Meet Daniel Soh, Senior Account Director in Asia. Today, Daniel discusses his thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic is changing the online panel industry in APAC. He also shares how these changes influenced his desire to join the PureSpectrum team.
Q: Daniel, you joined PureSpectrum during a global pandemic. What made you want to change jobs during such a strict lockdown in Singapore?
A: When I joined PureSpectrum in July 2021, I was already sensing a shift in our region. All interactions were moving online and I knew that market research was too. Coming from a traditional panel company, I felt a pressing need to grasp and acclimatize myself with the processes of a multi-source marketplace like PureSpectrum’s Marketplace platform. In my opinion, the platform’s transparency and simplicity are imperative for any business with self-serve needs. These two factors should be part of every conversation for the online panel industry.
In many ways, the culture and tech at PureSpectrum are also reflective of the attitudes prevalent during this pandemic climate. Instantly, I was impressed by the agile company culture at PureSpectrum. This is embodied by its people and the widely accessible support via tutorials and documentation. While everyone at PureSpectrum understands their roles, it is commonplace that we wear multiple hats, often collaborate virtually, and do whatever it takes to help our clients.
Q: How do you think the pandemic has affected market research in APAC?
A: Similar to how we’ve had to adjust the way we live and work during the pandemic, businesses have had to pivot the way they conduct market research to adapt to an online sampling methodology. This could be by designing surveys so that they are more succinct and fitting for self-administration, relaxations on geography/audiences/quotas, or adopting a hybrid recruitment methodology.
By embracing online sampling, businesses have begun to recognize the benefits tied to affordability, speed, and quality. So recognized, that they are increasingly becoming hygiene requirements within the industry. PureSpectrum is at the forefront of this trend, not just in APAC, but globally. Our competitive pricing combined with our focus on automation and quality (provided by PureScore™) enables us to encapsulate all of these competing priorities.
Q: What excites you about the market research industry?
A: Innovation. The unpredictability and drive for improvement within the industry excite me. As with any other industry, there’s so much competition within the market research landscape. We constantly witness the consolidation and transformation of companies. I enjoy participating in disruptive initiatives to improve efficiency and quality. Seeing what PureSpectrum has achieved to make researchers’ jobs easier has a resounding effect. It truly is the ethos in everything we do. The continuous enhancements to PureScore™, the Insights, and Marketplace Platforms, truly are a testament to our team’s drive to be the best.
Q: What are you looking forward to when COVID-19 restrictions are finally lifted in Singapore?
Meeting clients face to face, definitely. Going on video calls is great but meeting in person is something I miss. It really does make a difference in terms of the level of the connection that you build with someone. Face-to-face connection is more about the intangibles. Sure, you can always talk to clients about issues they are having. But people are willing to share so much more with you when you are in person. I think it’s the informal stuff that probably has nothing to do with research at all that helps. You do less of that on video. I can’t wait to get back to meeting with clients in person.
Q: What else has changed in your life during the pandemic?
A: The biggest change, other than joining PureSpectrum, was the birth of my son. He really changed life for my wife and me! Having a newborn doesn’t make me feel that this pandemic has been restrictive to a certain extent. My son is only four months old. So I’m not even checking to see if I can travel right now. COVID or not, we aren’t getting on a plane with him. I do appreciate the time the pandemic has given us to be at home and focus on family.
Interested in connecting with Daniel and learning more about how PureSpectrum can help simplify your research? Connect with him below or reach out on LinkedIn.