The AI Transformation Award

Global Digital Transformation @ Pernod Ricard

Strategy & Transformation Consultant

Charles Bianchi

Malt Profile

TLDR

Pernod Ricard’s Global Data & AI TransformationA pioneering, large-scale initiative that successfully embedded predictive and prescriptive AI into the core sales and marketing decisions of a global consumer goods leader.

  • The Challenge: Moving beyond early experiments to proactively leverage Data & AI at scale, specifically to optimize critical business drivers like marketing mix, pricing, and field sales effectiveness.
  • The Solution: Deploying three centralized Key Digital Programmes (KDPs): "Matrix" for AI-driven marketing budget allocation, "Rev-Up" for pricing and promo optimization, and "D-Star" for predictive next-best actions for field sales teams.
  • The Result: Achieved a ~7% improvement in marketing effectiveness in FY24, an impressive 70–80% operational adoption rate of AI recommendations, and secured the #1 ranking in Europe for in-house Data & AI capabilities in the consumer goods sector.

Project Introduction

Employee #1 alongside the Group Chief Digital Officer at Pernod Ricard, I built the digital transformation organization from the ground up, recruiting and scaling a 100+ team of data scientists, deployment consultants, and change managers in its first year

What client problem does this project solve?

Pernod Ricard Group’s challenge was to proactively leverage Data & AI to fundamentally improve the management of its "core business" sales and marketing levers, including Marketing Mix Modeling, promotional and pricing strategy, and sales force effectiveness.

AI Solution Implemented (technical details)

Pernod Ricard deployed a portfolio of Key Digital Programmes (KDPs) leveraging Data & AI to transform decision-making across its core business sales and marketing activities, built on a centralized enterprise data platform.1. "Matrix" is an AI-driven Marketing Mix Modeling solution using statistical and machine-learning models to measure the incremental impact of media and trade marketing investments and to optimize budget allocation.2. "Rev-Up" focuses on promotion and pricing optimization, applying time-series analysis and uplift modeling to assess price elasticity and promotional effectiveness, and to recommend optimal promotional strategies.3. "D-Star" is a sales force effectiveness tool that leverages predictive analytics to prioritize outlets, identify growth opportunities, and recommend next-best actions to sales teams in the field.Together, these solutions operationalize predictive and prescriptive analytics at scale, embedding AI-driven recommendations into day-to-day commercial decisions.

What are the quantifiable results (ROI, KPIs, etc.) of this project?

1. Marketing Effectiveness ImprovementsAccording to Pernod Ricard’s figures, the Matrix programme’s recommendations on investment levels and media mix improved marketing effectiveness by ~7% in FY24. This shows a measurable uplift in how marketing spend translates into business impact due to AI-based allocation insights.2. Adoption Rate of AI RecommendationsPernod Ricard reports that its teams follow approximately 70–80% of the AI tool recommendations, indicating strong operational adoption of data-driven guidance across markets.3. Data & AI Capability RecognitionIn the 2024 Data & AI Human Capital Report, the group achieved a score of 54, ranking 4th in the world and 1st in Europe among consumer goods companies for in-house data & AI capability — a proxy KPI for strategic capability building and talent depth.

Proof of excellence: why should you win this award?

Joining in March 2020 as Employee #1 alongside the Group Chief Digital Officer, I helped make Pernod Ricard’s data & AI–driven digital transformation real at a time when few global corporates were moving at this scale. Twenty-five years into my career, this was the most impactful and rewarding professional experience I have ever had.

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