Reckitt wanted to explore how data could be leveraged in conjunction with advanced analytics and AI-powered insights.
Reckitt chose to partner with Microsoft and use Microsoft Azure as its data platform, leveraging Azure OpenAI and Copilot for Power BI.
The results include a 60% efficiency boost within marketing, a more consumer-centric focus, insights-driven marketing and ideas that test as well as or better than non-AI powered insights.
“The insights generator has empowered our marketers – the critical ‘human in the loop’ – to be even better at being consumer-centric. We’ve seen at least a 60% efficiency boost. And the ideas being developed are testing at the same level or, in some cases, even better.”
Elaine Rodrigo, Chief Insights and Analytics Officer, Reckitt
Reckitt is a global health and hygiene company headquartered in Slough, UK, with a portfolio of much-loved consumer brands including Dettol, Lysol, Finish, Durex, Nurofen, Strepsils and Gaviscon.
To keep ahead of competition in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, Reckitt wanted to explore how data could be leveraged in conjunction with AI-powered insights. To do this, they chose to partner with Microsoft and use Microsoft Azure as its data platform.
“We realised that our data could be a source of competitive advantage,” explains Elaine Rodrigo, Chief Insights & Analytics Officer at Reckitt.
“Azure provides us with all the end-to-end capabilities on a cloud platform that anyone would want,” adds Sameen Gul, Director of Digital and Generative AI at Reckitt. “This is the first time we are truly able to unlock the power of big data.”
With Reckitt’s data consolidated and held securely in Azure, all of Microsoft’s industry-leading tooling, services and capabilities can be used to drive maximum value from it, including Azure AI capabilities, Azure OpenAI and Copilot for Power BI.
“We see AI as a key enabler to transform our company and our functions,” explains Bastien Parizot, SVP Tech & Digital.
Marketing is a key focus for Reckitt in its exploration of the potential of AI and insights. The company worked closely with Microsoft to create a bespoke AI-powered Marketing Insights Generator, which can detect patterns in consumer behaviour and transform unstructured data into insights to drive marketing ideas.
Bastien Parizot adds, “GenAI gives us an opportunity to be more innovative, enabling our teams globally to execute faster.”
“The insights generator development journey has been nothing short of remarkable,” says Elaine Rodrigo. “The purpose is to empower our marketers; to ensure that every idea they develop starts from insight.”
GenAI is also revolutionising creativity at Reckitt by assisting in the production of advertising content more efficiently. By leveraging GenAI to adapt assets for full funnel use and localise them across different countries, Reckitt has achieved approximately a 30% reduction in the time required to adapt and localise ads, while also enhancing the consistency and quality of the assets.
Microsoft AI solutions helped Reckitt to reduce concept development time by 60%. They also accelerated asset production, increased quality, and cut the time spent on everyday marketing tasks by 90%. All this helped the company to innovate and go to market much faster than before.
GenAI is taking the drudgery out of repetitive tasks. Findings showed that time spent on everyday tasks such as a post-campaign media analysis, could be reduced by up to 90%, with the quality improving two-fold.
60% efficiency boost for marketing
“We have a long history in Reckitt of working in multi-functional, agile teams,” reports Tewfik Bedreddine, VP Data & Analytics at Reckitt. “In addition to that, we have an extended network of actors, such as the data governance team to make sure that the data - which is the fuel of the tool - is of the required quality.”
Together, this multi-functional team has delivered amazing results for the business through its innovative work to develop the insights generator.
“The insights generator has empowered our marketers – the critical ‘human in the loop’ – to be even better at being consumer-centric,” enthuses Elaine Rodrigo. “We’ve seen at least a 60% efficiency boost. And the ideas being developed are testing at the same level or, in some cases, even better.”
This is just the start of Reckitt’s insights innovation journey. Reckitt plans to continue and extend its partnership with Microsoft to deliver more value across the business. GenAI is a game-changer for new product development, with its ability to transform Reckitt’s unstructured data into insightful new ideas and marketable concepts. Early findings showed that by using GenAI, Reckitt teams can reduce concept concept development time by up to 60%, whilst significantly improving quality.
“We will not stop here,” emphasises Bastien Parizot. “With the insights generator, we now have the capability of expanding Generative AI solutions to more areas across our business, including Research and Development which we are going to next."
“Azure provides us with all the end-to-end capabilities on a cloud platform that anyone would want. This is the first time we are truly able to unlock the power of big data.”
Sameen Gul, Director of Digital and Generative AI, Reckitt
Follow Microsoft