Puma wants to improve its brand. AI might help.
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. German sportswear-maker Puma is tapping generative AI for its branding and online sales efforts, part of an expanded partnership with Google Cloud, the company said Tuesday. Puma said it has already deployed Google Cloud’s Imagen 2 model to help it craft personalized website images corresponding to the locations of some online shoppers.
For example, shoppers in Japan may see an image of trail running shoes on the foothills of Mount Fuji, the company said. Google Cloud Chief Executive Thomas Kurian said the tool is able to create a relevant image in several minutes, whereas the traditional process of conducting a photo shoot would require several days. “It is truly more than an order of magnitude reduction," Kurian said.
Puma declined to share specific numbers, but Kurian said, “On average what we see, it’s more than a 10 times speedup." Puma CEO Arne Freundt said he sees these generative AI-driven personalization capabilities as less about cost saving and more as key to building up Puma’s brand in areas like the U.S. and China, where it historically hasn’t been as strong a competitor. Right now Imagen 2 is simply personalizing based on geography, but in the future it could also do so based on age and individual sport preferences, he said.
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