found high‑performing teams use AI more than low‑performing teams (78% versus 54%), but their advantage depends on human factors such as trust, collaboration and a continuous‑learning culture. According to Deloitte, high performers are also more likely to feel trusted by leaders and to prioritise agility and autonomy , suggesting that organisational change and people practices remain central to realising AI’s promise.
Security and workflow changes are following fast behind user‑facing AI. Microsoft said it implemented new protections for Teams on January 12, 2026, intended to block malware, phishing and credential theft without requiring administrative action; the company added user reporting tools so IT teams can refine policies. Such updates highlight the operational trade‑offs large deployments create and the need for ongoing governance.
The wave of AI innovation is visible across wider technology offerings too. In platform comparisons, Jordan Minor of PCMag named Wix superior to Weebly, citing stronger design flexibility and AI‑assisted site‑building tools that lower the barrier for online ventures. Meanwhile, Google has been piloting an “AI Inbox” for Gmail with select testers , replacing a traditional message list with AI‑generated tasks and topics and enabling natural‑language search of email , an experiment that early users describe as interesting but not yet indispensable for those with already organised inboxes. These developments point to a broader ecosystem in which AI capabilities are being integrated into everyday productivity and commerce tools.
Taken together, these examples show a pattern: household brands are investing heavily in generative AI and automation to enhance creativity, personalisation and operational resilience, while research and product pilots emphasise that people, governance and security must evolve in step. For smaller firms, the immediate lesson is pragmatic , adopt the building blocks that deliver measurable value, but couple them with team practices that sustain trust and adaptability as AI becomes a routine part of work.
Source: Noah Wire Services
