Last month, McKinsey said that European consumer businesses are pouring more money into AI while seeing little proof of impact, and the gap between ambition and execution is widening.
It’s a damning assessment. Despite AI’s potential, using it badly leaves many consumers feeling unseen. This is a timely reminder of the enduring power of truly understanding people.
The paradox McKinsey highlights is clear. AI – now embedded across everything from insight to innovation and supply chain to marketing – promises faster decisions, sharper targeting and more certainty. As a result, brand and innovation teams at consumer businesses have never been more data‑rich or technologically enabled.
Yet despite this, there’s a problem. Brands are struggling to genuinely connect to the people they exist to serve – especially in FMCG, where brands are, ironically, closest to people’s lives, homes and routines. This isn’t down to a lack of intelligence, but a growing distance between insight and genuine human understanding.
