Companies/ Brands need to understand their customers better so that they can offer products and services that are in line with their needs and expectations. 

Namrata Kalliath, works as Ethnographer and Qualitative Researcher at Ipsos, a multi-country Market Research agency, where she conducts research studies for categories such as Alcoholic Beverages, Food (snack, beverages, food staples), E-commerce (Fashion, furniture, groceries, electronics, etc).

Namrata talks to  Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about being drawn towards psychology and taking up a career in exploratory research that is hinged in understanding individuals and their behaviour within a larger context. 

For students, finding a career is a process. It is okay to make incorrect choices- but ensure that you are constantly doing an internal check with yourself whether there is a match with your ability, personality and interests !

Namrata,  what were your initial years like?

Most of my formative years were spent in Hyderabad where I studied till class 10. My father worked in the field of Public Mental health , working for various NGO’s across the country within this field. I would describe him as an alternative thinker, as he pushed away from very typical societal ideologies at a very young age- and this showed in the kind of up-bringing my sister and I received. For one, we were always put in what can be viewed as alternative schools- such as, The Valley School in Bangalore. What was great about this kind of upbringing and schools was the options and the space given to ‘discovering’ who you are as an individual and your preferences through self-introspection and conversations. These values remained with me, helping me carve out my own path as an adult.

It was during my 11th and 12th  in Valley School that the first seeds of interest towards understanding people were first sown, through my introduction to Psychology as a subject. Having always been a very average student and not a very active one, Psychology grabbed my attention, making me curious about people and what makes them tick.

What did you do for graduation / post-graduation?

For my undergrad, I knew that I wanted to continue pursuing Psychology- I studied Psychology, Sociology and Economics at Christ College, Bangalore. At that point, counselling was what I assumed my career path would head towards. However, after graduation, I realized that this wasn’t a line that really interested me. This led me to take a year off to explore my options. During graduation, I had an elective in consumer behaviour- which I found extremely interesting. To explore this subject further, I took an internship with a Market Research Firm- where I was introduced to Qualitative Research- and there was no going back from there!

I got a Masters in HRD Psychology- more due to the lack of options and knowledge about fields like Anthropology, and ended up back in the same Market Research firm after my post-graduation.

I also did another masters at KU Leuven (MSc in Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology)

Can you talk about some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and cool career?

After about 5 years of working in the industry, the need for another break to recharge and reassess took place. I wanted to study further, gain expertise in a subject that could aid my career within research further. I had by now realized that my Masters in HRD Psychology wasn’t one that provided any value to the kind of work I was interested in as it focused on dealing with behaviour that functions within an organization – while my interest was in unearthing behaviour at a larger societal level. Anthropology and its connection to Marketing and Market Research had become evident by this time. I saw more and more academicians from Sociology and Anthropology backgrounds working with brands to not only understand why consumers within a context make choices, form opinions and perceptions- but also utilize this contextual and behavioural understanding to create new products. For instance, what are the kind of new foods and ‘flavours’ consumers are talking about right now, and which of these flavours could be (say) introduced as a chips flavour or as a packaged food.

I chose to study abroad in KU Leuven, a university in Belgium,  after examining the curriculum of various universities both within India and outside. There were 2 primary aspects that drove this decision: 1) the specific specialization in Social and Cultural Anthropology, which I felt was better connected to my research interests (consumer or otherwise), and 2) the extremely reasonable fee structure. 

Turns out it was a great decision in the end. At KU Leuven, the wider variety of students from various countries enabled a variety of different opinions- driven by each of our cultural background and experiences. For instance, discussing topics such as Gender inequality, LGBTQIA or Islamophobia was an enriching process as we heard how each of these contexts and what they represent, playout in each country or culture – and the reasons for why a group of people is categorized and labelled in a certain way, within that context. In my course, I studied topics that ranged from understanding the relationship between humans and technology, and how that is likely to evolve in the coming years, to social movements or protests, to how ‘power’ and what connotes power has evolved over the years- whether this is political, religious, Gender based, etc.

Though on paper, these courses might not look like something that can be connected back to Market Research- what they taught me (in a nutshell) is how broad ones historical understanding and context needs to be at times to understand why people behave and think in a particular way. For instance, to look at a consumer from Hyderabad- I need to understand what is the culture of Hyderabad first, how it has evolved over the years and what has contributed to creating it.

How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path

Like I mentioned above, my path to research was a process of exploration. After my under-graduation, I was introduced to the field of Market Research through a relative, who also helped me secure an internship at a Market Research firm, called Millward Brown in Qualitative Research. 

