Across Asia–Pacific, repair and reuse have always been part of how people live with products. Long before sustainability entered boardrooms or brand narratives, households across the region were repairing, reusing, maintaining and passing on — shaped by deep relationships with material, labour and value. In Japan, the cultural idea of mottainai reflects a moral discomfort with waste and an expectation of stewardship towards objects. In India, clothes are passed down, furnitu

In user research, we often assume that improving every feature automatically leads to happier customers. But reality is trickier—not all features are created equal in the eyes of consumers. Some create delight, others are just expected, and some don’t matter at all. To better understand this, let’s learn about the Kano Model which is one of the best tools for making sense of this complexity by explaining how different product or service features influence customer satisfacti

A Toast to the Living Legends of Marketing! In this series, I discuss the work of some of the key marketing thinkers in the context of my own experience of working with love-mark and emergent brands. In the first write-up, I share my ‘S.C.H.O.O.L’ of thought taking on fundamental insights from Kotler & Sharp and find harmony and progression vs. conflicting ideologies (perhaps because I’ve been using both for years now)!! The Birth of Modern Marketing For decades, Philip Kot

Given that boomers, Gen X are the global terms, most of the literature on generational shifts is western. We tried to piece together a view across generations – via our work across cohorts – for the Indian consumers. There have been dramatic shifts socio-culturally, in our economy and infra in these last decades. Many boomers have successfully adapted to the new world with their kids; sampling consumerism, living it up via travel, Insta and enjoying new experiences. Gen X is

India, with a population of around 1.46 billion in 2025, is a vibrant mosaic of people—diverse in language, culture, religion, and lifestyle. From cricket lovers and cinema buffs to those deeply rooted in cultural traditions, Indians are united by a unique duality. Through our work at ELEVATE Insights, certain universal truths about India consistently emerge, cutting across categories and target audiences. Here are few enduring insights, blending our personal experiences wit

Yes, I may not choose a zero-sugar ice cream versus my favourite indulgent brand even when wanting to lose weight. Behavioural science explained all human behavior to be “irrational” given to biases like loss aversion (the tendency to prefer avoiding losses over acquiring equivalent gains or the anchoring effect (how initial information can disproportionately influence subsequent judgments) and other many biases which deviate consumer choices from rational expectations. For

The summer of 2024 was exceptionally hot, with most of India reeling under an intense heatwave. There has been a different kind of pressure building up for the soft drink giants famous for the Cola Wars. A third formidable competitor is rising to make India love its own ‘Apna thanda’! There was a lot of debate and noise on news of Reliance’s foray into the soft drink category. How has Campa Cola performed in its first two summers? Should Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola be worrie

Quick commerce has failed to scale up in many markets. What provides it a unique product-market-fitment in India? Read Elevate Insight's perspective as published in CBC storyboard Must start by admitting that I was a sceptic when Zepto launched its under 10min delivery service! After all who has grocery emergency on a regular basis? I was quite happy with Big Basket with its wide assortment, good quality and next day delivery. In early 2023, at Elevate Insights, we ran a su

Mamaearth is in the news again!! This time for their 2nd brand DermaCo reaching a record 500 crore annual revenue. What’s their secret to success? Their story is worth telling from a brand building and consumer insights perspective beyond all the great financial metrics which follow once you win consumer trust!! Here is Elevate Insights view on Mamaearth’s secrets to success. 1. Sharply anchored on key drivers: Mamaearth's journey began with a clear vision and a strong focus

Founded in 1971 in the city of Seattle, USA, the brand has changed the way the world drinks coffee. Starbucks created the coffee shop as the third place between home and work where people can relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, and experience the inviting ambience. They make the expense of the drink worth it to their customers by focusing on making ‘Starbucks the third place’ and providing a place for their customers to be and interact. The Strategy: Origins: Starbucks recognised t

