As conversational AI reshapes how consumers search, compare and choose products, Unilever is moving to secure its position in what many are calling the era of agentic commerce.
The FMCG giant has signed a five-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud, committing to migrate its integrated data platforms and key enterprise applications to Google’s cloud infrastructure while building an enterprise-wide AI foundation. The goal is to prepare Unilever’s global brand portfolio for a marketplace increasingly shaped by intelligent assistants, algorithmic recommendations and AI-mediated discovery.
The owner of brands such as Dove, Hellmann’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Knorr, Axe, and Vaseline plans to use tools including Google’s Vertex AI and Gemini models to strengthen capabilities in brand discovery, measurement and AI-augmented marketing. At a time when shopping journeys are becoming more conversational and less linear, this infrastructure shift signals a deeper transformation in how its brands will be surfaced, recommended and purchased.
“Technology has moved to the core of value creation at Unilever,” said Willem Uijen, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer at Unilever, adding that brands are increasingly discovered and chosen in AI-shaped environments. For the company, leading this shift is no longer optional but strategic.
The partnership comes as Google expands its own footprint in agentic commerce through agreements with major U.S. retailers such as Walmart and Target, both key distribution partners for Unilever products. Retail media and conversational AI are rapidly converging, and the implications for FMCG brands are significant. In impulse-driven categories such as ice cream, personal care or condiments, digital discovery may soon rely less on shelf placement and more on algorithmic reasoning that considers preferences, dietary needs and purchase history.
By consolidating data and enterprise systems onto Google Cloud, Unilever aims to turn fragmented datasets into actionable insights more quickly, generate demand faster and respond to market shifts with greater agility. The company also plans to create internal agentic workflows capable of handling complex cross-functional tasks, from marketing optimisation to supply chain adjustments.
This move builds on a broader AI strategy already underway at Unilever. The company has previously highlighted the use of “digital twins” to adapt product assets across storytelling formats and launched an internal generative design division, Sketch Pro, to accelerate creative production. CEO Fernando Fernandez recently described the ambition to outfit Unilever for the AI age by transforming every part of the value chain, from hyper-targeted content creation to collaboration with large language models and retail partners on agentic shopping models.
The announcement follows leadership changes within the marketing organisation, with Leandro Barreto stepping into the top marketing role after the departure of former Chief Growth and Marketing Officer Esi Eggleston Bracey. The restructuring aims to bring business and marketing teams closer together, aligning commercial and AI capabilities under a more integrated model.
