Transforming Market Research in Big Companies with Stephan Gans, Pepsico

Q&A with Stephan Gans, SVP, Chief Consumer Insights and Analytics Office at Pepsico

On a recent episode of MRII’s Insights and Innovators podcast, Stephan Gans, Senior Vice President and Global Chief of Insights and Analytics at PepsiCo, shares his journey of transforming the insights function in one of the world’s largest companies, drawing on lessons from his career as a marketer, consultant, and now insights leader. Here are five key questions and answers, edited for brevity and clarity, that capture Stephan Gans’ perspective on transforming the insights function at PepsiCo.

What’s the single most important takeaway from your co-authored book The Consumer Insights Revolution?

“The single most important thing is that if you want to future-proof your business and have a positive impact, you must have total ownership and control of all the data that your tools generate. Without that, you’ll be too slow and won’t build a competitive advantage. At the same time, don’t try to do everything yourself. Partner deeply with technology firms to build focused, powerful solutions. That’s how we’ve approached it at PepsiCo.”

You didn’t come up through the ranks of insights. How has that benefited you in leading change?

“I’m a marketer by training, 15 years at Unilever, then 10 years in consultancy before joining PepsiCo. I’d always worked closely with insights but never directly in the role. That gave me two advantages: enough background to understand what insights could and should be, and a degree of naivety that kept me from getting stuck in the ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ mindset. If you want to drive real change, it helps to have a leader who isn’t bogged down by single ways of working.”

What did you find when you inherited the insights function in 2017, and how did you start the transformation?

“I found hundreds of incredibly smart people all over the world working hard, but frustrated with slow, expensive, outdated tools. And the industry’s big players weren’t moving fast enough to change. So, we formed a Global Insights Council of 15 leaders, set five clear priorities, and focused on delivering what I call ‘global might for the local fight’, scaling capabilities so local insights teams in Spain, Argentina, Russia or Canada could do their jobs better.”

What were the critical success factors in driving this transformation?

“First, develop tools that are not just faster and cheaper, but genuinely better, and do it in partnership with external companies for agility. Second, remember that giving someone a new tool doesn’t mean they’ll change their behavior. You need strong change management to help people see new roles for themselves. And third, approach it like a marathon, not a sprint. Transformation takes years of steady commitment to truly deliver impact.”

How do you see technology, especially AI, shaping the future of insights?

“Our seven-year journey to take control of PepsiCo’s data has set us up for what’s next: leveraging AI. But AI is only useful if you feed it with the right data. That’s where competitive advantage lies. AI can help us ensure the right human-centric insights are at the fingertips of decision-makers across the business. At the same time, we must guard against the risk of chasing every shiny AI solution and losing the authentic quality that consumer insights bring.”

Closing Thoughts

Throughout the conversation, Gans emphasizes that transforming insights in a big company is less about shiny new tools and more about leadership, patience, and vision. His advice? Own your data, partner smartly, lead change with humility, and keep running—even as the finish line keeps moving.

Listen to the full episode of MRII’s Insights & Innovators podcast with Stephan Gans here.