Aparna Bharadwaj, a managing director and partner and the global leader of BCG’s Center for Customer Insight, discusses how TikTok is supporting brands by tapping into the "shoppertainment" trend—and how businesses can leverage it.

Aparna Bharadwaj joined Boston Consulting Group in 2009. She leads the firm’s Center for Customer Insight across emerging markets, and the Marketing, Sales & Pricing practice in Southeast Asia. She is also a core member of BCG’s Public Sector and Consumer practices.

Aparna has 16 years of experience in Marketing and Sales across various consumer industries. In consumer goods, Aparna has worked with local and multinational companies in Southeast Asia on a wide range of operational, sales, and marketing topics. Specifically, she has expertise in growth strategy, customer analytics, route to market, sales and distribution excellence, operational excellence, and portfolio analysis.

Aparna also has extensive experience working on the topic of economic development, particularly productivity and future skills in Singapore and Malaysia. She has worked with many public sector clients, including ministries and government agencies.

Prior to joining the firm, Aparna held several leadership roles at Coca-Cola, including brand management and trade marketing.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

EDUCATION

  • MBA, Harvard Business School
  • Bachelor of Engineering, Delhi University

Publications and Videos

Consumers Are the Key to Taking Green Mainstream Hero Rectangle

Consumers Are the Key to Taking Green Mainstream

A BCG survey confirms that most consumers are ready to embrace sustainable products. Here are three ways to help make that happen.
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Shoppertainment: APAC's Trillion-Dollar Opportunity

Shoppertainment is a USD1 trillion opportunity in APAC. What potential does this entail for brands, and how can brands continue to inspire Shoppertainment growth in the next wave of commerce?
Navigating a Diverse World of Consumer Mindsets and Choice

Navigating a Diverse World of Consumer Mindsets and Choice

Global clusters of like-minded consumers are surprisingly rare. And even among countries with similar consumer attitudes, needs can differ sharply by product category.
Edition 4: How Emerging Market Consumers Are Living with the Pandemic

The Surprising Resilience of Emerging-Market Consumers

Although anxiety over health and finances is high, attitudes remain surprisingly resilient. And some behavioral changes—including greater use of digital commerce and tools—are sticking.
Understanding the Global Price-Sensitive Consumer

Understanding the Global Price-Sensitive Consumer

For brands hoping to lure value-conscious consumers, pricing is crucial. But a BCG survey shows that offering the lowest price isn’t always the winning move.
How the Pandemic Did—and Didn’t—Change Indian Consumers

How the Pandemic Did—and Didn’t—Change Indian Consumers

Surging demand for online fitness classes and do-it-yourself hair styling proved fleeting. But other behavioral shifts—such as increased use of digital and of healthier products—are enduring.
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Building Resilience – COVID-19 Impact and Responses in Urban Areas – Case of Southeast Asia

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve rapidly, the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and BCG conducted a comprehensive study to understand how the pandemic impacted Southeast Asia along various dimensions.

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Demystifying Global Consumer Choice

A nuanced understanding of what really drives buying decisions in the post-COVID-19 world is crucial to maximizing share in a target market.
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Edition 3: Who Is the Emerging-Market Consumer in the Postpandemic Era?

Six months since our initial consumer sentiment survey, behavioral patterns are starting to take shape.
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COVID-19 Consumer Sentiment Snapshot #12: The Pace Car

China has been managing the coronavirus much longer than the rest of the world. What do its consumers’ plans and behaviors reveal about the post-pandemic future?
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Edition 2: COVID-19 and the Emerging-Market Consumer—The Power of Resilience

Several trends we identified a month ago have endured, while important and potentially lasting shifts in consumer thinking and behavior are also becoming apparent.
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Southeast Asian Consumers Are Driving a Digital Payment Revolution

E-wallet use is soaring in one of the world’s great growth zones. As competition intensifies, the stakes for both banks and new digital finance entrants are huge.
Tiefgreifende Expertise, umfassende Erfahrung