by Navigating Technological Advancements and Category Blurring: Challenges and Opportunities in the Wellness Spectrum
Interview with MRMW EU Speaker- Gaspar Bronstein, Director of Research & Insights, Foodspring
MRMW: We are happy to have you with us, Gaspar. Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk at MRMW EU and what would you like delegates to remember?
Gaspar: I will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities arising from the mass adoption of technological and scientific advancements, as the boundaries of traditional product categories blur or disappear and new dynamics of growth, competition, and innovation emerge. My focus will be on the wellness spectrum (fitness, beauty, health, nutrition), where I have the most experience, but the core ideas are relevant to any business experiencing significant disruption.
Director of Research & Insights
FOODSPRING
Take face care, for instance: consumer regimens increasingly encompass not just traditional creams or serums, but also products and services connected to nutrition, quality of sleep, stress management, hormonal wellness, genetic predispositions, and environmental stressors, as all of these are seen as playing a critical role in skin health. The intuitive integration of these dimensions is, of course, the holy grail, but achieving that represents a huge challenge for businesses traditionally anchored in making physical products.
In this changing landscape, leadership teams wrestle with questions about where and how to play, which may involve significant changes at the core of the business, often leading to identity crisis moments (“Are we still an X type of company?” “Consumers see us as Y; how can we credibly stretch into these spaces?” “Our competitive strength lies in A; how do we retain that if we become B?”). At the MRMW conference, I will also discuss how insights departments play a pivotal role in this transition, shaping a common vision of success, managing the risks and challenges, and keeping the business grounded in what matters to consumers to avoid losing direction along the way.
MRMW: How has this impacted your own work and your organisation?
Gaspar: First and foremost, it has driven a mindset shift in how we conduct research, putting us in a constant search for better tools that integrate the various facets of consumers’ lives in simple ways. It’s about guiding our businesses through new terrain and avoiding the adoption of technology for its own sake, instead directing it toward what truly matters to consumers. Additionally, it has empowered us to become internal champions for bolder innovation, encouraging more daring and ambitious definitions of our business boundaries while protecting brand cohesiveness.
MRMW: MRMW EU focuses on new tools, methods and technologies. What do you hope to crowdsource more info on in your conversations?
Gaspar: I’m always interested in hearing from fellow colleagues who lead insight departments about the successful adoption of AI to drive transformative actions in their businesses. Additionally, I’m keen on crowdsourcing solutions for consolidating explicit consumer feedback (such as ratings, reviews, and social media posts) and implicit signs of online behaviour into simple KPIs that can be tracked over time to improve business performance.
MRMW: How do you envision the future of market research and insights, and who is driving industry growth?
Gaspar: It’s clear that AI is enabling us to break new ground in our understanding of people by helping us make sense of the increasing amounts of data that we can now collect. Insights departments face the challenge of filtering the best from the many new research methods and continuously adopting the tools that will elevate our capabilities. However, beyond the meaningful adoption of technology, in markets saturated with innovation and overstimulated consumers, it’s creativity and empathy that allow us to create breakthrough innovations and connect with people’s hearts. In the end, technology is just a means for us, insights people, to continue getting better at humanizing businesses.
MRMW: Outside of work, what should delegates talk to you about at MRMW Europe?
Gaspar: I’m always curious about the challenges and solutions that people in other industries face when trying to understand their consumers. That’s why I love chatting with colleagues at industry events and exchanging experiences. Outside of work, I’m passionate about fitness, especially kayaking and callisthenics, as well as sustainability and sociolinguistics, so I’d be delighted to connect on those topics too!
MRMW: Thank you so much, Gaspar! We look forward to hearing more from you at MRMW EU 2024!
Every year MRMW brings together forward-thinking clients, innovative agencies and technology disruptors to discuss the latest trends and innovations driving the industry forward. Now more than ever, creative thinking and out-of-the-box solutions are needed. MRMW provides the answers, connections and know-how to help you excel!
Hear more from Gaspar, as well as international experts representing Burger King, Nestle, Philips, Givaudan, Warner Bros Discovery, Swarovski, Ikea, Reckitt and many more at MRMW Europe 2024. Book your ticket at https://eu.mrmw.net/.
