CPG Innovation: Learning from the Club
Last week in Paris, we kicked off the CPG Innovation Club, CT’s answer to the typical vendor-led conference. This wasn’t about sales pitches. It was about CPG leaders sharing what’s actually working in the field. We dug into real challenges: how to roll out global tools while staying local, how image recognition is transforming retail execution, and why consistent, high-frequency data is quickly becoming every brand’s secret weapon.
Inside the CPG Innovation Club: How Peer Collaboration and Data Are Shaping the Future
Last week in Paris, a unique gathering took place: the inaugural CPG Innovation Club event. This event was part of our global series, and, unlike traditional conferences dominated by vendor pitches and generic keynotes, CT’s Innovation Club was designed as a true "club," a safe space for CPG professionals to speak their own language, share real-world challenges, and crowdsource solutions from their peers. This is our measurement for success.
Building a Community, Not Just an Event
From the outset, the organizers made it clear: this was about enabling customer-to-customer conversations. As Alexey Patsko, CEO of Customertimes Europe, put it, "The solution to your problems is probably not with the SAPs or Salesforces of the world, but with your peers." The goal was to foster a community where best practices, lessons learned, and even product roadmaps are shaped by those who live and breathe CPG every day.
Takeaway: Focus on peer-to-peer learning for practical, industry-specific solutions.
Technology as a Practical Enabler
The event showcased live demos from partners like EasyPicky and ULiT, focusing on how technology can make a tangible difference in retail execution and sales force effectiveness. EasyPicky's image recognition solution, forexample, allows field teams to capture and analyze store data in real time, even offline, enabling immediate action and consistent, granular insightsacross markets. ULiT’s negotiation and promo management platform demonstrated how digital tools can streamline complex commercial relationships and ensure that what’s planned at HQ is executed flawlessly in the field.
Takeaway: Prioritize technology that delivers immediate, actionable value in the field.
The Global/Local Balancing Act
A highlight of the day was the case study from Pernod Ricard, presented by Hugo Canseco. As a truly global yet highly decentralized organization, Pernod Ricard faces the challenge of rolling out global solutions while respecting local market needs. Hugo emphasized that “globalization doesn’t mean centralization”, a crucial distinction for CPGs operating in diverse markets.The company’s partnership with Customertimes to deploy a unified sales force automation (SFA) platform across 30+ markets is a testament to the power of flexible, scalable technology that adapts to local realities.
Takeaway: Ensure global strategies are flexible enough to empower local teams.
Data Consistency: The New Competitive Edge
One recurring theme was the importance of harmonized, high-frequency data. With tools like EasyPicky, CPG companies can now collect consistent datastore-by-store, visit-by-visit, eliminating ambiguity and enabling smarter, faster decisions. This level of data granularity is becoming essential as brands seek to optimize everything from shelf placement to promotional effectiveness in real time.
Takeaway: Establish data consistency as the foundation for agile, evidence-based decision-making.
Why This Matters for CPG Innovation
The Paris event underscored a fundamental shift in how CPG companies approach innovation:
- Peer-driven learning is replacing top-down mandates.
- Practical, integrated technology is valued over flashy, one-size-fits-all solutions.
- Global strategies must be flexible enough to empower local teams.
- Data consistency is the foundation for agile, evidence-based decision-making.
As the CPG landscape grows more complex and competitive, the companies that thrive will be those that break down silos, embrace collaboration, and leverage data to drive continuous improvement.
