Branded Faith

Emerging Markets are undergoing dramatic change at breath-taking speeds, impacting their societies, culture and the way they consume. In this podcast Tassos Stassopoulos discusses how brands with cultural or religious underpinning can connect with EM consumers through their values, leaving multinationals behind. We consider the impact that change has on people in Emerging Markets, and how fast change leads consumers to turn to simpler more natural products aligned with their values, albeit in a continually-changing world.

Emerging markets are not simply following the same path to development that has already been trodden by the emerging markets. Some multinationals have failed to grasp that consumers desire products and brands that reflect their values, a big distinction from the scientifically engineered products that make your clothes whiter, your dishes sparklier, and your shave closer. Local culture, simplicity, integrity and authenticity resonate, and niche brands that can emotionally connect with consumers often do this more effectively.

By understanding this cultural context, we believe that it is possible to see further and more accurately into the future than conventional, extrapolative analysis. Data that most investors look at can explain what is happening. But our Immersions research, taking time to understand and empathise with consumers in their own homes, takes us closer to understanding why things happen. Understanding consumers’ values, and what matters to them, in turn shows us a path to solving their problems, and to the future.