Case Studies

CPG Innovation: Scaling AI for Business Impact

Consumer Goods R&D Lab - Generative AI Transformation

The Challenge

A global consumer packaged goods leader faced a common dilemma: how to move beyond AI experimentation to create tangible business value. While they had successfully deployed traditional AI in pricing, promotions, and marketing analytics, they needed to leverage generative AI to accelerate innovation, deepen consumer insights, and transform product development processes.

Our Approach

Working alongside the client's teams, we developed a comprehensive strategy across three pillars:

  1. Targeted AI Applications

    We prioritized high-impact use cases in R&D, consumer insights, and quality control where AI could deliver immediate business results. Rather than pursuing technology for its own sake, we focused on measurable outcomes that would improve decision-making and accelerate time-to-market.

  2. Purpose-Built AI Tools
    We deployed specialized AI assistants tailored to specific business functions:

    • InsightsGPT for synthesizing consumer insights from proprietary research, syndicated data, and search trends.

    • ConceptsAI for generating product ideas based on unmet consumer needs.

  3. Human-Centered Implementation

    The success of the program hinged on putting humans at the center:

    • Extensive user research with scientists, marketers, and innovation teams revealed workflows where AI could remove friction.

    • Tools evolved through continuous feedback, ensuring AI enhanced—not replaced—human expertise.

    • An internal AI Center featuring custom models from OpenAI and Google democratized access across the organization.

    • Structured training programs built capabilities in responsible AI use, effective prompt design, and maintaining human oversight.

Measurable Results

The transformation delivered concrete business outcomes:

  • Accelerated insights: Teams now generate instant research summaries rather than manually reviewing lengthy market reports, reducing insight generation from weeks to hours.

  • Enhanced innovation: AI-assisted concept generation increased viable product ideas by 40%, with faster validation through digital consumer twins.

  • Widespread adoption: Over 3,000 employees actively use the AI Hub daily, with productivity gains consistently tracked through integrated metrics.

  • Responsible AI culture: A governance framework ensures ethical AI deployment, with mandatory training for all users.

Lessons Learned

Four key insights emerged from this transformation:

  1. AI investments must directly align with strategic business priorities to deliver meaningful value.

  2. User experience and frictionless workflows drive adoption more than technical sophistication.

  3. Strong governance frameworks are essential for responsible AI deployment.

  4. The most valuable AI applications enhance human expertise rather than replace it to enable teams to work faster, smarter, and more creatively.

Financial Payments Transformation: AI-Driven Growth Strategy Leads to Acquisition

100% executive team alignment

A financial payments client brought in Human Pilots to drive future growth with a customer-centric strategy. An Executive workshop was used to align its executive team around a shared vision for how AI would engage customers and gain internal support..

  • Data-Driven Growth Plans: Leveraged AI insights to uncovered stronger market insights and deeper customer needs.

  • Improved Productivity: Accelerated audience insights and marketing messaging with GenAI.

  • Powerful Growth Story: A compelling growth story resonated with the market and shareholders, boosting confidence in valuation and led to acquisition.

AI growth strategy for quick impact and long-term value

3 Months to meaningful results

A B2B Retail company needed a clear growth strategy roadmap. We created a series of AI pilot project to provide the proof points needed to drive AI adoption and scale an augmented workforce.

  • Immediate Impact: Roadmap strategies showed results in first weeks.

  • Efficiency Gains: AI streamlined operations, enhanced efficiency.

  • Stakeholder Approval: Positive feedback from customers, employees, stakeholders & investors.

  • Growth Blueprint: AI Roadmap with short-term gains & long-term goals.

AI “is making me love marketing again!"

440% increase in personalized outbound marketing campaigns

To accelerate marketing results, a payments company engaged Human Pilots to enhance processes, boost employee engagement, and uncover new customer growth strategies.

  • Increased effectiveness: Training of advanced growth marketing, product marketing, & human-centered design.

  • Motivating Employees: Team engagement increased with AI exploration & adoption.

  • Measurable Impact: Impact across customer funnel with insights to define & deliver ROI.