How Unilever’s Esi Eggleston Bracey Blends Analytics, Creativity, and AI to Drive Global Brand Growth

Unilever's Esi Eggleston Bracey on AI, Consumer Evolution, and Cannes Lions

At Unilever, marketing is no longer just a cost center—it’s a key driver of growth. Esi Eggleston Bracey, chief growth and marketing officer at Unilever, shares how the company’s approach blends data-driven analysis with creative thinking to build brands that resonate with billions.

Leading over 400 brands that reach 3.4 billion consumers worldwide, Esi’s strategy moves marketing from a one-to-many broadcast to a many-to-many conversation. She also discusses how artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a tool to enhance creativity rather than replace it.

The Accidental Marketer’s Origin Story

Originally trained as an engineer, Esi’s path shifted unexpectedly. “My goal was to be an MD, PhD in biomedical engineering,” she says, but a chance phone call and attending a marketing session changed everything. She realized marketing combined her love for problem-solving with working closely with people.

The Marriage of Analytics and Creativity

Esi challenges the idea that marketing is "soft." She stresses that today’s marketers need both sharp analytical skills and creative flair. “We have incredible data and technology. You need rigor and discipline to understand what consumers want, but creativity is equally critical. It’s both the hard and the soft,” she says.

Creating Febreze Through Engineering

Before Unilever, Esi spent nearly 25 years at Procter & Gamble, where she helped create Febreze. She describes the process as applying engineering principles to marketing challenges. Starting with a blank slate, she explored multiple new business ideas and landed on solving odors in fabrics that weren’t actually dirty—a fresh problem with no existing solution.

Next Generation Marketing at Unilever

Esi’s vision is clear: shift Unilever’s marketing from mass campaigns to personalized, scalable engagement. “The media landscape is fragmented. Instead of one-to-many, we need many-to-many models that deliver tailored messages at scale.” This approach maximizes growth opportunities by meeting consumers where they are.

Human-Centric Leadership Philosophy

Leadership, for Esi, balances listening with decisive action. “I consider myself a human-centric leader. I like to listen and understand people,” she explains. This mindset helps foster collaboration and drive impactful marketing strategies.

AI as Creative Amplifier

AI is not a threat but an enabler in marketing. Esi points to projects like Vaseline Verified as examples of how AI can amplify ideas and accelerate message delivery. “AI helps expand ideas and gets the message out fast. I’m a big fan of responsible AI as an amplifier of marketing.”

For marketers looking to deepen their AI skills, exploring specialized courses can provide practical tools to integrate AI into their strategies effectively. Resources like Complete AI Training’s latest AI courses offer valuable insights tailored for marketing professionals.