People-Powered Transformation

The Barn was already dabbling in generative AI. More than half of colleagues used ChatGPT at home, yet 72 percent said they lacked the skills to bring the technology into their day jobs .

Experiments were blooming, but trust, capability and governance lagged. The mandate was clear: turn scattered pilots into a disciplined programme that would let AI “change food culture for the better” without eroding Arla’s craft or brand safety.

They Needed

The Barn is Arla’s in-house creative and media agency, responsible for 45 food brands across 10 markets and employing 145 people. Leadership saw AI’s potential but faced a challenge: enthusiasm was patchy, confidence was low, and teams lacked the skills to embed AI into daily workflows.

What We Did

We co-created the Barn AI programme with employees:

  • Built training on real briefs so learning felt immediately relevant.

  • Delivered high-energy, hands-on sessions mixing ethics debates with live demos.

  • Designed a structured four-phase playbook (Explore → Prompt → Challenge → Vision).

  • Anchored the programme with leadership involvement, making AI a strategic priority.

How it Helped

  • AI became a daily habit rather than a side project +204 % average daily AI usage (13 → 49 min per day)

  • Confidence levels rose as colleagues moved from curiosity to capability, 68 % “confident / very confident” with AI

  • Engagement stayed high because the programme was co-created, not imposed, 82 % programme satisfaction score

  • The Barn is now widely recognised as one of the most AI-literate food marketing teams globally.

“When we first set out on the AI journey, we thought the challenge was about tools. We quickly realised it was about people.

The Barn’s transformation wasn’t driven by technology alone - it was fuelled by co-creation, leadership, and the energy of 145 colleagues learning together.”

- Trine Danielsen, Global Head of Consumer Data & Digital Development, The Barn