During my internship, I got to experience the two sides of Market research – 1) The marketing and brand strategy perspective – how brands come up with new products and communication, etc. 2) The consumer perspective- behaviour, thinking, values, opinions, personality- all of which drive how they shop, the brands they buy or aspire to buy, perceptions of various brands and what influences them, etc. It was fascinating to gain this perspective both from the person who is using the product, as well as the thought process and idea behind the inception of a creative idea (advertisement) or product.

I returned to Millward Brown after my Masters in HRD Psychology, where I worked for a little over 4 years. Millward Brown, which now has become Kantar after it merged with IMRB and TNS (both market research agencies)- was one of the large and established Market Research agencies within the country with a multi-country presence. Their speciality was communication and Brand strategy research, and they worked (as all market research agencies) with multiple brands across different categories. During these 4 years, I worked primarily with clients in: Automobile, Alcobev, Fashion Retail and Personal care sectors.

It was also during this period that I was introduced to a version of Ethnographic research. Ethnography is a methodology that has been adopted by Market Research and Design Research some time ago as brands understood early on the merit of gaining a more in-depth and slice of life understanding of their end consumer. This is when I decided to do my 2nd Masters at KU Leuven.

How did you get your first break?

Once I was done with my 1st Masters, I was fortunate to receive a call from colleague that I had worked with in Millward Brown, asking me whether I would be interested in joining the Qualitative Research team. This was an important opportunity for me, as my university and course did not provide any help with placements. 

Typically in Market Research, agencies tend to recruit MBA candidates directly from campus- and these new recruits are largely for Quantitative Research or Analytics. For Qualitative Research, however- most freshers who join the industry typically end up finding and apply directly to Market Research agencies. The process for a fresher, is not too complicated or difficult. At this stage, you are judged primarily on whether you come across as open to different experiences and a dynamic work environment with constant travelling. Your interviewer would also try to ascertain your general intelligence, level of creativity in thinking.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

Working in a corporate field with issues of work life balance, and stagnation

  • I reached a point after 4+ years in my first job where I began to feel burnt out and disinterested. I felt like I had put in too much energy and enthusiasm – and I no longer felt excited and challenged by my work. It was at this point that I began to explore studying further.
  • I felt the need to up my knowledge and skills in some manner- I felt my ability to think through Client problems and research insights were becoming stagnant. I chose Anthropology as a field, as this offered a way to create a more niche qualification for myself within the market research field- as a culture expert and someone who understands the field of Semiotics- which has in time become an increasingly integrated part of creating products and brand positions.
  • In this manner, I not only upskilled myself, but also created a whole new field of personal experiences and learning that have helped me grow as an individual. It has helped me personally understand much of what is happening in the world around us.

Where do you work now? Can you tell us about your current role?

I currently work as a consultant at IPSOS, a multi-country Market Research agency. I look after research studies for categories such as Alcoholic Beverages, Food (snack, beverages, food staples), E-commerce (Fashion, furniture, groceries, electronics, etc)

With my background in Anthropology, I have a unique advantage of having a more culture and societal focused understanding of client problems. For instance, a lot of the kind of research I handle at present is to understand how the consumer has changed post COVID, and how this has impacted how they interact and use products and brands. Furthermore, I specialize in Ethnography, a kind of qualitative methodology that is specific to the field of Anthropology. Ethnography works on the principle of the researcher immersing themselves into the world of the subject, observing as well as talking to them as they go about their day. Hence, instead of doing a 1-2 hour interview with a respondent, I would spend a day with them. 

This is one part of my job- the other is analyzing the data that I have collected to arrive at insights about the consumer, their usage of a type of product and their opinion of the brand. This is done by going beyond what is stated by individuals, looking for overlaps and commonalities as well as new information, to arrive at broad and actionable learnings on the: what, why, when, where, how of people’s thinking and behaviour.

How does your work benefit society? 

My work helps companies/ brands understand their customers better so that they can provide products and services that are in line with their needs and expectations. 

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

A few years ago, I conducted a study on emerging food trends in India, where I used Instagram as my source to understand what kind of foods/ flavours/ cuisines people are talking about. This was utilized by the client (a leading FMCG brand) to create new chip flavours. 

Your advice to students based on your experience?

Speaking broadly now, finding a career is a process- not something one can ‘know’ from the get go. Especially now with the kind of options and fields opening up, it becomes even more confusing and many of us end up choosing either what we know, what is recommended to us, or based on a fleeting interest. Doing internships is a great way to experience the kind of work a career path holds, and in turn whether this is of interest to you.

Secondly, don’t get enthralled by what is flashy and the ‘trend’. Trends change, and you will then be left with doubts and regrets

At the same time, it is okay to make incorrect choices- but ensure that you are constantly doing an internal check with yourself as to:

  • Whether you find the work interesting and exciting – does it fulfill you?
  • Do you feel that there is a mismatch between your ability, personality – and your job

Future Plans?

A PhD maybe ☺