Consumer brands are starting to treat artificial intelligence as part of everyday marketing and product development rather than an experimental tool. At The Coca-Cola Company, executives say digital systems and AI are becoming central to how the company creates demand, develops products, and runs marketing campaigns across markets.
The change comes after several years when many consumer goods companies relied heavily on price increases to protect margins during inflation. As costs stabilise and consumer spending becomes more cautious, companies are looking for other ways to sustain growth.
Recent industry coverage shows Coca-Cola shifting toward what executives describe as “persuasion-led” growth, where AI and digital platforms help shape consumer demand rather than relying mainly on price increases. The company is embedding AI across its marketing pipeline, from campaign production to consumer analysis.
Marketing moves deeper into AI
Coca-Cola has used AI in creative campaigns before, but the company is now integrating these tools more deeply into how marketing work gets done.
AI systems can analyse consumer behaviour, test different types of marketing content, and help local teams adapt campaigns to specific markets. This approach allows marketing teams to produce and distribute content faster while responding to changes in consumer preferences.
The shift mirrors broader trends across large organisations. A 2025 global survey by McKinsey & Company found that 78% of organisations now use artificial intelligence in at least one business function, up from 72% a year earlier, showing how quickly AI has moved into everyday business operations.
Marketing is one of the areas seeing rapid adoption. Research from McKinsey estimates that generative AI could create $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in economic value each year, with marketing, sales, and customer operations accounting for a large share of that potential. The gains are expected to come from faster content production, improved targeting, and better analysis of consumer data.
For global consumer brands that spend billions of dollars on advertising each year, even modest improvements in campaign efficiency can affect operating margins.
From campaigns to product ideas
AI is also beginning to influence product development.
One early example is Coca‑Cola Y3000 Zero Sugar, a limited-edition beverage created with input from both humans and artificial intelligence. The product was part of the company’s Coca-Cola Creations line.
The company used AI to analyse large volumes of consumer discussions and opinions about how people imagine the “taste of the future.” Those insights helped shape the drink’s flavour profile and packaging concept.
More recently, reports suggest the product appeared again in select markets as the company expanded experiments that combine AI insights with traditional product development.
The experiment highlights how AI may influence earlier stages of product ideation. For consumer brands that sell hundreds of products across different markets, identifying promising ideas quickly can shorten development cycles.
Managing marketing across a global network
Coca-Cola’s structure makes digital coordination important. The company operates through a network of independent bottling partners that produce and distribute beverages around the world.
That system means marketing insights and consumer data often need to move across multiple organisations.
Executives say digital tools and data platforms are helping the company understand consumer preferences more quickly and support local marketing teams. The company has described technology, data, and AI as part of its broader digital transformation strategy.
Digital sales systems used by bottlers can also provide faster feedback on consumer behaviour. Data from retailers, promotions, and local campaigns can help marketing teams identify which products or messages resonate with consumers.
AI becomes routine across marketing teams
Coca-Cola’s approach reflects a wider shift across the marketing industry.
Surveys suggest AI is becoming a routine tool for many marketing teams. Industry research shows more than 60% of marketing leaders now use generative AI to create content or marketing assets, reflecting how quickly the technology has spread across advertising and creative work.
At the same time, companies are still experimenting with where AI adds the most value. In some cases, the technology helps generate images or text. In others, it analyses consumer data or predicts how campaigns will perform.
The key change is that AI is moving closer to day-to-day marketing operations rather than sitting on the edge of creative experimentation.
A new phase for consumer brand marketing
For decades, large consumer brands relied on a familiar formula: product innovation, large advertising campaigns, and periodic price increases.
That model is shifting as digital platforms reshape how consumers interact with brands and how companies track demand.
Coca-Cola’s recent experiments with AI marketing and product development show how some consumer companies are adapting. AI systems can process large amounts of consumer data and help teams test ideas faster than traditional market research.
The technology does not replace human creativity or brand strategy. Marketing teams still define the message and the brand identity.
What AI may change is the speed of experimentation. Campaigns, content, and even product ideas can be tested and adjusted more quickly.
As AI tools spread across consumer industries, more brands are likely to explore similar approaches—treating artificial intelligence as a practical part of marketing operations rather than a short-term experiment.
(Photo by Maximilian Bruck)
See also: Nestlé’s AI push brings new marketing tools into daily workflows
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