Professional Role and Expertise
Barbara Busch serves as President and CEO of SENSANALYSIS, a sensory strategy and consulting firm specializing in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector. She has held leadership at SENSANALYSIS since 1984, with her presidency beginning in November 2023. Under her stewardship, the company evolved from a traditional qualitative research entity into a digital-driven business leveraging advanced machine learning and AI technologies integrated with a proprietary emotional data asset called PREDICT.
PREDICT is a unique, agile, and scalable database comprising over 1.4 million records, which maps global consumers’ emotional memories and sensory perceptions related to CPG products, concepts, packaging, and communications. This platform enables CPG brands to predict product performance, enhance innovation success rates, reduce new product flop risks, and foster consumer loyalty by harnessing deep emotional insights.
Barbara’s mission centers on transforming sensory research into a strategic tool that integrates brand equity communication with holistic sensory-emotion metrics, driving profitability, sustainable growth, and responsible resource use. She positions SENSANALYSIS’s Emotional Memory Bank as a paradigm shift in how companies can achieve consumer delight, stronger corporate performance, and sustainability by aligning innovation strategies with sensory-emotional consumer data.
Key Accomplishments and Thought Leadership
Barbara Busch has over 30 years of pioneering experience in sensory research, credited with creating a significant databank of emotional memory relating to consumer goods, which serves as a strategic asset for CPG product development. She consistently publishes insights and thought leadership articles on topics including:
- Merging creativity and emotion for marketing impact (Dec 2024)
- Revolutionizing revenue growth through AI in CPG (Aug 2024)
- Emotional memories as a groundbreaking source of consumer insights (Jan 2023)
- Challenges of qualitative insights under high inflation and budget constraints (Oct 2022)
- The disruptive influence of digital tech solutions for concept and product testing (Aug 2020)
- The importance of multisensory emotional memories for market success (Jul 2020)
- Defining ROI in consumer research spending to improve new product success (Nov 2017)
- The role of product coherence in innovation success (Sep 2017)
- Sensory dimensions of advertising and packaging beyond visual elements (Aug 2017)
Her recent LinkedIn discourse highlights the integration of AI with sensory emotional data, emphasizing the predictive power of combining human intelligence with olfactory intelligence to enhance consumer understanding and innovation outcomes. Barbara advocates for multi-sensory engagement strategies beyond the cognitive visual layer, tapping into emotions and memories that drive marketplace success.
Educational Background
- Diplom Volkswirt (Economics), Universität Bonn (1970-1972)
- Magister in Art History, Universität Frankfurt (1980-1982)
Professional certification includes a Diplom Volkswirt degree issued in January 1972.
Languages and Geographic Location
- Native or bilingual proficiency in German
- Full professional proficiency in English
- Limited working proficiency in Italian
- Based in Munich, Germany
Professional Memberships and Networks
- Member of ESOMAR and CEW, indicating her active involvement in global market research and consumer insights communities.
Work History Prior to SENSANALYSIS
- Market Research Director at Binding Brewerie (now Radeberger), Frankfurt/Main (Jan 1980 – Jan 1984)
Company Overview: SENSANALYSIS
Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Munich, SENSANALYSIS is positioned as a sensory research pioneer that has transitioned successfully into a technology-led company. Its flagship product, the PREDICT platform, uses sensory emotional data from global consumers to enable CPG brands to optimize their new product development strategies for profitability and sustainability. The approach stresses speed, scalability, and agility in delivering insights that connect emotional memory with product innovation and marketing strategy.
Social Media and Public Presence
Barbara maintains an active LinkedIn profile ([linkedin.com/in/barbara-busch-sensanalysis](https://de.linkedin.com/in/barbara-busch-sensanalysis)) with 923+ followers and 500+ connections. She frequently shares insights, industry reflections, and updates on sensory innovation and AI. Her content reflects a forward-thinking approach, blending sensory science with emerging technologies to shape the future of CPG product success.
Barbara Busch is an influential figure in sensory strategy for CPG, focused on leveraging emotional memory and AI-powered platforms to enhance product development, marketing, and brand loyalty. Her comprehensive experience, backed by a proprietary data bank and continuous thought leadership, positions her and SENSANALYSIS as key contributors to innovation and sustainable growth in the CPG industry.