This March 8th it’s important to remember that we need more than a celebratory day to bring ‘real change’ for women around us! We had over a hundred extensive conversations with Urban women (NCCS A,B) in 2024 as part of our work as human behavior experts and insight miners supporting marketers. Here are our 5 key observations: 1. ‘Glow and lovely’ still rules In most of our conversations with women, physical appearance remained key to her identity. However, the modern wo

The Challenge: The pandemic severely impacted the travel and hospitality industry, and Airbnb was no exception. It had to adapt and innovate after seeing a 72% drop in income from the year in 2020. When the pandemic struck, consumer behaviour underwent a radical change. Travel bans and health anxieties caused a sharp increase in cancelled reservations. The Strategy: 1.EVALUATE: “We did multiple surveys to understand what travellers want.” Amanpreet Bajaj, Director at Airbnb C

Netflix marketed its movie Kho Gaye Hum Kahan or KGHK as the GenZ version of classics like ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ and ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Doobara’. IMHO, the movie was sad even as there is a sudden - almost unreal- transformation in the lives of its lead characters, and the movie ends on an upbeat note. After all, there is only that much realism one can take and typically Indian audiences need happy endings!! One would argue that the struggles of career, relationships and identity

In a world consumed by unrealistic beauty standards, Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign stands as a testament to the transformative power of consumer insights and market research. The campaign, rooted in Dove's " The Real Truth about Real Beauty " research, aimed to challenge conventional notions of beauty and promote inclusivity in the beauty industry. The Challenge: Working with professionals from the London School of Economics and Harvard University, Dove set out to discover wh

De Beers' marketing strategies in the early 20th century are a masterclass in shaping consumer behaviour and perceptions. Their "A Diamond is Forever" campaign was groundbreaking in several ways, that continue to influence the diamond industry and consumer mindset today. The Challenge: De Beers needed to revolutionize social perceptions ingrained over generations, that diamonds were exclusively for the wealthy. Amidst economic hardship and declining diamond sales post-Worl

A 4 phase process to forming habits and improving user engagement Introduction In the era of ever-evolving technology, creating products and services that not only attract users but keep them coming back is an art. Nir Eyal's Hook Model provides a strategic framework to understand and implement the psychology behind habit-forming experiences. This model, comprised of Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment, serves as a roadmap for designers and businesses aiming to

Understand the different types of cognitive biases and how they help you decode consumer behaviour and shape your marketing strategy.

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to optimize their marketing strategies and improve user experiences. A/B testing, also known as split testing, has emerged as a powerful technique to achieve these goals. Winning on KPIs that matter via A/B Testing Almost all startups and data driven organizations are using A/B testing for improving some aspect of their business. Netflix had published how it had seen significant improvements in user satisfac

Leading Edutech player needed help to identify unmet consumer needs of & assess product market fit.

Marketers today are happy with attention grabbing advertising. Could we be greedy and ask for more?

Is 10 min delivery really a consumer need? Elevate Insights' consumer understands their core expectations.

Elevate Insights charted the 3 year innovation roadmap for the RTD beverages portfolio at Tata Consumer Products.

Is your brand persona and marketing communication in line with the emergent codes?

Is investing in a consumer experience team same as building a consumer-centric culture? What is consumer empathy?

Elevate Insights defined the positioning for a higher education start-up looking to differentiate in a crowded category.

Health is a big consumer need. But what does healthier mean for the Indian consumer?

Worried about staying top-of-mind and driving conversion and repeats? Here are steps to improve retention.

As human and culture experts we decode some insights into the aspirations of Indians today, as well new learnings for businesses.

Are D2C brands preferred over legacy brands? What are the drivers of consumer trust, quality and value for money?

Elevate Insights guided a start-up looking to break through in the skin care and nutraceuticals category.

An existing health-tech start up was getting good response from its current customers but low conversion among new users.

Marketers go to great lengths to make attention grabbing ads but can it build brand love?

Are brands limited to manufacturer led category definitions? Brands must connect at a deeper level & transcend categories.