The Consumer is Always First and Always the Boss

This post is part of P&G’s Consumer Insights, Innovation, and the People Making it Happen World Tour blog series. Click the links below to read other stories in this series:

• Australia & Southeast Asia: Listening to Women Inspired Pantene’s Next Haircare Miracle
• P&G Latin America: How Consumer Insights Shape Everyday Essentials
• Powering Smiles: How Insights are Fueling Oral-B Innovation
• Curiosity at Work: How P&G’s A&I Masters Drive Consumer-Centric Innovation
• Pampers Brazil: Solving Diaper Dilemmas from Insights to Value-Driven Innovation
• P&G’s Consumer Insights, Innovation, and the People Making it Happen World Tour

For generations, the idea that "The Consumer is Boss" has guided us, ensuring that everything starts and ends with you – from identifying a need in your life and developing an innovative solution to address it, to gathering your feedback after you’ve used it so we can continuously improve our offerings for you. This principle has helped us serve over 5 billion people who rely on our brands daily to care for their families, homes, and wellbeing.

A rapidly changing world calls for a recommitment to this foundational belief, ensuring a deeper connection with consumers in all stages of our work and in the hundreds of decisions we make along the way.

Why Consumer-First is an Imperative

Faced with economic pressures and more demanding lifestyles, people expect more from the brands they choose, often sifting through a sea of options across multiple media and retail channels. This is why the consumer remains our north star and why your needs are the foundation of every decision we make. By deeply understanding your evolving needs and integrating them into every stage of the process – from initial concept and precise formulation to thoughtful packaging, compelling messaging and impactful in-store displays – we create solutions that deliver superior performance and value that's truly worth it. This means brands people seek out to buy, that genuinely delight and that they’ll confidently choose again and again

How We Do It: Creating Consumer-First Connections

Our innovation journey deeply integrates consumer learning right from the very start, to deliver and design truly irresistible experiences. Our approach to gathering consumer insights defines our "Consumer-First" strategy.

Over a century ago, P&G pioneered market research, going door-to-door to understand how people used brands like Ivory soap. Today, we've captured that same spirit of curiosity, leveraging these insights to inform what needs we can help solve and how to make our innovations better. We achieve this on a larger scale than anyone else, making millions of direct consumer connections annually.

We take a broader lens to our work, extending beyond traditional surveys and focus groups. P&G employees immerse themselves in consumers’ lives – stepping into thousands of homes for conversations, observing how people do laundry or wash dishes, and even visiting stores and shopping alongside them to uncover unspoken frustrations and "jobs to be done." Human connection is complemented by advanced tools like our Connected Home platform, where participating households opt-in to share behavioral insights via smart sensors, offering a deeper understanding of daily routines.

Our ability to drive consumer insight at scale is further strengthened by AI-enabled tools, accelerating insight generation and enhancing our capability to analyze large sets of data with precision, ensuring that consumer understanding is continuously woven into our decision-making throughout the entire product lifecycle. When we get it right, a powerful insight sparks a compelling brand idea that comes to life in everything—from product and packaging to communication and retail—for value you appreciate.

Leading by Listening: Consumer-First Support from the Top Down

Everyone at P&G is committed to this Consumer-First approach, including our most senior leaders.

On his first day as CEO, Shailesh Jejurikar started his day visiting with Christina, a busy professional and mom of two teens, in her home to understand her family’s daily routines, the household, health and grooming products they use, and what influences their brand choices. From Christina, we gained valuable insights into how she perceives performance, value and safety. She meticulously reads labels, seeks out trusted ingredients and is willing to shop around to find the best deal, but one thing she’s not willing to compromise on is efficacy. Products must clean exceptionally well, contribute to her family’s wellbeing and keep her home smelling fresh – even with a dog. This proven performance is what makes a brand truly worth it to her.

This direct engagement underscores a core belief: deep consumer understanding is more than a good practice, it's critical for meeting people's needs, solving their problems, and achieving sustainable business growth. As Shailesh shares, “Nothing matters more than putting the consumer first in everything we do. ‘Consumer is Boss’ is a belief that has shaped P&G for generations. Our opportunity now is to apply this belief with greater consistency and precision – end to end.”

