In an exclusive conversation with The Daily Guardian, Shuchi Gangwal, Founder of Kypsa, reveals how her design-rooted, science-first philosophy has redefined product storytelling for over 100 brands across 30+ countries. From her early insights during a thesis at NID to building a cross-functional agency where scientists and creatives collaborate seamlessly, Gangwal explains how Kypsa crafts emotionally resonant, scientifically accurate narratives that engage consumers globally—while staying rooted in behavioural psychology and evolving technology.
1. What inspired the core philosophy behind Kypsa — blending science with storytelling — and how has this vision evolved over the years?
A: During my dissertation thesis at NID – I got an opportunity to work on a product demonstration for a FMCG brand, I realised something striking — most brands were either oversimplifying the science behind their products or burying it under layers of jargon. There was this huge opportunity to turn functional and scientific product truths into content that not only informs but inspires. That became the seed for Kypsa. What began as an instinctive response to a gap in the market has evolved into a strategic design practice. Today, we don’t just tell marketing stories
— we design product-led content experiences that help consumers experience the benefit, not just hear about it. And in that journey, our blend of science and creativity has only grown stronger and more intentional.
2. With over 100 brands in 30+ countries, what are some regional insights or trends you’ve observed when it comes to consumer response to product storytelling?
A: Tacit consumer knowledge varies significantly across regions, shaped by cultural nuances and local market dynamics. From an FMCG activation and storytelling standpoint, the level of market maturity and digital savviness plays a critical role in determining how consumers respond to storytelling assets, communications, activations, and engagement formats.
For example, in Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia and the Philippines, consumers are highly evolved and deeply engaged when it comes to live product demonstrations. These audiences are open to sophisticated storytelling, allowing brands to showcase complex scientific concepts, experiment with different formats and substrates, and push creative boundaries. They are both participatory and highly responsive to new types of content. Moreover, executing live demos at points of sale is more feasible here due to easy access to promoters and sales personnel.
In contrast, European markets tend to lean towards more digital, self-directed forms of engagement. Consumers prefer intuitive, streamlined storytelling with minimal human intervention. Product demonstrations here are typically simpler, more instructional, and designed for independent consumption, particularly at the point of sale.
In India, more traditional formats like home-to-home promotions remain effective. Promoters visiting households to demonstrate product benefits still resonate strongly with Indian consumers, who value the comfort and familiarity of such in-home interactions. This model of personalised engagement is fairly unique to the region and is rarely seen in other global markets. These diverse regional insights highlight the need for tailored storytelling strategies that reflect the cultural context, technological adoption, and retail realities of each market.
And then there is social first – which is applicable across the globe in various dimensions. In countries like India / Indonesia – micro influencers are playing a big role in explaining product benefits and science, while in the USA – every one is an influencer by following tik tok signals, creating reels feeding into trending hash tags. Digital storytelling on ECom channels remains the same throughout the globe – more because of consistent and stringent content guidelines by big players like Amazon.
3. How do you ensure your creative team stays aligned with both brand strategy and scientific accuracy during the campaign development process?
A: Unlike typical creative agencies, Kypsa is fundamentally built on the intersection of Creativity X Science—it’s embedded in our DNA. Our team is uniquely orchestrated with both science and creative experts who work in tandem to ensure storytelling is not only compelling but also scientifically accurate. We are one of the very few agencies where scientists collaborate directly with designers to craft evidence-backed narratives. This ensures that our content is never just a creative exercise—they’re cross-functional narratives. This approach keeps our creative team consistently aligned with the brand’s strategic objectives and rooted in factual integrity, ultimately resulting in communication that is credible, impactful, engaging and culturally resonant across regions.
4. What role does consumer psychology play in the way you design product demonstrations and activations for FMCG brands?
Q: Consumer psychology is at the heart of everything we do. The best product story doesn’t always start with the product — it starts with human behaviour. Whether it’s decision fatigue in the beauty aisle or scepticism around efficacy claims in home care, we always ask: What’s the consumer thinking, feeling, or worrying about at the point of purchase or use? That’s where we anchor the demonstration — by identifying the pain point and crafting an activation that shows results in real time.
Consumer psychology also guides the way we structure comparisons and visual cues. For example, we often tap into the contrast effect — a psychological phenomenon where perception is shaped by comparison. By placing a product’s mode of action or benefit side-by-side with another product claiming a similar result, we’re not just demonstrating differentiation — we’re helping consumers see the difference. This makes decision-making easier at shelf, strengthens perceived product superiority, and ultimately drives purchase. We work closely with our clients to tailor these insights into meaningful, on-ground experiences that resonate with consumers and influence behaviour in the moment of truth.
5. Looking ahead, how do you see product-led storytelling transforming as technology like AI, AR, or data-driven personalization becomes more mainstream in marketing?
A: We see technology as an enabler, not a replacement, for meaningful storytelling. AI helps us get speed and fast track early stage concept work while also helping in decoding behaviour faster, but the craft lies in translating that intelligence into human-first design. Looking ahead, I believe storytelling will become hyper-personal, yet deeply rooted in product integrity. A moisturiser may offer the same benefit, but how it’s presented to a teenage user in a humid city versus a working mom in a cold climate — that level of adaptive storytelling will define the next era. We’ll continue to ensure science is at the core of every design.