It has been lower than a yr because the Kellogg Company, one of the vital iconic and recognizable consumer brand manufacturing corporations within the U.S., split its business into two entities, creating Kellanova.
Under the Kellogg’s brand, the previous entity was the maker of food brands like Pringles, Eggo and Cheez-It. It also made cereals corresponding to Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosties and Coco Pops. When the split happened, the first company kept its North American cereal under WK Kellogg. Meanwhile, it spun out its global snacking business right into a recent public company: Chicago-based Kellanova.
Now, after posting its first-ever annual financial results, Kellanova is talking about two of the corporate’s top priorities for 2024. These include more digital commerce and transformation. On this question-and-answer session, Kellanova chief digital and knowledge officer Lesley Salmon discusses how Kellanova will implement a variety of digital initiatives to spice up sales, profitability and operating efficiencies.
How Kellanova is using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning
Lesley Salmon with Kellanova’s Pringles mascot, Mr. P
“AI and ML are revolutionizing many points of our business, from supply chain management to personalized marketing,” says Salmon. “Machine learning algorithms help us analyze vast amounts of knowledge to optimize inventory management, demand forecasting, and production planning.”
Applications also extend to customer experience and personalization.
“We’re also using generative AI to boost customer engagement through personalized recommendations based on consumer behavior and preferences,” she explains.
Adoption has included decisions about scope, in addition to guidelines for workers.
“We have now established gen AI guardrails inside our company, constructing solid foundations around data, ethics, and governance,” Salmon explains. “Establishing these solid foundations up-front will allow us to fast-track progress as gen AI evolves. It has also been a catalyst for us to revisit our traditional AI investments, driving much more scale to deliver growth.”
How Kellanova is implementing its digital supply chain
At the availability chain level, Kellanova is assessing opportunities for efficiencies and higher tracking for improved data quality. Ultimately, that could lead on to improved visibility, in addition to traceability with additional advantages.
“We’re creating ‘digital twins/replicas’ across our manufacturing processes and using smart sensors and connected devices to supply real-time data on the movement of products, enabling higher visibility and traceability,” Salmon says. “This not only helps in reducing costs but additionally ensures the standard and safety of products throughout the availability chain.”
Use of digital productivity and collaboration tools
For teams at Kellanova, the concentrate on higher tools is supposed to enhance the standard of labor being done in collaborative settings. Microsoft’s Copilot, for instance, leverages OpenAI’s Chat GPT technology, which is being integrated into workflows.
“We’re using digital tools and constructing capabilities for greater collaboration across the Kellanova globe,” Salmon states. “We recently launched Microsoft Copilot for the Web to assist creativity, enhance skills, and get things done faster safely and securely.”
Furthermore, the corporate is pushing employees to interact the brand new tools with curiosity, inspiring recent, higher workflows.
“We’re running ‘Curiosity Sessions’ the world over so colleagues can learn more about easy methods to use these recent tools, ask questions, and champion revolutionary technology,” she says.
How Kellanova is updating its ecommerce and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels
In ecommerce, Kellanova is its omnichannel strategy. As Salmon describes it, the corporate is looking for ways to learn from and improve customer journeys at multiple touchpoints.
“The continued rise of ecommerce platforms and direct-to-consumer models – or omnichannel commerce – is reshaping how our products reach consumers,” says Salmon. “In today’s world, it is crucial to have a technique and an approach to win where shoppers are shopping by providing them with an experience that helps make the buying journey easier.”
Salmon’s hope is that customer affinity for Kellanova brands will increase because of this.
“Our technology platforms enable us to ascertain a direct relationship with customers, gather data on their preferences, and create personalized marketing strategies,” she says. “We’re also leveraging AI to optimize product recommendations and enhance the general online shopping experience.”
What’s ahead for data analytics for market insights
Executing Kellanova’s plans would require informed product updates based on the info being collected. In keeping with Salmon, some results are already public.
“We spend money on our proprietary consumer insights data and analytics to know consumer eating habits, consumption occasions, desires, and affinities,” she explains. “That’s where plenty of innovation is going down. For instance, those insights led us to launch the Pringles Harvest Blends collection, which blends sweet potatoes and multigrain.”
Findings in turn will also be integrated into strategy-level decisions.
“Beyond analyzing data, we actively implement learnings to refine our business strategies,” she says. “This approach ensures a highly personalized journey for the patron from the primary point of name interaction to buy and after-sales service, the patron experiences a coherent and highly personalized journey. Our wealthy portfolio of differentiated brands enables us to create multiple touchpoints that tell a consistent brand story.”
In the long run, turning this vision right into a reality will expand the Kellanova’s technology team’s impact. Salmon expects to see its relevance across the organization and its portfolio of brands.
“Gone are the times when IT was simply charged with keeping a company protected, secure, and up thus far,” Salmon states. “The Kellanova IT team is on the forefront of tech trends that may solve business problems [and] unlock growth across our business business, with our people and our customers.”
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