Elena Gaucan

Led brand health diagnostics for the largest client's brand portfolio in three countries.

• Evaluated the brands' strengths and weaknesses vs. competition in terms of consumer base, equity, price/value perception, assortment, pricing, performance in specific trade channels.
• Made recommendations for short-term and long-term brand growth and portfolio positioning and strategy, including opportunities for expansion into new segments.
• Trained clients on Brand Fundamentals and Fundamentals of Innovation Strategy and Innovation Research.

Led GfK's largest Consumer Goods global account.

• In the context of fierce competition with low-priced suppliers, renewed the client's global multi-million Brand Health Tracker through leading the transition to a cheaper, more modern approach and consulting on specific business cases - from brand positioning/benefits communicated, all the way to in-store claims and demos to be used in advertising.
• Total BHT sales were protected as the client invested the savings into additional analyses.
• Despite the shrinking client budget, increased the trade panel contract by 6% and sold the first-ever Price/Promotion Effectiveness analyses for this client.

Led the GfK' largest Consumer Goods account regionally (Europe,India, Middle East & Africa) until May 2016. Acting Global Account Director between June and December 2016.

• Led the account growth regionally and then globally to the highest ever sales (19.6M Euro globally: ad-hoc research, consumer panel, trade panel )
• Grew the ad-hoc research business through bringing innovative research tools to the client and winning additional Brand Health Tracker business.

Member of the Grow Leadership Brands community of experts

• Developed and rolled-out a cross-category Brand Value model
• Demonstrated that "How Brands Grow" (Byron Sharp) behavioral economics principles applied to the P&G markets (~ 70 country/category combinations) and contributed to the inclusion of behavioral economics into the brand-building models
• Critiqued and adapted the Ipsos Brand Health Check methodology to the needs of developing markets and to global Baby Care
• Rolled out the new brand equity methodology in CEEMEA, training Marketing and business-embedded CMK teams

Responsible for Global Baby Care - Grow Leadership Brands

• Defined the benefits driving brand equity/strength in Baby Care globally. Drove the refocusing of the brand on the key benefits, with specific recommendations for each Pampers sub-line.
• Redefined the success criteria for Baby Care copy in advertising tests
• Led the change of the product demos used in Pampers ads across 4 continents
• Made recommendations to the P&G Baby Care Marketing Directors for how to improve the Pampers Brand Character and how to track the change.
• Led Pampers' global competitive benchmarking programme (2.5 M USD annually) providing recommendations for product strategy and portfolio optimization.

Responsible for Global Low/Mid Tier Baby Diaper product strategy.

• Led the learning plan for the successful launch of Pampers Low Tier in Western Europe.
• Led the Pampers equity refocus and brand support increase in WE, thus decreasing the brand's price sensitivity and turning around the business during the economic crisis.
• Led product benchmarking, pipeline development and communication qualification for Pampers Low/Mid tier diapers globally.

Responsible for Laundry Detergents - Central & Eastern Europe and Fabric Additives CEEMEA

• Led the Portfolio Strategy choices for Ariel, Tide and Bonux in CEE, based on market segmentation and definition of the strategic and design targets. Deployed the approach to the MEA Laundry regional team.
• In partnership with R&D, defined the product optimization strategy and pipeline of innovation for the P&G Laundry brands.
• Led the Lenor fabric conditioner Brand Architecture redefinition in CEEMEA.
• Recruited, trained, and led a team of five people.

Head of CMK Balkans, leading a team of 6 people.

Responsible for Oral Care Learning Plans - Central & Eastern Europe

Worked in HIV and Herpes Simplex research programs.