by How Qualitative Research Drives Revenue Growth and KPI Efficiency
Editor’s Note: Simon Poon will be speaking at QUAL360 APAC in Singapore, bringing over 15 years of experience in digital transformation, fintech, and data strategy. As VP of Data and Analytics at Ksher, he leads cross-border payment innovation by integrating AI, data technologies, and organizational change. With a background at IBM, Deloitte, Baidu Finance, and Haier Consumer Finance, Simon is a recognized expert in using data to drive business growth and transformation across Asia.
QUAL360: What motivates you to join the QUAL360 APAC conference, and what is the core message of your talk?
Simon: My motivation is two-fold: first is the opportunity for me as an expert to gain reactions through sharing the fusion my experience on quantitative and qualitative research trending in China. The quantitative research from the internet technologies has been developed over a decade, the next stage should be understanding the mind of customers from the patterns we have seen. With the experts and professionals around the APAC region, QUAL360 should be the best place to exchange wisdom through throwing out ideas.
Second is about experiencing the differences in how customer insight is conducted across different countries. Government regulations on data privacy, cultures, and technologies are all different, so when brands and businesses go global, domain knowledge needs to be “local”, tailored for different regions. This should be important both for me and other delegates.
So my core message is also clear: qualitative research becomes “local” and tailored through data technologies.
QUAL360: How has this impacted your own work and your organisation?
Simon: All researchers related to KPI and revenue. So, qualitative research will create new revenue / cost-saving opportunities. It is feasible for us to create the customer persona and tailor customer operation blocks, to enhance sales conversion by 2-5% through fine-tuning on colors and user interfaces.
2–5% may sound small, but it represents up to 10 million USD in annual savings on online advertising for a Chinese fintech.
QUAL360: How has qual research as a practice evolved in the last couple of years, and how would you like to see it evolve in the next few?
Simon: I expect Qual research will gain its next height in the upcoming few years. The scale of qualitative research are limited because of costs in the past years, because doing user interviews and focus groups are time consuming, so in the last decades big-data and AI works as a support role to find customer behavior patterns through their activities, but the underlying reasons on behaviors can only be found through conversations.
We have already seen LLMs such as ChatGPT and Deepseek perform tasks like consultants or counsellers in 2025, so a well-trained AI agent may optimize the research process involving step-by-step conversation, thus qualitative research will become more “quantified” with AI, with more interesting and sounding insights.
QUAL360: Given this evolution, what are two expected and two less obvious skills that qual researchers should possess, and why?
Simon: I think all skills related to Qual researchers are still important, but being delivered in another way – Qual researchers should gain a strong sense on AI applications, or even to “train” AI agents to work like themselves. These will bring direct benefits to support qual researchers’ daily tasks.
Qual researchers may leverage less technical tasks and mass data-related activities, because AI will help to do so.
QUAL360: Apart from work, what can delegates at the event talk to you about? Do you have any particular personal interests, hobbies or extracurricular activities and engagements?
Simon: Qual research should have a passion for quality living – these are the triggers to initiate new opportunities based on what we experience. So food, wine and excursions are good triggers for ideas.
QUAL360: Last but not least, we are publishing “reading/listening guides” on our blog (https://merlien.com/the-ux-research-reading-and-podcast-list-2025/), can you share your favourite recommendations for inspiration, learning and leadership?
Simon:
Must read – Book/Blog:
Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned: The Myth of the Objective by Kenneth O. Stanley & Joel Lehman – on how Gen-AI succeed on non-algorithm-based evolution.
QUAL360: Thank you so much, Simon! We look forward to hearing more from you at QUAL360 in Singapore!
Join Asia’s Only Conference Focused on Qualitative Research – QUAL360 APAC 2025
📅 October 14–15, 2025 | Singapore
Qual360 is the only global conference series dedicated to qualitative market research. With its 17+ Years of Driving Innovation in Qualitative Research, it is a unique event catering to a strong global community of dedicated “Quallies”. At QUAL360 APAC, you’ll discover the latest research methodologies, explore real-world case studies from global brands, and network with top-tier insights professionals from across the region.
2025 speaker highlights include: PepsiCo Foods – Associate Director, Insights; Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore – Head of Insights (CMI) & Innovations; Google APAC – Head of Brand & Consumer Insights; Whole Earth Brands – International Marketing Director; Microsoft – Principal Design & Research Manager, Shiseido – Regional CMI Manager, and many more!
Secure your early-bird ticket now and save $400!
