by AI in Qualitative Research: Speeding Insights at REWE International AG
Editor’s note: In the lead-up to Qual360 Europe 2026, Dominik Pavlisin, Group Leader Shopper Marketing at REWE International AG, shares how insights-led thinking can accelerate decision-making, guide product innovation, and create lasting business impact.
Qual360: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk and what would you like delegates to remember?
Dominik: I would like to talk about practical examples of how we successfully incorporated AI-based tools into our new product development processes. Our goal was clear: to predict trends, understand customer needs, and validate marketing assets, making these processes faster, more accurate, and cost-effective.
From my personal experience, we must be able to act on insights as fast as possible, otherwise, they become meaningless. Speed is our ultimate competitive advantage.
We managed to create a comprehensive process that starts from spotting emerging trends through AI-driven social listening, moves to running qualitative studies with AI moderators, and concludes with testing creative assets using AI-driven quantitative models.
Following my speech, I look forward to exploring this topic further. We will discuss, in a round table, how we can effectively combine qualitative and quantitative KPIs to monitor the success of any new product launch.
Qual360: What motivates you to join the Qual360 Europe conference, and what are your expectations?
Dominik: One of the key motivations for me is to see how the landscape of qual research has evolved in the past two years, given the opportunities from AI. I would love to see how other companies have established the presence of AI in their day-to-day processes in the field of market research.
Qual360: How are you effectively landing qualitative insights in the business decision making ecosystem?
Dominik: We land qualitative insights by embedding AI-powered qualitative studies directly into the decision-making process. Instead of traditional, time-consuming interviews, we use AI moderators that conduct in-depth conversations with target groups in a chat-like environment. This means decision-makers don’t wait weeks for reports, they get actionable insights instantly.
Qual360: As the research landscape evolves, as does the role of the researcher, what are two new skills qualitative researchers should be adding to their arsenal and why?
Dominik: What I believe will become an essential skill is the correct prompting of AI and understanding the limitations that AI models/agents have. I often see that being able to verify sources of information and understand the logic of how AI agents work is key to making reliable and trustworthy recommendations.
Qual360: How are you responding to the availability of big data and the proliferation of AI tools when managing your qualitative consumer research?
Dominik: What I find exciting is how data has become more democratized within the company. This means that access, analysis, and decision-making are now widely available, even to users without prior technical or statistical background and without the need for advanced analytical software. On the other hand, this new era has brought significant attention to data and infrastructure security.
Qual360: Apart from work, what should delegates talk to you about at Qual360 Europe– do you have any personal interests, hobbies or extracurricular activities and engagements?
Dominik: Anything related to outdoors, fishing, cycling or running.
Qual360: Favourite recommendations to make to industry colleagues for inspiration, innovation, guidance and leadership:
Dominik:
In your ears – Podcast:
Business Wars – An easy-to-listen podcast exploring corporate rivalries between some of the world’s biggest brands.
Must read – Book:
Up the Organisation by Robert Townsend – A classic on turning around struggling companies with practical insights and bold thinking.
Working mode / Inspiring song recommendation – Song:
I usually listen to instrumental music when I need to focus, but nothing specific.
Qual360: Thank you so much, Dominik! We look forward to hearing more from you at the event.
🌍 Global Reach – Local Flavour: Qual360 Europe 2026 | January 28-28, 2026 | Berlin, Germany
Join the world’s leading qualitative researchers — from international brands, leading agencies, and independent industry experts— at Qual360 Europe.
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