Henkel enters strategic partnership with Adobe

• Accelerate digital innovation to deliver on Henkel´s purposeful growth agenda
• Multiple digital initiatives to be integrated in RAQN, Henkel´s new platform for digital business and e-commerce
• First digitally native vertical brands successfully launched on new platform
• Joint creation of B2B2C data-driven business model that aims to become the best-practice blueprint in the industry

Henkel and Adobe have entered a strategic partnership to jointly accelerate digital innovations, to develop a data-driven platform for digital business and e-commerce and to create new digital business opportunities for Henkel. This partnership is part of Henkel´s focus on strengthening its competitive edge through digitalization across all business activities.

“Our digital transformation is one of the key levers to deliver on our agenda for purposeful growth. After creating Henkel dx, our new integrated unit driving our digital business transformation together with our business units and functions, we are now taking the next step by entering into this strategic partnership. Adobe is globally recognized for its leading expertise in enabling partners to make a step change in their digital marketing, consumer and customer insights and e-commerce capabilities. With the development of our data-driven digital business and e-commerce platform, our businesses will be able to launch products and services faster, in a more targeted, personalized and efficient manner to our consumers and customers,” said Carsten Knobel, CEO of Henkel.

“The digital economy runs on customer connections and delivering compelling digital experiences across every channel is now a business imperative,” said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer at Adobe. “We are proud to partner with Henkel on their mission to become a digital business. Adobe Experience Cloud will power a comprehensive digital platform for Henkel, providing a unified customer profile and delivering real-time, personalized engagements that result in customer loyalty and business growth.”

From product innovator to a digital value creator

To further expand and enhance its digital growth capabilities, Henkel has developed “RAQN”, its new digital business platform for consumer and customer intelligence and experiences. With its new mega platform approach, Henkel aims to generate more sales through digital channels and further accelerate digital conversions and growth. RAQN is the core to expand its e-commerce activities, while addressing individual consumer and customer preferences, accelerate time-to-market and improve performance marketing based on data analytics and insights. The platform is built on Henkel’s business domain knowledge, software and artificial intelligence capabilities paired with Adobe’s technology expertise – tailored to meet the specific demands of Henkel´s different business units across consumer and industrial products. RAQN integrates multiple digital touchpoints onto one single business platform to create a unique user experience.

“We observe a fundamental consumer and customer gravitation shift towards on-demand and hyper-personalized digital commerce. Through the partnership with Adobe, we gain leading-edge digital experience capabilities, access to Adobe’s innovation power and ecosystem to boost our digital business,” said Michael Nilles, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Henkel. “Henkel will leverage Adobe’s Experience Platform for a wide range of D2C, B2C and B2B business models to provide a superior and personalized experience across all online and offline channels for our consumers and customers.”

Henkel has successfully launched two digitally-native vertical brands ‏(DNVB) on its new RAQN platform: M:ID, the first inhouse developed direct-to-consumer ‏(D2C) Beauty Care brand that offers tailormade hair care products for men, and Kaloon Mindful Care, an overnight regeneration skin care brand. Using the new digital opportunities, the product launch was accelerated significantly: the development took only six months from initial idea to product launch. Furthermore, Schwarzkopf Professional runs its central hub for hairdressers on the RAQN platform providing updates on trends and product innovations to give a complete experience for hairdressers and their customers. Henkel Laundry & Home Care’s knowledge and community platform “Ask Team Clean” engages with consumers via the RAQN platform in five countries already and is currently being implemented on a global scale. Henkel’s brand websites across all businesses and markets are powered by the digital experience suite from Adobe.