Author: Deirdre Walters

I’ve spent much of my career working in R&D, developing products by understanding people’s needs, exploring the science behind those needs and translating what we learn into products and product stories that perform better in real life. So I always find it interesting to hear how successful founders think about product development, particularly when they have such a close relationship with their consumers.

What I loved about Trinny’s conversation was how naturally she connected consumer understanding, product quality, business strategy and commercial performance. Here are my 10 takeaways.

We have access to an extraordinary breadth of consumer, cultural, scientific and commercial knowledge, but future growth will depend on how effectively we translate this understanding into products and experiences that exceed people’s expectations.

For R&D teams, this has a particularly important commercial dimension. Understanding emerging needs helps identify where to innovate, while translating deep user needs into meaningful product performance creates the potential for a compelling reason to try and a sufficiently good experience to encourage repeat purchase.

A clear Product Story provides the thread that holds the innovation together. It helps R&D, Marketing and commercial teams understand the user problem being solved, the role the technology plays in solving it and the experience the product is ultimately designed to create. When the Product Story is developed early, products become easier to explain, easier to remember and, importantly, easier for people to act on.

The conversation around innovation has become increasingly dominated by speed. Every organisation is looking for ways to shorten development timelines, reduce time to market and increase the return on every pound invested in innovation. Consumer expectations continue to evolve, retailers expect innovation to work harder than ever before, and R&D organisations are being asked to deliver more with the same, or fewer, resources. McKinsey recently described the challenge facing consumer goods companies as one of restoring product superiority while also rebuilding brand relevance, highlighting just how central successful innovation has become to sustainable business growth.

Dr. Chad McAllister and I do not come from the same world. He has spent his career in software and product management, and hosts the Product Mastery Now podcast. I have spent mine in FMCG, working inside R&D teams developing everything from antiperspirants to toilet tissue to skincare. When we sat down to record a podcast together, I was super curious to see how much overlap there would actually be.

Quite a lot, as it turned out. Three things in particular kept coming up from both sides, and we felt they are worth sharing because they hold across industries, not just in consumer goods.

Reformulation is one of the most constant and commercially loaded challenges in CPG R&D. Raw material costs shift, regulations evolve, packaging components are discontinued, and through all of it the expectation remains the same: consumers must continue to love the product and the business must continue to make money from it. Here are 10 things we have learned, working alongside R&D teams across beauty care, food and beverage, and consumer healthcare, about how to navigate that challenge without losing what matters most. 

Reformulation can feel frustratingly inefficient, with functional teams pulling in different directions, costly iterations, and uncertainty around what really matters to consumers. Untapped’s Ideal Product Model Blueprint addresses this by giving R&D a clear, evidence-based framework to focus on what must be protected, where costs can be reduced, and how to avoid later rework. By connecting consumer jobs to sensory attributes, product mechanisms, and validation methods, it enables faster, more confident reformulation that protects both margin and brand equity.

At the Beauty & Wellness Law Summit in London, legal experts revealed how regulation, claims, and consumer trust are reshaping innovation in beauty. For FMCG R&D leaders, the message was clear: the future of product development goes far beyond formulation.

As FMCG and healthcare giants streamline and refocus, retailers are investing in immersive, experience-led “retail theatre.” But without insight-driven R&D, even the most dazzling store concepts risk becoming generic. This frontline perspective explores how R&D can elevate product stories, shape compelling claims and demos, and partner cross-functionally to turn scientific innovation into shelf-ready, story-led growth that wins consumers and retailers alike.

Cover image credit: Manchester Arndale, Space NK

As pressure on R&D teams continues to rise, the biggest gains often come from how we work day to day. These eight atomic habits show how small shifts in behaviour can strengthen commercial relevance and real-world impact in 2026.