For us, this spring brought one of the biggest challenges - we were title sponsors at MRMW APAC Singapore. We enjoyed this opportunity that we had in an effervescent market, such as the Asian one.
In Singapore, our colleagues witnessed exciting presentations, all culminating with the presentation of our latest study on sustainable food. The audience enthusiastically received the speech of our colleague Alexandru Craciun.
You can read about all this and about the lessons learned at this conference in the following interview with our colleagues Neville Chan (Senior Strategy & Growth Manager APAC), Alexandru Craciun (Growth & Partnership Manager EMEA) and Cristian Craciun (Sales and Business Development Director).
What were your key takeaways from MRMW APAC? Were there any particular takeaways or insights from MRMW APAC that you think will be particularly relevant or impactful for DataDiggers moving forward?
Alexandru Crăciun: For me, the main insight has been the fact that not only market research, but rather the entire world is moving forward and evolving rapidly. Technology plays an important role and the development was clear with an open eye – from the topics of the presentations focusing on the impact of AI and sustainable food, up to the conference having an app for networking.
Neville Chan: This was likely the first in-person conference post pandemic for most of us, and what made this event even more impressionable was the good mix of audience from both the market research and client side who came together to share valuable insights and connections.
Cristian Crăciun: No matter the experience, no matter from which part of the world we came at the fair, we all had for sure access to a lot of relevant information and news through the all presentations that were took at MRMW within the two days of the fair. From growth strategies to gen Z loyalty, from the future of commerce to how to tap into the gig economy, all the presentation left us with a lot new ideas and implementations that can conduct to a strong growth of our company in the next few years!
What were some of the most interesting presentations you attended?
Neville Chan: Most of the presentations were focused on the impact of digital transformation and how big data and AI-powered tools are unlikely to humanize the consumer experience in years to come.
Cristian Crăciun: All of them had unique bulk of interesting new information, quite difficult to make a top but let`s say “A sustainable future starts with sustainable food” presented by my colleague Alexandru Crăciun, “Combining the science of data and the art of human understanding” presented by Patet Amparo and last but not least “How to tap in to the gig economy: Research participation reimagined” presented by jay Tye.
Alexandru Crăciun: One of the most captivating discussions that took place at the MRMW APAC 2023 conference has been the panel entitled “Is it going to be Man vs Machine?”, moderated by Michael Waitze. The arguments introduced by this discussion revealed some intriguing insights on the topic of how we could become more human-centered as an industry overall and how AI will impact all aspects of working in market research.
How did DataDiggers sponsorship influence your presence at MRMW APAC?
Cristian Crăciun: I would not say a sponsorship guarantees the success, it was our pleasure to be title sponsors but I am sure even without the sponsorship we would have had the same success!
Neville Chan: As title sponsors, it gave DataDiggers the opportunity to network and showcase our capabilities to a wider outreach of audiences across APAC under one roof. This helps to create a more positive connection with potential clients as a result.
Alexandru Crăciun: Being title sponsors for this year’s conference had a big impact on how we interacted not only with the guests that stopped by our booth, but also with the attendees of our presentation. