Unilever has signed a five-year partnership with Google Cloud aimed at ramping up its use of AI in its reshaping how its brands are discovered and shopped.

The agreement will see the FMCG giant, which portfolio includes Dove, Vaseline and Hellmann’s, migrate its integrated data and cloud platform to Google Cloud, creating what it describes as an enterprise-wide, AI-first digital backbone

It is understood the move is designed to speed up demand generation, unlock insights and improve agility across its operations.

The partnership will apply advanced AI tools, such as Google Cloud’s Vertex AI platform and Gemini models, to build new capabilities in brand discovery, marketing and AI-augmented campaigns.

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However, the move marks a more broader shift towards ‘agentic’ consumer journeys, where artificial intelligent systems play a greater role in how products are surfaced and selected.

“Technology has moved to the core of value creation at Unilever,” said Unilever chief supply chain and operation officer Willem Uijen.

“As brands are increasingly discovered and chosen in environments shaped by AI, we must lead this shift. This collaboration with Google Cloud sets a new level in how technology can power commerce and growth in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.”

Google Cloud president EMEA Tara Brady added that the partnership would go beyond modernising legacy systems.

“We are deploying our advanced models, such as Gemini, to create a system of intelligence that reasons, learns and acts. This will set a new standard for agility and consumer engagement in the CPG sector.”