Quick Brief
- The Deal: Authentic Brands Group integrates Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and Gemini across 50+ brands generating $32 billion in annual retail sales, launching proprietary “Authentic Intelligence” platform
- The Impact: 80% of ABG employees now use AI agents weekly; Reebok ad campaigns deliver 60% higher return on ad spend compared to traditional creative
- The Context: Announced at NRF 2026, the partnership positions ABG as the largest brand licensing platform to deploy enterprise-scale AI agents across business development, creative, and legal operations
Authentic Brands Group and Google Cloud announced a strategic AI partnership at NRF 2026 on January 11, deploying Google’s Gemini and Vertex AI platform across ABG’s $32 billion brand portfolio. The licensing giant, which owns Reebok, Champion, Sports Illustrated, and 50+ other brands across 150 countries, built a proprietary “Authentic Intelligence” platform that currently serves 80% of its workforce.
What’s New: 15 AI Agents Transform Brand Operations
Authentic Intelligence operates 15+ specialized AI agents integrated into Google Cloud’s Vertex AI infrastructure. The platform addresses critical business functions previously requiring weeks of manual work:
Business Development agents build comprehensive partner profiles to accelerate licensing deal flow and identify revenue opportunities across ABG’s portfolio, which generated $29 billion in revenue in 2025. Creative and Brand Management agents maintain brand consistency across all channels while leveraging Google Veo to generate brand-specific video content from text prompts. Early testing with Reebok demonstrated 60% higher return on ad spend compared to traditional product imagery.
Legal and Licensing agents automate contract review and analysis, reducing turnaround times for ABG’s complex licensing agreements spanning brands from Shaquille O’Neal to Brooks Brothers.
Why It Matters: Scale Drives Enterprise AI Adoption
ABG’s 80% employee adoption rate represents one of the highest enterprise AI penetration levels publicly disclosed, significantly exceeding the 70-80% process cycle time reductions reported across enterprise workflow automation deployments. The implementation spans departments from marketing and creative to finance and business development, indicating full organizational transformation rather than isolated pilot programs.
“Authentic Intelligence empowers our teams to create and grow our business with the entrepreneurial spirit our company was built on: independence, hustle and excellence,” said Adam Kronengold, ABG’s Chief Digital Officer. The platform’s integration with Google Veo positions ABG to leverage video generation capabilities Google Cloud unveiled for retail applications in January 2025.
Google Cloud’s retail AI strategy gained momentum after launching Vertex AI Search for commerce and Agentspace solutions, which helped Bed Bath & Beyond achieve 5% revenue per visitor improvement. ABG’s partnership validates Google Cloud’s enterprise AI positioning against competitors in the retail technology sector.
Technical Infrastructure: Vertex AI at Core
| Component | Function | Business Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Google Vertex AI | Core AI platform infrastructure | Enables 15+ specialized agents |
| Gemini LLM | Natural language processing | Powers conversational interfaces |
| Google Veo | Text-to-video generation | Creates brand-specific video content |
| Custom ABG Agents | Domain-specific automation | Serves 80% of workforce weekly |
The platform architecture leverages Vertex AI’s enterprise-grade security and observability features, critical for managing intellectual property across ABG’s portfolio including celebrity rights to Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali, and Marilyn Monroe.
What’s Next: Expansion Across Brand Portfolio
ABG acquired Champion in 2024 and Dockers in 2025, expanding its portfolio to more than 50 brands with 13,000+ retail locations and 400,000 points of sale. The company recently appointed Pattern as its global e-commerce marketplace accelerator in December 2025, signaling continued digital transformation beyond the Google Cloud partnership.
Jose Gomes, Vice President of Retail & Consumer Goods at Google Cloud, emphasized the speed advantage: “In an environment that moves fast, you can’t afford to wait weeks for creative ideas. Authentic is using AI to give its teams their time back”. The partnership’s expansion roadmap likely includes deeper integration of Google Cloud’s Connected Stores solution and enhanced Vertex AI Search capabilities announced at NRF 2025.
ABG’s implementation provides a benchmark for enterprise AI deployment at scale, particularly for organizations managing multiple brand identities requiring consistent voice and visual standards across global markets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Authentic Intelligence?
Authentic Intelligence is ABG’s proprietary AI platform built on Google Cloud’s Vertex AI, featuring 15+ specialized agents for business development, creative, and legal operations used by 80% of employees.
How much did AI improve Reebok’s advertising performance?
Early testing showed Reebok ad creative enhanced by Authentic Intelligence delivered up to 60% higher return on ad spend compared to traditional product imagery.
How many brands does Authentic Brands Group own?
ABG owns more than 50 global brands including Reebok, Champion, Sports Illustrated, Brooks Brothers, and Forever 21, generating $32 billion in annual retail sales across 150 countries.
What is Google Cloud Vertex AI?
Vertex AI is Google Cloud’s unified machine learning platform that enables enterprises to build, deploy, and scale AI applications with integrated tools for model development and agent orchestration.
