Reimagining Consumer Intelligence with AI: Gautam Mehra on the Future of Marketing Research

In this episode of Product Led Growth Leaders, host Thomas Watkins sits down with Gautam Mehra, CEO and Co-Founder of Consumr AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming how brands understand and engage with their audiences. Recognized by Campaign Asia's 40 Under 40, Gautam brings decades of experience in data strategy, martech, and entrepreneurship. This conversation unpacks why traditional marketing research tools are falling short—and how AI can bring clarity and speed to decision-making in a data-saturated landscape.

From Data Chaos to Consumer Clarity

Gautam opens with a common pain point for marketers: information overload. With countless platforms like SEMrush, SimilarWeb, and Google Ads offering conflicting insights, making strategic decisions has become more confusing than ever. The real challenge, he explains, is not a lack of data—but the fragmentation of it. Tools operate with siloed methodologies, leaving marketers to manually reconcile survey results, behavioral analytics, and qualitative feedback. The result? Slow, costly, and often misaligned marketing decisions.

That’s where Consumr AI steps in. Rather than layering basic AI like ChatGPT over existing tools, Gautam’s platform pulls high-quality deterministic data from sources like Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and YouTube to build what he calls “AI twins” of your best and worst customers. These digital personas are modeled based on actual behavior—what they watch, buy, click, and follow—enabling brands to understand not just what people say, but what they do. A Nike customer, for example, may also love premium coffee and global travel—insights that wouldn’t show up in a traditional survey.

Gautam emphasizes that while Consumr AI is entirely software-driven, it’s built for accessibility and privacy. By focusing on behavioral cohorts rather than individual tracking, the platform respects user privacy while still delivering deep insight. And though he believes in the power of AI, Gautam is quick to clarify it doesn’t replace humans—it complements them. While focus groups still matter for emotional nuance, AI helps businesses reduce reliance on slow, expensive research and make more agile, informed marketing decisions in real time.

About Gautam Mehra
Gautam Mehra is the Co-Founder and CEO of Consumr AI. A serial entrepreneur and martech innovator, he previously served as Chief Data & Product Officer at Dentsu APAC. He is passionate about democratizing access to consumer insights through AI-powered solutions.

About Consumr AI
Consumr AI is a marketing intelligence platform that builds predictive consumer personas using deterministic behavioral data across major social platforms. Designed for scale, speed, and privacy, the platform helps brands optimize targeting, messaging, and product development with real-time insight.

Links mentioned in this episode

• Consumr AI Website

• Gautam Mehra on LinkedIn

Conclusion

This episode highlights a core truth: modern marketing research isn’t broken—it’s just behind. Consumr AI offers a new blueprint for brand intelligence that’s real-time, data-rich, and customer-first. Gautam Mehra makes a compelling case for why AI twins, deterministic data, and thoughtful tech design are the next evolution in understanding what consumers truly want.

Key Episode Highlights

• Why traditional tools offer conflicting, fragmented insights

• How “AI twins” help brands model customer behavior in real time

• The importance of deterministic data over outdated survey or cookie-based tracking

• Why AI should complement—not replace—human-led research methods

• How Consumr AI democratizes access to deep consumer insight

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