by How Coke’s Agile Research Frameworks Redefine Brand Resilience in Crisis – Rara Naval’s Insights
Rara Naval has two decades of expertise in insights and strategy, specializing in the food and drink, personal care, and
wellness sectors. Her expertise is on brand turnaround, category transformation and insights program evolution to accommodate new technologies in consumer understanding. She is a proponent of the use of AI in consumer insights. Currently serving as Coca-Cola TM ASEAN and South Pacific Human Insights Director, she has worked in regional and global roles utilizing agile methodologies and cultural insights to drive business growth and market success. Rara honed her insights generation skills with stints at research giants, KANTAR, and Nielsen, and leading MNCs, McDonald’s and Unilever. She has a degree in Psychology and an Executive MBA. She is an Insight250 awardee, organizing committee member for Women in Research (WIRe) Singapore and a member of the female leaders network, Uncommon.
MRMW: What motivates you to join the conference and what are your expectations?
Rara: I’m always eager to stay at the forefront of emerging trends in market research, and as the industry evolves, it’s crucial to keep up with the latest methodologies and innovations. The MRMW conference is the perfect opportunity to gain fresh insights and new perspectives from leaders in the field. I’m particularly excited to dive into AI applications in research, exploring how different companies are leveraging AI, the challenges they face, and how they’re overcoming them.
Understanding how AI is being integrated across different organizations will not only inspire me but also help me think of new ways to expand its application within my own company.
In addition, I’ll be speaking about brand resilience at the conference. While I’ll address the challenges my organization faces, I’m equally interested in learning about the threats other companies are encountering and how they are navigating those challenges. The ability to build and maintain brand resilience in an ever-changing environment is vital. Brands must remain agile and responsive to shifts in the market, and I look forward to hearing how others are strengthening their own resilience strategies—whether through crisis management, consumer insights, or innovation.
Ultimately, the conference is an invaluable opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate, both in terms of AI applications and broader industry challenges, helping us all stay adaptive and ahead of the curve in an increasingly dynamic landscape.
MRMW: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk and what would you like delegates to remember?
Rara: In a crisis, brand resilience isn’t just about reacting—it’s about responding with speed, precision, and confidence. My talk will explore how brands can build agile research frameworks that provide real-time insights when they matter most, ensuring brands stay ahead of the narrative rather than chasing it.
I’ll dive into:
- Crisis Severity Assessment – Gauging the volume and velocity of reactions, distinguishing between short-term noise and full-scale brand threats.
- Agile Research Protocols – Implementing research strategies that prioritize speed and accuracy, ensuring brands can make informed decisions in real time.
- AI-Powered Crisis Monitoring – Leveraging AI-driven qualitative research to track sentiment shifts, identify emerging concerns, and shape proactive responses.
At the heart of my talk is a simple but crucial message: uncertainty is inevitable, but unpreparedness isn’t. Brands that invest in agile, data-driven research methodologies will not only weather crises more effectively but will emerge stronger, more trusted, and better equipped for whatever comes next.
MRMW: How has this impacted your own work and your organisation?
Rara: Learning to respond effectively to crises has greatly improved how my organization tracks and adapts to shifts in the market. The agile research frameworks we developed for crisis management have proven invaluable, not only in high-pressure situations but also for monitoring category and consumer changes.
We’ve refined our research protocols to prioritize speed and accuracy, enabling us to respond quickly to both crises and subtle market changes. Real-time insights allow us to track evolving consumer preferences and make adjustments to our strategies, staying ahead of trends.
Leveraging AI-powered tools and qualitative research at scale, we monitor sentiment shifts continuously, not just in response to crises but also to shifting consumer needs and external factors. This makes us more sensitive to the market, helping us stay aligned with consumer expectations and adaptable to changes, whether in times of crisis or when anticipating market shifts.
Ultimately, this experience has reinforced that agility and responsiveness are crucial for both managing crises and staying attuned to ongoing market changes, enabling us to evolve and thrive even in challenging business conditions.
MRMW: What are the MR / CMI trends that have dominated 2024 and what will 2025 bring?
Rara: Artificial intelligence, particularly Generative AI, has dominated market research in 2024, transforming how insights are gathered and analyzed. This momentum will continue into 2025, with further advancements in AI applications in research.
One of the biggest shifts we’ve seen has been in the field of qualitative research at scale. I myself, have been particularly interested in qualitative at scale and have spent the past year piloting and experimenting with different research partners. I’m excited to see developments happening in this space (i.e., AI moderators, voice-to-text transcription, and self-generated interviews etc.). These innovations are making qualitative research faster and more accessible, but they also raise an important challenge—how do we maintain empathy and authenticity in consumer understanding?
As a result, we’re seeing a countertrend: a renewed focus on ethnographic research. While AI allows us to scale qualitative studies, it also highlights the need to go deeper, capturing real-life consumer behaviors and emotions. Balancing efficiency with depth will be a key focus in 2025.
Looking ahead, AI in research, particularly qualitative at scale, will continue evolving in several ways:
More advanced AI moderators – Conducting natural, adaptive conversations.
Better sentiment analysis – Detecting tone, nuance, and emotions with greater accuracy.
Hyper-personalized research – AI dynamically tailoring questions based on responses.
Seamless integration of qual and quant – Automating mixed-method research for richer insights.
The challenge for 2025 will be finding the right balance—scaling research efficiently while preserving the human connection. AI will keep driving innovation, but true consumer understanding will require a thoughtful mix of technology and human insight.
MRMW: Last but not least, where do you find learning, inspiration and information? Can you share some of your favourite resources with us, be it Blogs, Podcasts, Books, Websites?
Rara: I’m always seeking fresh insights and new ideas, and I find inspiration through a mix of books, newsletters, and following posts from thought leaders in marketing and business.
For books, I rely on the Next Big Idea Club, curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink. It consistently highlights and recommends the most impactful nonfiction books of the year, helping me stay ahead of key trends.
On LinkedIn, I follow Adam Ross’s ‘Creative Sparks’ newsletter, where he analyzes the latest creative campaigns and distills valuable lessons from brand strategies. His insights provide a fascinating look into how creativity drives business success.
I also closely follow Mark Ritson, whose no-nonsense, pragmatic approach to marketing is both refreshing and deeply insightful. Having completed his Mini MBA in Marketing, I appreciate his sharp take on industry trends and best practices.
These resources—along with continuous discussions with peers—keep me engaged, inspired, and always learning.
MRMW: Thank you so much, Rara! We look forward to meeting you at the event!
Join Rara Naval at her session at MRMW APAC, the leading Market Research conference, on April 9–10, 2025, in Singapore!
Now in its 17th year, this leading event brings together forward-thinking clients, innovative agencies and technology disrupters to discuss the latest trends and innovations driving the insights and market research industry forward.
This year’s conference features cutting-edge research techniques, from planning to implementation, plus expert panels, 1-2-1 meetings, and keynote presentations from industry leaders at Reckitt, HP, Coca-Cola, Unilever, IBM, Dell, Castlery, and more.
Don’t miss this chance to gain actionable insights and connect with top innovators! Check ticket availability here.
