We are a network of consumer insight professionals, market research facilitators and subject matter experts,
with many years of focused experience
in the kids and family space
We are truly passionate about exploring and decoding the ever-evolving world of kids and providing rich, real-time insights and responsible solutions to brands targeting this important demographic.
All our research and analysis tools have been thoughtfully designed keeping in mind the cognitive and behavioural development stages of the young people. We use a play-based research approach and ensure age-appropriate child-friendly settings in all in-person interactions.
We take pride in our bespoke approach. With design thinking at the core, each brief is evaluated individually and after a thorough process of audience-age, context, objective and actionability appreciation, a customized research approach and tool box is deployed.
The Founding team
Pratibha Jain Mathur
Pratibha has spent over two decades in consumer insights. The last ten years have been dedicated entirely to understanding kids and families across the MENA region, helping brands develop strategies that resonate more effectively with young audiences.
That experience has taught her that understanding children isn't a methodology. It's a practice. One that requires constant curiosity, cultural immersion, and the ability to meet kids exactly where they are.
Pratibha founded sketchNEXT on a simple but important belief: it is easy to see only one dimension of kids. The loud, trend-led, culturally switched-on child. What can be missed is the other side, the introspective, values-driven, emotionally aware child whose opinions, motivations and responses are shaped by age, cognitive stage and context. Grounded in behavioural science and child development, her work recognises that genuine understanding comes from the quality of listening, not the quantity of questions, and from using age-appropriate tools that let kids express themselves on their own terms. And yet, kids don't make decisions in isolation. Parents, peers, siblings and digital communities all shape their world, and that ecosystem shifts significantly as they grow.
sketchNEXT's practice is built around proprietary frameworks developed specifically for young audiences, alongside a deep understanding of how kids think, feel and behave across distinct life stages and cultural contexts. The work spans FMCG, confectionery, health and nutrition, media and entertainment, digital products, play and education.
Pratibha has previously held senior roles at Nielsen, Kantar-TNS and SixthFactor Consulting, leading qualitative and quantitative research practices across the Middle East and India. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Communications Management from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad-India (MICA), a Bachelor of Commerce from Delhi University, and an Advanced Level Certification in Child Psychology. She regularly contributes knowledge pieces on Gen Z and Gen Alpha to leading publications and volunteers with INJAZ UAE, supporting entrepreneurship education for school students across the region.
Richa Rai
Richa is an Immersive Explorer and Consumer Insights expert, with more than 20 years of qualitative research experience in the Middle East, Africa, India and Southeast Asia. She is a visual and cultural anthropology aficionado and a strong advocate of participative and contextual research. For her, ethnography-based consumer research is one of the most effective ways to create sense in this big data era.
More than a decade of listening, observing and understanding the MENA consumers, in the closest of their spaces, makes her a sought-after culture and behaviour expert in the region. She brings a lot of contextual depth to every project she works on, with her extensive understanding of the region’s cultural nuances. Her empathetic approach, patient listening ears and ability to keep her curiosity intact make her fit perfectly with the kids’ research domain as well.
She has previously worked with Nielsen, Kantar-TNS Global and SixthFactor Consulting. She is a Post-Graduate in Communications from National Institute of Advertising (NIA-India), and a Sociology graduate from Allahabad University-India.