Kirti Singh, Chief Analytics and Insights Officer, P&G: Connecting with Consumers During a Pandemic
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 everyday. 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\u2019s most innovative client-side research teams. Kirti joins us to talk about the philosophy and purpose behind P&G\u2019s insights team, and how advancements in technology and research methodologies have transformed how they understand human behavior, emotion, and consumption. \n\nListen to this episode to learn:\n\u2022 How the pandemic has changed P&G\u2019s consumer research methods and accelerated virtual engagement\n\n\u2022 How P&G uses consumer insights to discover growth opportunities, keep a consumer focus within the business and its brands, and activate growth drivers\n\n\u2022 How advancements in data analytics, machine learning, behavioral sciences, and other methodologies have transformed P&G\u2019s research capabilities\n\n\u2022 Why Tide Pods are an example of \u201cconstructive disruption\u201d\n\n\u2022 How the economic downturn will affect consumers\u2019 choices and likely move them towards brands that are trustworthy, reliable, and provide value\n\n\u2022 Why being a successful insights leader requires curiosity, a growth mindset, and continuous reinvention