Q&A with Jeff Wu, principal scientist, Mars/Wrigley Confectionery
Editor’s note: Nancy Cox is the founder of Research Story Consulting and former CPG corporate researcher. Her work and play include words, sketchpads, cooking (not baking) and the occasional sock puppet. Research colleagues share their work and play stories in this interview series by Cox.
Hello to Jeff Wu, principal scientist, Mars/Wrigley Confectionery
What is the “play” in your life?
I’ve always had an interest in music. I’m not a musician. I pay people who are musicians to create! Lately, I’ve been venturing into international indie pop music. Such as Julien Dore performing his song “Nous” – accompanied by velociraptors!
There is no clear definition of indie pop. On one hand, it’s defined as not mainstream. On the other hand, you could argue that indie has become mainstream compared to eight to 10 years ago. YouTube, Spotify, SoundHub allow us to get exposure and easy access. Here I am in North America with a favorite French singer.
Unlimited global access to music is not just digital. I also collect vinyl albums and CDs. My favorite source is an eBay retailer in … Kansas City! I love this reminder that not everything music is in California or New York City. I want that physical touch of the album. Appreciating the vision of the album design, the patterns, the colors, the photography. The color of the album itself if it’s different from the traditional black. Then, musically, there’s the overall feel of the album music – listening to how the songs connect.
I didn’t start out to create a collection. I realized I had a collection when I had to organize my music so I could find something! And I’m still trying to figure that out. However, my albums are easier to manage than my other play – collecting Lego kits.
How has your play influenced your research work?
Back to the video for “Nous,” if you look at the lyrics, they’re very simple but the video is so creative, even kind of wacky. My takeaway was “imagine the unimaginable.” For anyone in the world of innovation, especially in a well-established category such as music or confections, you need the spirit of “imagine the unimaginable.”
My international music fascination relates directly to work as I’m working more globally. At any time, I may be working a project in China and in Europe. I wanted to find a way to get a sense of the culture: what people may find interesting, how people express themselves – a way into understanding that market in this moment.
Recently, I was working with a marketer from Spain. She was shocked that I have a collection of a Spanish singer. I don’t speak any Spanish, but I have this opportunity to get a bit closer to a colleague. An intrinsic part of an insight researcher is curiosity. Bringing our curiosity to work and play.
Reflecting on both my analog music and LEGO collections, I’m reminded that something small and simple has unlimited variations. Musicians use notes. Lego builders use a simple block. Yet there is continuous reinvention – a business model that uses the same “building blocks” but every musician’s recording, every Lego edition is different. The business of “imagining the unimaginable.”
What would you tell readers who want to know more about your area of play?
To experience the world of indie pop, the internet, of course, is the best place to start. Sometimes, I am jealous of the Gen Zs and the younger-than-Gen Zs who so easily have the world in a tap.
The challenge is there is so much. My advice is start with one song you like then search adding the ampersand such as “& French.” I’ve also learned to disagree with the algorithm – to periodically break a habit. The algorithm will want to show me more of my favorite French singer, more in the same genre, more French singers. Think of your search as a family tree. Follow the trunk or even the first branch but branch out to the second or third tier by switching language – go from French to Spanish. Now I see Spanish indie pop. Then switch genres!
