How DUDE Wipes Built an Internal AI Strategy That Actually Delivers Business ROI

As pressure mounts on brands to justify generative AI investment, DUDE Wipes is one of the few willing to show receipts. In a Digiday interview, co-founder and CMO Ryan Meegan details how the company deployed AI across every department — not as a surface-level experiment, but as a fundamental shift in how they hire, operate, and create.

The Operational Win: Diesel Dan

The clearest proof of ROI lives in the company's ops team. Meegan describes a custom AI tool they built called "Diesel Dan," designed to optimize SKU palletization and truckload configurations that previously required manual input. The result: 10 to 15 hours of saved labor per week, plus direct cost savings on freight.

"It used to be certain SKUs ordered by a certain retailer put them in a position that needed to be manually input," Meegan said. "They were taught AI the problem and prompted it to what solution they were looking for."

Key Takeaways

• Operations and finance show the clearest AI ROI. Diesel Dan is DUDE Wipes' benchmark: a purpose-built AI tool solving a specific, measurable problem.
• Every employee gets a Claude account. The company runs regular internal AI training to ensure the tools are actually used rather than just purchased.
• AI is changing hiring strategy. DUDE Wipes is reducing agency dependency and hiring more intentionally for seats that AI can't fill.
• Creative AI is a brainstorm tool, not a replacement. Meegan is clear that on the creative side, AI helps "free up brain space" — it doesn't replace creative judgment.

As brands and agencies face harder questions about AI ROI, DUDE Wipes offers a practical model: identify repeatable operational problems, build purpose-specific tools, train your team, and measure from there.

🔗 Read the full article on Digiday