Connecting with Consumers During a Pandemic

8 September 2020

With guest Kirti Singh - Chief Analytics and Insights Officer, P&G

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Ninety-five years ago, an economist named Paul “Doc” Smelser was working for Procter & Gamble when he set out to answer a simple question: What percentage of Ivory soap were people using to wash their face and hands vs. for washing dishes? The journey to answering that question was the catalyst for what is today known as consumer insights and market research. Today, 5 billion consumers around the world use P&G products every day. Trusted brands like Gillette razors. Crest toothpaste. Tide detergent. And, of course, Ivory soap. Now, as COVID-19 has forced the world to stay home, these household staple brands have become an even more trusted and central part of our lives. Kirti Singh is the Chief Analytics & Insights Officer at P&G where he leads a consumer insights department, which has been named as one of the world’s most innovative client-side research teams. Kirti joins us to talk about the philosophy and purpose behind P&G’s insights team, and how advancements in technology and research methodologies have transformed how they understand human behavior, emotion, and consumption.

Listen to this episode to learn:
• How the pandemic has changed P&G’s consumer research methods and accelerated virtual engagement

• How P&G uses consumer insights to discover growth opportunities, keep a consumer focus within the business and its brands, and activate growth drivers

• How advancements in data analytics, machine learning, behavioral sciences, and other methodologies have transformed P&G’s research capabilities

• Why Tide Pods are an example of “constructive disruption”

• How the economic downturn will affect consumers’ choices and likely move them towards brands that are trustworthy, reliable, and provide value

• Why being a successful insights leader requires curiosity, a growth mindset, and continuous reinvention