Decode discovery, rethink loyalty, simplify omnichannel, and humanize AI, says Astha Sirpaul, Head of Strategy, TBWA. In an interview with Communicate, she explains how brands must translate insights, design for convenience, and move in step with real routines. Excerpts:
You have vast expertise connecting data, people, and culture to tell powerful brand stories. How do you turn complex consumer insights into narratives that genuinely resonate with CPG audiences in the GCC?
I usually start by reminding ourselves that data doesn’t move people, meaning does. Like their global counterparts, consumers in the GCC are incredibly savvy. They’re exposed to global brands, global benchmarks, and global storytelling. So a dashboard approach alone won’t cut it.
My approach is to translate insights into human tensions, not statistics or facts. For example, instead of saying “consideration journeys are fragmented,” it would be better to frame it as: “people don’t lack information, they lack confidence at the moment of choice.”
It’s also good practice to pressure-test insights against real-life behaviour — what happens in-store, on Talabat at 11 pm, or during a quick supermarket run after work. If an insight doesn’t feel recognizable in those moments, it’s not ready yet. In the GCC, where there is such diversity, the best narratives have to feel observed, not explained.
With global brands operating in the GCC, how do you balance brand consistency with local cultural nuances when shaping campaigns?
I don’t see it as a balance; I view it more as “translation.”
Strong global brands don’t dilute when they localize; they clarify. The mistake many brands actually make in the GCC is when they add surface-level cues, language, faces, and festivals, without really adapting the emotional role the brand plays locally.
For instance, in the West, CPG brands lean into individual self-expression. In the GCC, that same idea often needs to be reframed around variables like family, care, or collective benefit, without losing the brand’s core personality.
The question I always like to ask is: what stays sacred globally, and what must flex locally to feel true? Once that’s clear, the work becomes much easier and on point.
GCC consumers discover brands across social, e-commerce, retail media, and influencers. How do you identify which touchpoints truly drive consideration and purchase?
To be honest, I feel this is where we have more in common with the rest of the world than something that is specifically GCC. Like in many other regions, brand discovery in the GCC is becoming more layered than linear.
Social might spark interest, but retail, whether physical or digital, often closes the loop. Influencers might introduce a product, but peer validation or visibility on a shelf seals the decision.
What we look for is behavioral momentum. Where does curiosity turn into confidence? Sometimes it’s a TikTok review. Sometimes it’s a price marker on a shelf. Sometimes it’s simply seeing the product everywhere, consistently.
The mistake is trying to make every channel do everything. The smarter play is assigning clear roles: spark, reassure, convert, repeat. Answering these four should help choose the touchpoints more effectively.
Consumer loyalty is more transactional today, and convenience often beats love. What drives brand switching in the GCC, and how should CPG brands adapt their strategies?
Brand switching is usually triggered by very practical moments: a product being out of stock on a delivery app, a private label sitting next to it at a clearer price, or a competitor making the choice feel simpler in that moment.
For example, a shopper may not “fall out of love” with a brand. But if another option arrives faster, costs less, or removes one extra step, they’ll switch without hesitation. With quick commerce and retail platforms compressing decision time, convenience is becoming the deciding factor, not brand history alone.
To adapt, CPG brands need to stop treating loyalty as something to be declared and start designing for repeat behavior. That means winning the everyday moments: consistent availability, predictable quality, and a clear value story, especially at the shelf or on-screen.
One thing to bear in mind would be that loyalty isn’t built by trying to be loved more. It’s built by being easier to choose, every single time.
With so many channels competing for attention, how can CPG brands use omnichannel and retail media effectively without overwhelming consumers?
By accepting that less persuasion, more guidance is the way forward.
Omnichannel shouldn’t mean being loud everywhere. It should feel like the same brand, calmly showing up in the right way in the right moment.
For example, a consumer might first notice a product on social, then encounter it again on a delivery app while restocking groceries, and finally see it on the shelf.
