Consumer Motivations With NielsenIQ’s COO Tracey Massey

Mar 22, 2025

Tracey Massey, COO at NielsenIQ, shares her extensive expertise in consumer intelligence. She discusses her career journey from Mars to NielsenIQ and highlights leadership principles that foster growth. The conversation dives into evolving shopping habits, especially among Gen Z, emphasizing their preference for in-store experiences. Tracey also reveals insights into the rise of private label brands and the importance of authenticity in brand interactions, painting a vivid picture of current consumer motivations and market trends.

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ANECDOTE

Career Journey

Tracey Massey's career journey began in manufacturing at Mars, transitioning to finance, and then to leadership roles.
Her diverse experience includes running factories, leading global divisions, culminating in her role as COO at NielsenIQ.

ADVICE

Leadership Principles

Prioritize integrity and honesty in decision-making, focusing on what's right for the business.
Treat your team well; be tough on performance, yet kind to individuals, fostering respect and dedication.

INSIGHT

Consumer Trends

Consumers remain cautious with spending due to rising food and utility prices and economic concerns.
They are cutting back on out-of-home entertainment but continue to spend on in-home entertainment.

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The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Tracey Massey, Chief Operating Officer at NielsenIQ, the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. NIQ combined with GfK in 2023, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. Today NIQ has operations in 95+ countries representing 97% of the world’s GDP. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.

Follow Tracey Massie on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracey-massey-5328951/
Follow NielsenIQ on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nielseniq/
Follow NielsenIQ online at: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/

Download the Gen Z report here: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/analysis/2025/connecting-with-gen-z/

Download the Consumer Life Trend Report here: https://nielseniq.com/global/en/products/consumer-life/

Tracey answers these questions:

Take us through your career journey from the early days at Mars to your role here at NielsenIQ.
What leadership principles are you anchored on / served you well and what would you advocate others learn?
There is no one better to weigh in on what is motivating consumers globally. What trends are you seeing from consumers that are impacting how they shop?
Does this look any different for GenZ? They are such an important cohort that we’re hearing lots of discussion about from brands and retailers alike.
It’s not just consumers that are wrestling with a lot of change, given your work with the largest retailers and CPG manufacturers around the world, what are the shifts impacting their brands?
We’ve talked about how NIQ is the world’s largest consumer intelligence provider. Why is what you do so important to the industry?
What is the role of mentors in your careers and do you believe in reverse mentorship?
For someone early in their career aspiring to follow your footsteps and be at the world's greatest insights and data organization - what’s your advice?

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