In a move that signals how deeply artificial intelligence is reshaping consumer brands, Unilever has signed a five-year partnership with Google Cloud to build what it calls an “AI-first digital backbone” for the future of commerce.
The agreement aims to accelerate Unilever’s business transformation by deploying Google Cloud’s advanced AI, data and marketing technologies across its global portfolio, which includes brands such as Dove, Vaseline and Hellmann’s.
At the heart of the collaboration is a bet on “agentic commerce” — a model where AI systems do more than analyse data and instead act autonomously to execute complex tasks across marketing, supply chains and enterprise operations.
“Technology has moved to the core of value creation at Unilever,” said Willem Uijen, Chief Supply Chain and Operations Officer at Unilever. “As brands are increasingly discovered and chosen in environments shaped by AI, we must lead this shift.”
Under the deal, Unilever will migrate its integrated data and cloud platform to Google Cloud, creating what it describes as an enterprise-wide, AI-first infrastructure. This foundation is expected to help the company generate demand faster, convert data into actionable insights, and respond more quickly to market changes.
The partnership will rely on Google Cloud technologies such as its enterprise AI platform Vertex AI and advanced models including Gemini to build new capabilities in brand discovery, measurement and AI-augmented marketing.
Tara Brady, President, EMEA, at Google Cloud, said the collaboration goes beyond a standard cloud migration. “In partnering with Unilever as it boldly reimagines its business processes, we are not just modernising legacy systems; we are deploying our advanced models, such as Gemini, to create a system of intelligence that reasons, learns, and acts,” she said. “This will set a new standard for agility and consumer engagement in the CPG sector.”
The two companies outlined three core pillars for the partnership: developing next-generation marketing intelligence and agentic commerce capabilities; building an integrated data and cloud foundation for scalable AI deployment; and accelerating the adoption of advanced AI across Unilever’s value chain.
The move reflects a broader shift in the fast-moving consumer goods (CPG) industry, where consumer journeys are becoming more conversational and AI-driven. As search, shopping and discovery increasingly take place through intelligent agents and generative AI interfaces, brands are racing to ensure they remain visible — and chosen — in algorithm-shaped environments.
For Unilever, the deal marks an effort to embed AI across its operations rather than treat it as a standalone innovation project. By aligning its data platforms, marketing systems and enterprise applications on Google Cloud, the company is positioning itself to compete in what it sees as a new era of AI-powered commerce.
