Diageo's Latest Acquisition Will Harness AI to Analyze Your Tastebuds

Do you like cinnamon apple pie? How often do you eat bananas? What about fresh rosemary—love it or leave it? These might be questions you'd expect from a waiter, not a whisky or vodka brand, but that's about to change if Diageo has anything to do with it. The Johnnie Walker owner has just snapped up "flavor technology" company Vivanda for an undisclosed sum. The business uses AI to analyze and map what consumers like to drink via a set of simple questions online. These answers are assessed against a huge proprietary database of foods and aromas, and the data is then used to give a digital representation of a person's taste palate. Based on the findings, the company can recommend the exact flavors, or brands, that might appeal to someone. Diageo has already harnessed this technology via its online "What's Your Whisky" tool which crunches some (tasty) numbers to decipher individual preferences for a variety of sweet, fruity, spicy and smoky aromas. The outcome is a personalized "FlavorPrint" for each consumer that uses the tool, as well as the recommendation of which Diageo single malt best matches their taste. Personalization, garnished with innovation In theory, this tech could be used for any alcohol category—for instance, Diageo might use it to assess what beer or London dry gin might be more palatable for someone. The company said the acquisition will allow for this, as well as provide a "deeper understanding" of consumer taste preferences which could help unlock opportunities in product innovation and personalized consumer experiences. According to McKinsey, more than 70% of people now consider such tailored branded experiences as a basic expectation.“We know consumers are looking for more personalized, interactive experiences and that they are increasingly engaging with our brands digitally as well as in person," said Cristina Diezhandino, chief marketing officer at Diageo. "We’re delighted to welcome Vivanda to Diageo and we are looking forward to working together to connect with consumers in more innovative ways that help shape the future of how we socialize in person and virtually." There's also space for Diageo to bake Vivanda's technology into physical experiences, as it has already done through its immersive "Journey of Flavor" experience at its Johnnie Walker visitor center in Edinburgh where there are more than 800 flavor combinations for people to try. This means a consumer could visit every day for more than two years and not taste the same thing twice. Vivanda’s team will join Diageo and its founders, chief executive Oli Fuchs and chief technology officer Matt Corish, will provide ongoing consultancy services to continue building on the success of the "FlavorPrint" tool. Globally Diageo has been sharpening its data and technology arsenal, most recently with the 2021 launch of a new facility dedicated to examining consumer behavior and generating industry insights to better position itself for the future. The Diageo Collaboration Center, a 17,000-square-foot space located on Diageo’s campus in Stamford, Conn., is open to business partners ranging from retailers to distributors to agencies. Diageo Opens a Data-Based ‘Collaboration Center’ to Keep Pace With a Changing Alcohol Industry