How Mondelēz International relies on empathy to humanize AI to drive powerful marketing

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a hyped concept of the future – it's here, and it's changing the rules of the game. Marketers are using AI to achieve a range of goals, from optimizing campaigns to delivering personalized customer experiences at an unprecedented scale. However, with the rapid adoption of AI technology, new challenges have emerged: how to combine the accuracy and efficiency of AI with the empathy and cultural nuances that are really needed to connect with consumers.

For a brand like Mondelēz International, the solution is not to choose between technology and humanity, but to merge them in one place. Not only does this approach allow businesses to keep up with ever-changing consumer expectations, but it can also increase their marketing impact by combining advanced AI capabilities with a true empathy-driven strategy – an approach I previously defined as a "generative CMO" approach. By embracing this forward-thinking mindset, Mondelēz International shows how brands can use technology to amplify, rather than obscure, people-centric marketing values.

Why AI alone isn't enough for marketing success

AI technology has undoubtedly changed the landscape of marketing. With the ability to analyze massive data sets, predict consumer behavior, and automate creative tasks, AI brings unmatched efficiency and scalability. According to a survey published by HubSpot, 88% of marketing professionals plan to increase their investment in AI in 2024. Despite these advantages, there is also a growing awareness that AI-driven efficiency gains cannot replace the human element of meaningful connections with consumers.

Brands such as Peloton and Meta have come under fire for relying too heavily on algorithms and ignoring broader social and cultural contexts. Peloton, for example, was criticized for a holiday ad that seemed out of touch with the audience's values, proving that advanced data analytics alone could not predict consumer sentiment or respond to societal keys.

This tension has become more evident as consumers increasingly expect brands to engage with social and cultural issues. A 2023 YouGov survey found that 71% of consumers believe that a company's social and political stance is more important when making purchasing decisions than it was five years ago. So, while AI technology can optimize content, marketers must ensure that the message they help deliver resonates on a deeper, more human level.

Mondelēz International's approach: Embedding cultural empathy into AI strategies

Mondelēz International, the parent company of iconic brands such as Oreo, Ritz, and Sour Patch Kids, has pioneered a new way to combine AI with human empathy. Mondelēz International partnered with Accenture and France's Publicis Groupe to create a generative AI platform designed to enhance the creation and personalization of marketing content. Launched on September 26, 2024, Mondelēz International is enabling its brands to stay ahead of the rapidly changing consumer tastes and concerns by generating personalized text, images, and videos at scale.

Mondelēz International AI Platform's Strategic Objectives and Capabilities:

1. Efficiency & Empowerment: Mondelēz International's platform is designed to shorten creative production time to increase efficiency, while empowering employees to play an active role in the marketplace. This empowerment ensures that the content generated is not only accurate, but also culturally resonant, in line with the broader goal of promoting consumer well-being.
2. Responsible AI Framework: To ensure that marketing efforts are first and foremost and legally compliant, Mondelēz International is committed to working with Accenture to develop a responsible AI framework to guide its use of generative AI. The framework is in line with broader industry goals to ensure that AI technology does not infringe on the safety and dignity of consumers, thereby providing users with a sense of emotional safety.

A striking example of Mondelēz International's AI strategy emphasizing empathy is its current "Sour Translator" campaign around Sour Patch Kids, which uses AI to help Gen Z young people understand corporate terminology. Not only is this activity a fancy tool, but it also reflects an understanding of the anxiety and confusion that young employees may feel in the workplace. By demystifying complex language, Mondelēz International empowers new employees to create a sense of autonomy and identity. This initiative proves that AI technology can be used not only to engage consumers, but also to truly support their personal and professional growth.

Best practices for combining AI with empathy

As Mondelēz International and other forward-thinking companies have demonstrated, successfully combining AI with empathy requires a strategic approach that seeks a balance between technology and human insight. Adopting a generative CMO mindset – where technology is seen as a means to deepen consumer connections, rather than replace them, is critical to achieving this balance. It's also worth noting that we also need to combine AI and empathy through a strategic approach. Here are a few best practices that are instructive in harnessing the power of AI and defending human values:

1. AI ethics and cultural sensitivity training: All employees who use AI tools should understand the ethical implications and cultural nuances of the technology. Mondelēz International, for example, is committed to building a responsible AI framework to guide its use of generative AI to ensure that marketing decisions are always ethical and legal.
2. Using AI to augment, not replace, human insights: AI should augment, not replace, marketers' understanding of audiences. That said, AI-driven insights and qualitative research should be combined with cultural intelligence frameworks to gain a more complete picture of consumer motivations and behaviors.
3. Establish a continuous feedback loop: Using AI to collect real-time consumer feedback and adjust campaigns accordingly ensures that your marketing strategy remains dynamic and responsive. This iterative approach can help brands like Mondelēz International fine-tune their message to resonate with different audiences.
4. Prioritizing emotional security and empowerment: A successful AI strategy should create a sense of emotional security and empowerment among consumers. Mondelēz International accomplishes this goal by ensuring that all AI-driven content aligns with the company's commitment to respecting consumers' cultural and emotional backgrounds, thereby building trust and loyalty over time.

The future of AI and empathy in marketing

Looking to the future, as AI technology continues to advance, brands that can leverage the power of AI and maintain human empathy will be able to maintain a thriving momentum. Mondelēz International's approach to combining AI and empathy provides a blueprint for brands to navigate the complexities of modern marketing.

Efficiency and empowerment: AI platforms dramatically improve the efficiency of creating personalized content and empower employees to play an active role in the marketplace. This success highlights the potential of combining AI with a human-centered approach.

Beyond marketing: Mondelēz International also uses AI technology to enhance product development, improve supply chain efficiency, and monitor the health of the cocoa tree that sources raw materials for its products. These AI applications demonstrate how technology can drive innovation and growth beyond traditional marketing channels, helping Mondelēz become a leader in sustainable practices.

Summary: The new future of marketing based on AI and empathy

In the race to apply cutting-edge technology, it's easy to lose sight of the fundamental ingredient in marketing's true impact: the ability to connect with people. Mondelēz International's approach shows that the future of marketing is not about choosing between AI and humanity, but about how they come together to create experiences that deeply resonate with consumers, foster loyalty, and drive sustainable business growth.

For CMOs and other marketing executives, the message is clear: the point of embracing AI is not to use it as a substitute for human connection, but as a catalyst for human connection. By balancing technology with empathy, companies like Mondelēz International have proven that the future of marketing is not solely technology-driven, but more human-centric. Only marketers who can fully understand these principles can take the lead in the market competition in the new era and achieve a win-win situation.