The Payoff: Real-World Impact from Deep Consumer Connection

This "Consumer-First" approach fueled by consumer connections works – it drives business growth and delivers superior value for consumers around the world. Here are two examples:

1. Little Luxuries for Little Ones – In Greater China, we learned that parents wanted nothing less than the absolute best for their babies, prioritizing unparalleled softness, comfort, and dryness. Recognizing the deep cultural reverence for silk as a symbol of luxury, these insights led to the creation of Pampers Prestige. By integrating actual silk materials into the diaper, we delivered an ultimate experience of skin comfort and protection, communicated through superior packaging. This innovation fueled double-digit organic sales growth for Greater China Baby Care and increased market share by nearly 3 points.*

2. Capturing the Scent of Clean – Conversations with consumers in Mexico revealed the "gold standard" for a clean scent wasn't just fresh, but rich, fruity, and floral – reminiscent of premium shampoo. This desire for a vibrant, long-lasting fragrance directly inspired Downy Intense. Leveraging our rich fragrance expertise, we created a high-intensity fabric softener formula that delivered a "24/7 freshly washed hair" experience, amplified through sharp communication and retail execution. This innovation disrupted a sleepy category, driving double-digit organic sales growth and over 4 points of value share growth.*

This also extends beyond new innovations; we constantly evaluate and upgrade our existing brand offerings. Why? Because we recognize that what worked yesterday can be made even better for tomorrow, especially as people’s lifestyles and needs change.

Take Tide, America’s #1 trusted laundry brand, for instance. We listened to people talk about their toughest stains and the challenge of caring for so many different clothes and fabrics – from football jerseys and athleisure wear to thrifted jeans. We created and tested a more advanced formula, going up against the 22 different stains you said were the hardest to remove. This was done across a wide range of fabrics, washing machines and wash conditions to ensure it would meet your family’s needs. The result? We boosted Tide’s original liquid detergent with more cleaning power– helping people get their laundry 4X cleaner and 2X fresher.

Want to see more examples of how our deep consumer insights fuel innovation? Explore our other blog posts here.

Women want hair that is healthy and full of life, and they go to great lengths to achieve this. Between coloring, chemical straightening, rebonding, blow-drying and heat styling, damage is inevitable — leaving hair dry, dull, and difficult to manage.

In places like Australia and across Southeast Asia, Pantene saw this struggle play out daily. When the brand first launched 3 Minute Miracle, it quickly became a favorite for damage repair. But through listening to women online and in-person, one thing became clear: they wanted something even more effective. Many believed that to truly repair damage, you had to go to a salon — or buy professional-grade products to use at home. They loved Pantene’s instant results but didn’t believe that a mass brand could deliver deep, lasting repair.

They wanted to see the science behind the product and the proof in front of their eyes.

What We Learned

From thousands of comments, social conversations and interviews, two insights stood out:

• Hair transformation is not just functional, it’s emotional. In Australia, nearly eight in ten women describe themselves as “transformation seekers.” They want to see — and feel — real change every time they wash their hair.
• Familiar ingredients build confidence. Salon-inspired ingredients aren’t just buzzwords — they’re signals of salon-level quality and damage repair.

Armed with these insights, Pantene set out to turn a beloved conditioner into something bigger: a complete damage-repair system designed for women who seek transformation and demand results.

The Science Behind the Transformation

Pantene’s scientists set out to close that salon trust gap — bringing the same salon-grade ingredients consumers already believed in, powered by P&G’s own superior science.

By combining salon-inspired ingredients like collagen, keratin and biotin with Pantene’s patented Pro-V formula, the team developed a system that visibly restores smoothness and strength to damaged hair.

In the lab, researchers simulated months of real-life damage — coloring, brushing, and blow-drying — and treated it with Pantene 3 Minute Miracle.

The result transforms your strands to give you healthy, hydrated hair.

