by How Can Qualitative Researchers Leverage AI to Create Personas?
A Qual360 EU Speaker Interview with Laurens Van der Hoeven, Insights Manager at Philips
Laurens is an Insights Manager at Philips within the Marketing Insights & Analytics organization. He specializes in analyzing global customer feedback and competitive intelligence within the Healthcare sector. Known for his ability to structure and simplify complex situations, Laurens leverages his analytical skills to drive insights. He is a firm believer in the power of AI to enhance efficiency and productivity and encourages everyone to explore how AI can improve their lives.
QUAL360: Without giving too much away – what is the core message of your talk and what would you like delegates to remember?
Laurens: We are in the middle of rapid change, with Artificial Intelligence reshaping how we engage with information. While the initial AI hype may have cooled down, the technology is here to stay. My session at Qual360 Europe will explore how we, as qualitative researchers, can leverage AI to create personas, highlighting both the opportunities and the risks involved.
However, this session is not just about AI techniques, it is an invitation to start a dialogue. During the conference, I’ll be hosting a roundtable where I am looking forward to exchanging insights and exploring the broader implications of AI on our field.
Ultimately, my goal is not to showcase what I’ve done with AI, but to collectively reflect on how this technology is already influencing our work and how it will continue to do so in the future.
QUAL360: What motivates you to join the Qual360 Europe conference and what are your expectations?
Laurens: This year will be my first time attending Qual360 Europe, and I am excited about what is to come. What I look forward to most is engaging with all the professionals who share a passion for qualitative research. I really believe that inspiration often comes from conversations with people outside of our direct circles, and this event offers the perfect platform to exchange ideas across industries.
I also expect this conference to be a place for some reflection, especially on how we can maintain the depth and nuance of qualitative insights while integrating new technologies. My hope is to leave with not just new techniques, but also a broader perspective on where our industry is headed and how we can shape it collectively.
QUAL360: What is the place of qualitative market research today, and where do you see the industry heading?
Laurens: Qualitative research remains important in today’s data-driven world, providing depth and context that quantitative methods often cannot provide. Qualitative research is like having a conversation over coffee, where you get to know someone’s true thoughts and feelings, rather than just reading their resume. To really understand the person behind the data, you need a deeper and more personal connection, which is something that qualitative insights can provide.
Looking forward, I see the industry evolving through a mixture of human expertise and technology. AI, as mentioned before, will enhance how we interact with qualitative data. It will improve the way of analysing it and will speed up the whole process. But I do believe that the human touch, for now, will still be very important for qualitative research.
QUAL360: Tell us one qualitative research stereotype you´d like to reinforce, and one stereotype that you´d like to overcome?
Laurens: One stereotype I would like to reinforce is that qualitative research is key to understanding the deeper emotions, motivations, and experiences of people. While big data and AI can give us a lot of information quickly, they cannot fully capture the human element that we get from direct conversations.
A stereotype I’d like to overcome is the idea that qualitative research is slow or outdated. With AI, we can now analyse qualitative data faster while keeping its depth. Technology helps us work more efficiently without losing the valuable human element that makes qualitative research so important.
QUAL360: How are you responding to the availability of big data and the proliferation of AI tools when managing your qualitative consumer research?
Laurens: It all starts with the right mindset. To integrate AI and big data into qualitative research, you need to be open to new approaches while being aware of your own biases and assumptions. These tools can seem intimidating, potentially overwhelming or even threatening, but they also present exciting opportunities. The key is to prepare yourself mentally and professionally so that you stay in control.
I like to think of AI as a new colleague. If you view this “colleague” as a threat to your role, it is unlikely that you will have a productive working relationship, right?
Instead, by learning about these tools, experimenting without bias, and talking with others for new perspectives, you can turn this new technology into an asset rather than a challenge.
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?
Laurens: Besides my day-to-day role at Philips, I am actively involved in organizing the Reverse Mentoring program. This is an employee-led initiative designed by and for Philips employees. I’m passionate about mentoring because I believe it is a powerful way to build connections. Through my mentoring experiences, I got to appreciate how different perspectives can lead to new and fresh insights.
What makes the Reverse Mentoring program particularly special is that it flips the traditional mentoring model. In the program we have junior employees mentoring more senior colleagues. This approach brings fresh ideas to the table and fosters a rich exchange of knowledge. If you’re curious about how it works or want to discuss it further, feel free to connect with me at Qual360!
QUAL360: Favourite recommendations to make to industry colleagues for inspiration, innovation, guidance and leadership?
Laurens:
- Must read – Book: Ogilvy on Advertising – “I really enjoy all the examples in the book and learning about how the advertisement was done back in the day”
- Working mode or inspiring song recommendation – Song: “lofi hip hop radio on YouTube – I really cannot work when listening to songs with words, so this is perfect”
QUAL360: Thank you so much, Laurens! We look forward to welcoming you at the event!
🚨 Final call—ticket sales are closing soon! ⏳Secure your spot before it’s sold out.
Curious to dive deeper into leveraging AI for persona creation with Laurens in person? 🌟 Join us at QUAL360 EU in Berlin and catch his live session! 🎤 Don’t miss the chance to exchange ideas during networking breaks and connect with industry leaders. QUAL360 Europe brings together, once again, a unique mix of research professionals in a global conference series dedicated exclusively to qualitative market research in 2025.
📍 Berlin, January 29-30, 2025
With its 17-year history (since 2008), Qual360 is a unique event catering to a strong global community of dedicated “Quallies”. This year, we’re once again gathering leading industry minds, including decision-makers from Lego Group, Capital.com, Nestlé, Philips, Booking.com, PepsiCo, BBC, JPMC, Novo Nordisk, Moët Hennessy, Logitech, Bolt Insight and more!
Last tickets available here- https://eu.qual360.com/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=blog#registration