Each touchpoint shouldn’t be repeating the same message; it should be building desire and cueing usability. Social can help build familiarity, retail can reassure the value or suitability, and the shelf presence should ideally help close the decision.
Retail media works best when it’s useful rather than interruptive. Sometimes, highlighting simple things like “best for daily use,” “good value for families,” or “ready in 20 minutes” works better than pushing generic offers. Especially in high-choice retail environments across the GCC, the brands that win are the ones that make choosing feel easier, not louder.
The idea is not to overwhelm consumers, but rather to make them feel considered so that the brand becomes the obvious choice.
Data and AI are shaping consumer experiences, but human connection matters. How can brands leverage AI while keeping the human touch?
In CPG, the most meaningful role of AI is working quietly in the background so brands can respond more thoughtfully in the moments that actually matter to people.
Take customer care as an example. Consumers often reach out with very human questions — Is this safe for my child? Does this contain an ingredient I avoid? Which option is right for me? AI can instantly surface the right product information and usage guidance, but the response still needs to feel warm, clear, and reassuring. The technology will enable speed and accuracy; the ‘human touch’ will need to deliver empathy and judgment.
When AI takes care of the complexity, brands can focus on how they show up–tone, timing, and cultural sensitivity, instead of sounding automated or transactional. Consumers don’t feel like they’re interacting with a system; they feel like they’re being looked after.
That’s when AI adds real value: not by making brands louder or smarter, but by helping them stay human.
During Ramadan, how does consumer behavior shift, and how should brands adapt messaging and activations?
Ramadan in the GCC should not be treated like a seasonal marketing spike or an event. It’s a change in rhythm.
Daily routines slow down, evenings become more social, and people are more emotionally open and reflective.
Yes, consumption patterns shift, but what really changes is how people receive messages. They’re more family-focused, more conscious of generosity and care, and far less receptive to loud or self-congratulatory branding. The brands that resonate understand this and adapt their behavior, not just their visuals.
That often means doing less, not more. Clearer information. More useful offers. Thoughtful timing. Messaging that supports togetherness rather than competes for attention. Even silence, at the right moment, can feel respectful.
Ramadan rewards brands that know when to speak softly and when to step back, not the ones trying to outperform the moment, but the ones that move in step with it.
What trends should brands be paying attention to now to stay ahead?
A few clear shifts are emerging.
First, time has become the most valuable currency. People are increasingly drawn to brands that simplify decisions, reduce effort, and give time back, whether that’s through clearer choices, faster experiences, or fewer steps to get what they need.
Second, value is being redefined. It’s no longer about being cheap; it’s about feeling worth it. Consumers are willing to pay when quality, performance, and reliability justify the price. Especially in everyday categories where disappointment adds up quickly.
Third, there’s a growing appreciation for quiet confidence. The brands gaining traction are not the loudest or most performative. They’re the ones that show up consistently, deliver what they promise, and don’t feel the need to oversell themselves.
And finally, across the GCC, you can feel a broader shift taking place: maturity replacing novelty. Consumers aren’t chasing what’s new for the sake of it anymore. They’re choosing what fits better into real life. Now that’s a big shift.
How do you see the CPG market evolving in the GCC in 2026 and beyond?
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, I expect the market to shift away from gimmicks and toward systems thinking.
Brands will be evaluated less on how exciting they appear and more on how reliably they show up in people’s lives – across availability, experience, and consistency. Retail media will become more disciplined and purposeful, focused on guidance rather than noise. AI will fade into the background, powering smarter decisions without becoming the story itself.
Most importantly, consumers will increasingly reward brands that feel regionally fluent. Brands that understand how life actually works in the GCC, rather than simply replicating global playbooks.
The future belongs to brands that move with people: keeping pace with real routines, real pressures, and real expectations, not racing ahead of them, not lagging either.
(For more insightful interviews and articles, read the special The FMCG Crisis Playbook issue of Communicate in full here)