Meet the New Pantene Miracles

You can now style and color to your heart’s desire with:

• Miracle Conditioner – The fast-acting hero that transforms damaged strands in just three minutes with Biotin, Keratin and Collagen.
• Cleansing Shampoo – Silicone-free shampoo that removes buildup and preps hair for repair.
• Targeted Treatments – For extra-stressed or colored hair that needs a little more love.

It’s easier than ever to find your perfect match. Refreshed packaging and in-store displays make shopping simple, with clear ingredient callouts that help you choose what your hair needs most — strength, shine, or repair.

Real Women. Real Results.

Women are so delighted with their results that they’re sharing their own before-and-after stories — from dull and brittle to soft, smooth and strong again.

On TikTok and Instagram, beauty creators and fans alike are showing that the Pantene Miracles Lineup isn’t just a quick fix — it’s a daily ritual that truly repairs.

Why It Matters

Hair damage doesn’t just change how it looks — it changes how you feel. That’s why Pantene’s mission goes beyond shine and softness. It’s about confidence, care, and creating products that make every woman feel her best, every day.

These insights didn’t just inspire a new product — they made a real difference in how women see and shop for Pantene. After launch, more women began to associate Pantene with true damage repair, in-store sales grew by more than 10% to put Pantene among the top haircare brands across Australia and Southeast Asia. Because real repair isn’t a miracle — it’s science that listens.

And at P&G, that’s where every innovation begins: by listening. Listening to women, to their routines, their frustrations, and their dreams for their hair — and turning those insights into solutions that truly make a difference.

We create brands that improve people’s lives, and we know that even small improvements can make a big difference in your daily routine whether you’re cleaning your clothes with Tide, washing your hair with Head & Shoulders, or brushing your teeth with Oral-B. Our ability to do this well translates into bringing you products you trust, at a value you tell us is worth it, and contributes to business growth.

How Do We Actually Do This?

We believe the best brand building is consumer centric. That means ensuring any new brand, or change to the brands you already love, is inspired and tested by people who will use them every day in their homes and with their families. This real-world understanding allows us to develop brands and consumer communications that resonate, perform, and ultimately, succeed in the market.

To achieve this, we spend countless hours understanding people like you, often through in-home visits. we don’t just ask what you want; we observe how you go about your daily tasks. We might watch how you do your laundry — from collecting dirty clothes to washing, folding and putting them away. We look for those small frustrations, the clever workarounds you’re already using but that come with compromises, or the extra steps you take that we might be able to simplify. Ursula Kehr, Analytics and Insights Senior Manager for Downy Latin America, notes, these visits help us "understand how they use their products, to see what they love and also to see what frustrates them, which I think is vital for future innovations."

Other times it means discovering entirely new aspects of brand use, like when Isabela Yoshinaga, Human Insights Manager in Brazil, visited a consumer who used Vicks VapoRub in ways she had never imagined. Isabela learned about unique ways he stored and used the product, realizing it was "really valuable information that I would have never thought about myself." This type of observation helps P&G uncover unexpected consumer behaviors, opening doors for new benefits to highlight in communication, or even inspiring future innovations.

Connecting with People in Latin America

Latin America is a diverse region made up of 660 million people across 45 countries, so understanding the unique daily lives of people in the area is crucial.

Recently in Latin America, we made a commitment to get even more in touch with local consumers. Most Latin America brand builders got out of the office to spend time listening to and observing people in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Panama.

For many employees, this was something they’d done untold times throughout their career. But for some, like Lessly Rocha, a Data Analyst for Fabric and Home Care, it was their first time stepping into a consumer’s home to learn how we can make a difference. Lessly said it was "eye-opening to see the way consumers experience our products within their own household."

What We Learned

One of the most compelling insights we heard was how people define value in their daily lives. One woman, navigating a tough stretch, shared why she sticks with P&G brands: “I can’t afford for things not to work,” she told us. For her, performance wasn’t a luxury — it was essential. This underscores the business imperative of delivering consistent, high-quality brands that build trust and loyalty, especially in challenging economic environments.

