E-commerce giant Alibaba has entered a partnership with Unilever to improve the personal care conglomerate’s digital marketing technology in China.
By using Alibaba’s Cloud service, Unilever will have access to AI and cloud-based technologies that are anticipated to improve the company’s omnichannel, online and offline activities.
The technology will also allow Unilever to track its customers’ buying patterns and e-commerce behaviour.
“Customer buying patterns are ever-changing, when and where they buy has caused marketing to become even more agile and precise in order to stay relevant and reduce marketing waste,” said Unilever China’s VP Data and Digital, Jun Fang.
“The use of Alibaba Cloud’s cutting-edge technology will ensure that our customers enjoy even more value from their relationship with the Unilever brand, through relevant campaigns and activities based on true insights into their buying preference.”
Specific programmes that Unilever will have access to include Alibaba’s Dataphine PaaS platform, for intelligent information processing and management; Quick BI, a business analysis suite; and Analytic DB database cloud service.
Alibaba’s President of International Business, Selina Yuan, added: “In the online, always connected world, getting customers’ attention is an ongoing challenge for marketers, so understanding what their customers want has never been more important.
“For marketers to keep on top of customers’ ever-changing needs and habits, the ability to understand their shopping habits is essential for keeping the brand messaging relevant for each customer.”
She continued: “Alibaba Cloud’s solutions have the ability to unlock the customer insights needed and are set to ensure Unilever continues to succeed and build brand loyalty with its customers amid a constantly evolving and complex marketplace.”