by Implementing a Human-Centric Approach in Marketing
We are happy to announce that Mihaela Tantas from Mast-Jägermeister will join us at the upcoming Qual360 Europe conference in 2024. With her expertise in qualitative research, she will share insights on the importance of understanding both consumers and internal stakeholders, and discuss which AI toolkits are useful for improved (qualitative) data analysis.
Mihaela Tantas serves as Global Brand and Communications Planning Manager at Jägermeister, spearheading the development of a new brand promise and new approach to defining the brand’s core audience. Prior to her role at Jägermeister, she applied her dual background in marketing and cultural anthropology, consulting for global brands on advertising and media strategy at Nielsen, Ebiquity, and Purina. Her two decades experience includes roles as a strategic planner within advertising agencies. Having lived and worked across six countries spanning three continents, Mihaela credits this global experience for honing her “empathy muscle” and for her inclination toward myth-busting and challenging stereotypes.
QUAL360: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk and what would you like delegates to remember?
Mihaela: With consumer-centricity high on the agenda at many organisations, including Mast-Jägermeister SE, embracing an empathy perspective seems like an obvious starting point. But are marketers necessarily more apt at perspective taking and understanding others’ feelings than the audiences they market their products to? And if not, what tools can help shed a light on assumptions and potential biases that stand in the way of cognitive empathy? By bringing in the nuances and larger context of consumers’ life, qualitative research can play a key role in building the empathic understanding of both consumer and internal stakeholders, leading to more successful innovation as well as increased collaboration and better performance.
QUAL360: What motivates you to join the Qual360 Europe conference and what are your expectations?
Mihaela: I am really looking forward to the exchange with peers from other industries and learning from their experiences with the ever evolving suite of qualitative research tools and methodologies.
QUAL360: What is the place of qualitative research today, and where do you see the industry heading?
Mihaela: I believe it’s an exciting time for qualitative research as AI and automation integration have already made qualitative research faster, more cost-effective and more scalable than ever and promise to further enhance the impact qualitative research can have. For an organisation like Mast-Jägermeister, present in over 150 countries, being able to observe and quickly dig deeper into the nuances and intricacies of socialising behaviours around the globe is one area where qualitative research, often combined with other types of data, will only further add value to decision making.
QUAL360: What do you consider to be the 3 essential elements of the qualitative research toolkit today?
Mihaela:
• Online qual tools for live or asynchronous research: while there’s still a place and time for in-person qualitative research, online tools like Discuss.io, Indeemo or EthOS allow for context rich leanings and easier, faster access to participants almost anywhere in the world
• Automated theme analysis tools: embedded in online qualitative & open ended survey platforms or as stand-alone tools, they free time spent on analysis to be used for more strategic tasks
• Knowledge management and sharing tools: research is only useful if used and platforms like Stravito, Lucy AI, KnowledgeHound or Market Logic allow for democratised and faster access to the often underutilised data already existing in organisations
QUAL360: Apart from work, what should delegates talk to you about at Qual360 Europe– do you have any particular personal interests, hobbies or extracurricular activities and engagements?
Mihaela: Travel and photography are two interlinked passions. While I do not get to travel as much as I used or would like to, exploring new places and getting immersed in the “vibe” of a different country is when I feel most alive. Street and documentary photography is something I have long been interested in and that goes beyond my own occasional snapshot taking. Browsing the images and reading the stories that often accompany documentary photography give me a look behind the curtain and satisfy my curiosity about how other people live.
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