She explained how our superior-performing brands help her avoid added stress and setbacks. A detergent that cleans thoroughly helps preserve her family’s clothes. Shampoo that works means her son is dandruff-free and feels confident at school. Toothpaste helps her avoid cavities and maintain oral hygiene. A smooth shave helps her husband avoid nicks and cuts, allowing him to face the day with one less thing to worry about.

Overall, employees came back inspired and full of stories like these and ideas on how we can use them to make your life better in small but meaningful ways.

What’s Next?

We’ll continue putting you, the consumer, at the center of everything we do. This means giving our teams plenty of opportunities to connect and observe, listen and learn from your experiences, and make sure these insights are reflected in our brand innovation. It also means ensuring our advertising and communication effectively convey the value and benefits of our products. We are committed to providing the reliable performance you can count on and finding ways to create delightful consumer experiences that enhance our offerings.

As Alejandro Luna, Brand Manager at P&G Mexico, emphasizes, "one of the most important things that anybody can do is to make sure to build the successful campaigns around consumer insights and to always make sure to put the consumer at the center of it."

That way, we can keep delivering brands that meet your everyday needs, which in turn delivers business growth.

What makes a "perfect clean" varies from person to person. To better understand these nuances, especially in Europe where power toothbrushes aren't as common, our team spoke with Europeans to find out what was holding them back and how we could make it more appealing. Here's what we learned:

• In the United Kingdom: People believed it’s plaque build-up that stands in the way of getting to the perfect clean. We showed them how Oral B iO removes 100% more plaque for a perfect smile.
• In Italy & Spain: The biggest concern is how to prevent tartar. The message that resonated best? Oral-B iO cleans 5x more to keep tartar away.
• In Germany & France: Protecting gums, preventing bleeding and a deep clean are important. We shared how Oral-B iO's Smart Pressure Sensor guides you to brush gently and the round brush delivers a better clean to stop dental issues before they start.

Because we took the time to really listen and understand what you need, the response has been incredible. We’ve helped more people switch to power toothbrushes. Nine out of ten people who've tried Oral-B iO tell us they love the clean, the simplicity and the gentle experience. This is creating more value for the people who use our products and creating business growth. That's what happens when we put you at the heart of everything we do. By focusing on your unique needs, we're not just improving oral care; we're transforming lives, one smile at a time.

What is the key to transforming everyday challenges — like dealing with messes during family meals, managing your hair health in changing weather conditions or removing stubborn stains from your favorite shirt? It starts with a true understanding of your needs so we can address your challenges with extraordinary solutions through our brands.

P&G makes this possible through mastery in consumer research and analytics, where every insight has the power to make life better in small but meaningful ways and can even redefine what’s possible!

Each year, several Analytics & Insights leaders receive the prestigious designation of A&I Master. These talented individuals don't just analyze data. They're deeply curious about our consumer needs and challenges. Their passion for learning and understanding helps us create the products you love today and invent the solutions you'll need tomorrow.

This year, five A&I leaders from around the world received the designation of A&I Master. Read on to learn more about these talented individuals, the coolest projects they are working on and why they love being an Analytics & Insights Master at P&G.

Anna Rothring, Senior Manager, A&I Accelerator
Human Insights & Behavioral Sciences

“Human stories are powerful change agents. I feel so fortunate to be the recipient of our consumers’ stories, to learn from them, understand their problems and work toward solutions that improve their lives.”

Anna is proud to partner across P&G’s North America operations to strengthen their consumer-first culture. By spending more time with people like you in their homes, she is grounding business leaders in the power of uncovering insights and helping our brands make authentic consumer connections through innovation.

Boyan Alexandrov, Director, A&I Accelerator Commercial Analytics
Europe Market Operations

“Deep understanding of how consumers engage in store and online has an immense impact on business decisions and is key for building successful and sustainable brands.”

One of Boyan’s favorite projects is developing Advanced Analytics capabilities to improve your shopping experience. His work is helping people find their favorite products faster, while identifying growth opportunities for our brands and retailers based on assortment, distribution and shelving.

