Deep Consumer Insights Driving Brand Innovation in APAC

With over two decades of R&D experience, Deepapriya has led innovation across FMCG, OTC, and dietary supplements. She has held leadership roles at GSK, P&G, and Kellogg’s, launching 40+ products and advancing consumer-centric solutions through product development, sensory science, and process engineering.

In an insightful interaction with Global Woman Leader Magazine, Deepapriya shared her insights on leveraging consumer understanding across Asia-Pacific to drive bold, inclusive innovation in R&D, navigating global challenges, and empowering women leaders to challenge convention in traditionally risk-averse industries.

In your 2 decades of expereince, how have you used consumer insights to challenge the usual product development mindset, especially as a woman leader in R&D?

In todays fast-paced markets, companies that win are those who do not see consumer insights as just a beginning tool or data points but those who listen deeply, continuous and consistent listening to consumers.

As women leaders, we often bring an innate awareness of shuttle nuances right from how women actually used the product to whether the claims messaging empowers or alienates. Insights challenge us to prioritize what consumer needs Vs easier to execute.

With more than two decades in FMCG/FMCH, there have been many times where I have challenged the idea/product concept as in ‘Should we make this’ Vs ‘Can we make this’. For example, a daily energy supplement isn’t about B complex vitamins but how it helps women to serve many roles by pushing through exhaustion. A Multivitamin for Menopause isn’t about managing hot flash but helping her regain control with confidence and empowerment. A prenatal/Postnatal supplement isn’t about addressing just nutrient needs but it’s about care, reassurance during the vulnerable life stage.

Too often the industry delivers/out competes in delivering benefit in spaces like immunity, bone health etc. But through the use of social listening, focus group immersions and ethnography we would tap the untapped deeper human understanding and the real want.

Challenging product development decisions does not mean being difficult, but asking the right questions – Who is being left out? Is there any pain bubbles untouched? Are we solving real world problems especially when it comes to categories where primary consumers are women, who are historically unrepresented. We help our organizations move beyond incremental goals to transformative, meaningful consumer centric solutions.

When developing products for multiple consumer tiers and life cycles, what unique challenges have you faced as a woman influencing innovation decisions in large global companies like GSK or P&G?

Working at P&G & GSK, driving innovation came with immense opportunities and I got to work along bright minds of the industry. But it also came with unique challenges, especially in many early-stage innovation alignment meetings, where we had to balance between consumer insights and emotional truth and the world of technical and financial feasibility.

As a woman bringing up what real women want or how the product makes people feel – I have occasionally been dismissed to be passionate and soft until passion was backed by data driven insights.

Fighting for unmet needs that aren’t always profitable was a key challenge. I faced this particularly for disruptive innovation arenas like Menopause, Menstrual support, anti-aging, Gut-brain health etc, which were not prioritized, not because it was not a need but because it was not instantly scalable. The challenge was how to reframe the narrative that loyalty and growth are born in underserved consumers.

The other key challenge was gender gap in leadership driving market decisions and lack of perspectives for a product tailored to women. For Ex: Pregnancy formulations need to be sonsorially appealing as many women go through morning sickness and palatability issues.

Being a woman leading global innovation for multiple markets isn’t about being the loudest voice – it was about being the most resonant. It’s about championing the consumer who does not have a seat at the table where innovation briefs are discussed and finalized. Its about using data and heart as equal measures. The road was not easy but worth, with many deeper learnings and successful innovations.

APAC’s cultural diversity can slow decision-making. How do you, as an R&D head, lead inclusive innovation while keeping the pace without compromising quality?

The APAC region is one of the most exciting frontiers in innovation – ONE APAC but multiple realities with high complexity. I have learnt that inclusive innovation is about responsiveness and the key currency for success is agility rooted in deep cultural understanding with huge respect to the differences in the region. The differences span from high end urban professionals looking for clean label to rural mothers in India who trust natural remedies to GenZ in Vietnam who craves self-expression in wellness formats to women in Japan who prioritize discretion and harmony.

Agility was not just embracing speed but embracing localization, dovetailing cultural needs with global thinking and piloting ideas in one market & scaling post absorbing learnings. Inclusive innovation was driven with local market learnings to eradicate any cultural blind spots and testing the concept/product with real users/key opinion leaders before striking the shelves.

Can you share an anecdote when your deep consumer insight led to a breakthrough, despite initial skepticism from senior stakeholders? 

When we began exploring the idea of extending the brand, ENO into more lifestyle and natural oriented space, we faced tough alignment internally. ENO as a brand was trusted more as a fast-acting antacid Vs emerging consumer behavior was turning towards natural teas, kitchen remedies and ayurveda inspired powders. The Insights from qualitative research, we heard “I don’t want to rely on chemicals and prefer something natural”.

We proposed Eno Naturals, a fast-dissolving powder with fennel, ginger and amla. Initially, there was skepticism whether it was diluting ENO’s strong clinical equity or confuse consumers who trust ENO for fast relief. The conversation changed from replacing ENO Vs future proofing it after lots of in-home use tests/digital listening/consumer immersion tests where consumer read came strongly as a bridge between home remedies and modernity which they could use preventatively vs reactively. With successful launch, it outperformed forecast in urban and online stores which clearly taught us breakthrough innovation often doesn’t start with a formula but a strong insight that gave us courage.

How do you encourage innovations teams to think beyond traditional consumer behaviors and create disruptive new products in conservative markets?

Traditional consumer behavior often reflects what’s been historically marketed Vs what’s truly desired. I encourage teams to think about the untold and hidden deep human truths, behaviours, problems faced, invisible rituals that are not told/spoken. Using tools like consumer diaries or day in the life of immersions go beyond survey. Celebrate learnings, not just launches and recognize bold ideas.
 

How did you use your enterprise focus and cultural understanding to drive consumer-centric innovation?

As innovation leaders, pushing consumer centric innovation takes more than creativity. Enterprise focus needs to be applied as to how the insight can turn into sizeable business opportunity and how can we unite category ambition, cultural belief and brand belief.

To champion what matters most to consumers in a language that business understandsand to push innovation forward with both empathy and precision requires dual lens leadership – how things work & why people care.

LAST WORD: Advice for Women R&D Leaders

Designing solutions that adapt to different realities is important, not just different price points. Trust is the key currency for brand success which is earned through how we communicate to consumers often as much as what we say.

Trusted science in lay man understandable way dovetailing market belief systems Ex: Bone health supplement can have ayurvedic botanical backing Vs functional science led claim in Korea to emotional reassurance in Japan. We need to ingrain Empathy that drives better design, better design drives usage and Usage drives retention and brand loyalty.