Reckitt is using AI to give its marketers experience they can use in real life.
Summary
Using our knowledge of digital-twinning simulation tools, we collaborated with Reckitt to make learning fun and deliver results.
If you want to thrive in a new, digital world, why not create one?
Digital technology is transforming the consumer landscape. Along with it, consumer expectations are changing too.
Deloitte’s 2023 Consumer Products Industry Outlook shows that 80 per cent of executives believe evolving consumer needs to be their greatest hurdle. It means companies need to do even more than ever to keep up, and connect, with their customers.
Making your brand stand out from the crowd when there’s so much competition requires new skills – including how to use advanced data and analytics. In 2022, digital marketing, social media and search engine optimisation were recognised among the top 10 marketing capabilities.
Keen to upskill its people in data-driven marketing and enable them to focus on consumers, Reckitt set an ambitious goal to radically upskill 80 per cent of its marketers and business leaders by 2024 and leapfrog the industry in digital maturity.
But how to go about it? With busy schedules and so many channels and platforms competing for our time, those who want to grab our attention have to work that little bit harder.
So Reckitt did. Working alongside its teams we designed an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven training experience that gave marketers an exciting opportunity to learn new skills in as-real conditions with a gripping competitive spin.
From the track to the training room
Using a customised version of our digital-twin technology, pioneered with Formula One giant McLaren, we took our machine learning off the track into the training room.
This approach uses machine learning to simulate the impact of decisions in a real-to-life environment. In this case, an ultra-realistic scenario in which a data-driven marketing campaign for a major brand could be planned and delivered.
The campaign was built around three main stages – planning, activation (including targeting the right audiences with the right message at the right time), and analysis.
And the technology helped Reckitt’s marketers to track, understand and analyse consumer engagements in response to their campaign decisions, testing real-life scenarios but at a much faster pace.
"What I liked about the programme is that it’s very hands-on. It’s not too theoretical and is strongly experience-based."
Global Brand Development Director
“The simulation helped us on so many levels. Firstly, it is practical – not theoretical. Secondly, it’s consistent – it helps us scale in a way that’s common across our teams. Thirdly it’s inclusive – the simulation allows us to take the training to everyone, not just our large markets.”
Reckitt Global VPMarketing Operations & Capabilities.
Delivering a game-changing experience
By gamifying the programme, and factoring real market conditions, Reckitt delivered an engaging training experience that sparked excitement and motivation and helped develop new skills
The competitive context, albeit in a pressure-free environment, encouraged experimentation and offered the ability to practice and learn to avoid the inevitable mistakes we all make when learning something new.
The programme also shows the potential of artificial intelligence when it comes to learning.
Importantly, it’s shown that training can be exciting.
Demand for the training has already surpassed expectations, with unprecedented interest from across the business within weeks of the pilot programmes. Feedback has been incredibly positive, including up to senior leadership outside of traditional marketing roles. Sessions have been rolled out in various markets, stretching from Eastern Europe to Australia, continuing throughout 2024 not only within marketing but now also across related functions.
But the impact goes beyond creating a buzz and a positive learning experience – it’s contributed to tangible, noticeable results in real life.
Together with wider efforts to accelerate Reckitt’s digital maturity, which the simulation contributed to, it’s helped to raise data-driven marketing and media capabilities within the organisation, which will only accelerate as learning continues to be embedded.
Data-driven marketing training programmes are now built into 80 per cent of Reckitt’s global upskilling plans, helping to future-proof a business that’s part of everyday life across the globe.
“The simulation was a game-changer vs. more traditional methods as it encouraged marketers to pay extremely close attention throughout the training.”
Reckitt Training Facilitator