Enrique Hernandez, Director, Analytics & Insights
Oral Care, Latin America

“Insights are not just about data and consumer stories; they are the backbone of brand-building strategies.”

Enrique loved helping bring Downy Concentrado Perfume Suave to market in Latin America. Is there anything better than a gentle fragrance and the lasting feeling of freshly washed clothes? By understanding the needs of consumers, like you, Enrique guided every aspect of the innovation — from product to packaging to communication and in-store displays.

Lina DeFaria McElwee, Principal Director, A&I Master
North America Hair Care

“There are no limits when you are curious, understand the context of your challenge and connect the dots to find solutions for consumers.”

With an engineering background, Lina has always been curious about how people use our products, which sparked her passion for consumer understanding and led her to earn a Master's in Business, Marketing and Data Science. Through her research, she discovered people feel happier on days they wash their hair, and she has a question for you — especially if you’re extending the time between washes: do you #DoubleShampoo? Let Pantene explain.

Phillip Nicholas, Director, Advanced Analytics
Family Care, North America

“Data has a story to tell. Letting the data guide the analysis can often yield the most unique consumer insights.”

In March 2020, consumer demand for bathroom tissue skyrocketed, creating unprecedented supply chain challenges across the industry. Phillip redesigned the sales forecast models, allowing us to not only adapt and respond to heightened demand, but to better anticipate increased needs in the future. His work included building a new analytic foundation, analyzing geographic data and a good deal of trial and error. In the end, he created an adaptable model to ensure our products remain available where and when you need them most.

Congratulations to the 2025 Analytics & Insights Masters! Their impactful work continues to drive innovation and strengthen the connections between our brands and the people we serve.

Parents want the best for their babies. From the moment they’re born, they make hundreds of daily choices to keep their children happy, healthy, and comfortable. Diapers are a big part of that journey.

Babies go through many diapers, day and night, before they’re potty trained, so there is a lot of pressure to choose the perfect diaper.

Superior Protection, Unbeatable Value, Peace of Mind

Pampers believes you deserve a diaper that delivers exceptional value through superior quality.

Recently, our Consumer Analytics and Insights team listened closely to moms in Brazil and heard loud and clear that absorption, fit and comfort are paramount, not only for the nighttime to promote longer sleep, but also for the day when babies are most active. We took that feedback and went to work, innovating to design diapers you can rely on to make life easier day and night, featuring:

• Blow Out Barrier: Protects against back leaks and is a perfect fit for all the squiggling, wiggling, crawling and exploring.
• Soft, Breathable Coverage and Maximum Absorption: Utmost care for baby’s skin to keep it dry and protected.
• Anti-Leak Barrier Leg Cuffs: Gentle fit around baby’s legs.
• Superior Absorbency to Help Prevent Diaper Sag: Especially important in warmer climates where babies may only wear a diaper.

By choosing Pampers, you can be confident knowing your diaper will deliver superior protection so precious moments aren’t disrupted — whether that’s play time, sleep time or family time. Through improved product innovations, delightful packaging and effective communications, Pampers is truly worth it for your family day and night. This approach has also fueled 3% category growth year-on-year in Brazil.

A Better Shopping Experience

Pampers understands that every family defines value differently, and no matter where you shop, we're dedicated to making it easy to find the perfect diaper for you and your baby’s needs.

We've listened to moms in Brazil to understand their unique needs and value perceptions, region by region, in-store and online. This allows us to customize our communications, highlighting what matters most.

Whether you prioritize convenience, stocking up, or finding the best fit, we've enhanced the retail experience. With clear displays, assortment and packaging that communicate key product benefits, we're making it easy to quickly identify the right Pampers product.

Pampers Brazil also recently introduced a new XXXG size so parents can continue to rely on a quality diaper as little ones grow and approach potty training.

Congratulations to the Pampers Brazil team for their commitment to offering a superior experience for families that delivers performance, quality, and value while driving growth for both retailers and the brand.

This blog series kicks off a 2025 World Tour of P&G Analytics & Insights — the Insights, Innovation, and the People Making it Happen.

Did you know that P&G reaches about 5 billion people worldwide every year? Whether it’s laundry day, bath time or tackling everyday cleaning tasks, our goal is to make sure every person feels delighted using our brands. With trusted names like Pantene, Dawn, Olay, Gain and Gillette, P&G is present in 180 countries around the world, offering brands that deliver superior performance, quality and value.

We’re shining a light on our talented teams around the world and their achievements. In 2024, these teams connected with consumers in over 2 million research engagements. By listening closely to their needs, we turned insights into meaningful actions that inform our strategies and drive brand innovation. We’re all about making lives better in small but meaningful ways.

Insatiable Curiosity from a Powerhouse Team

So, how do we ensure our brands meet everyday needs?

It starts with an insatiable curiosity from a powerhouse Analytics and Insights team living and working in markets around the world. Each year, we celebrate their outstanding efforts during the Global Analytics & Insights Brand Excellence Awards. Collectively, their work leads to strong business results and helps us create superior consumer experiences. Our focus areas include:

• First use and every use “WOW” Experience: We design products that offer an incredible consumer experience — think the cleanest clothes, the closest shave, sparkling healthy teeth and beautifully conditioned hair.
• Delightful Packaging: Our packaging is crafted to be visually appealing with superior quality, making it easy to find and choose the right product in-store and online. It also provides easy functionality.
• Effective Communication: We provide useful and engaging information to show how our brands offer solutions to your daily problems.
• Elevated Retail Experience: We ensure our products are available, appealing and at a good value.
• Right Value: Our commitment to innovation means we constantly strive to provide superior brands that solve everyday problems and are “worth it” for the price paid.

Europe Fabric Care: Enabling a Superior Retail Experience

Two teams in the UK and France were on a mission to make shopping experiences better by discovering new ways to showcase laundry products on store shelves. By using real-time data and analytics, the UK team learned how displays were performing based on shopping behavior, and rearranged shelves for easy navigation and enjoyment, evidenced by the successful launch of a new Lenor laundry pack. In France, the team analyzed successful promotions to create new standards that best resonated with shoppers at retail, growing sales to benefit retail partners and brands.

Canada Fabric Care: Effective Media Reach, Efficiently Delivered

We constantly innovate through advertising and media to share the right messages about our products that meet individuals’ needs. Focusing on those needs, the team designed in-market experiments that ensured their ads showed up where people spent their time, with high-quality, engaging content in the right context. They created meaningful value by delivering the right message, at the right time, using the right media.

Latin America Media: From Cost to Growth Driver

Reaching people gets harder and harder! Individuals in Latin America experience media from a range of outlets including telenovelas on traditional TV to social media and messaging platforms. In Latin America, we’re creating a media planning ecosystem that ensures we’re present on the platforms where consumers are eager to learn about our brands, making media a key and measurable driver of growth.

North America Customer Planning Analytics: Meeting Local Consumer Shopping Needs

Working with the most granular level of data leads to breakthrough findings that help us better serve consumers. Our North American team used proprietary Neighborhood Analytics to identify consumer trends based on similar demographics and purchase behavior. Then, looking at the highest productivity items overlaid with category insights, we were able to better address local shopper preferences — a win for consumers, retail partners and increased sales for P&G brands.

Home Care: Chief Analytics & Insights Officer Award

The highest honor went to the Global Home Care Analytics & Insights team for their consumer centricity. The work they do every day is enabled by the power of curiosity — understanding consumer habits and leveraging leading-edge capabilities to get deeper insights that raise the bar on superiority across product, package, brand communication, retail, and value. Brand and market growth followed. Hats off for the outstanding work.

We thank our Analytics & Insights professionals around the world whose passion and dedication truly shine. At P&G, people are at the heart of all we do. Our Analytics & Insights teams combine consumer insights with data and technology to deliver meaningful impact behind our integrated growth strategy.

With over a century of experience, we’re committed to understanding our consumers’ lives and how we can support them. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our P&G Analytics & Insights Teams throughout the year!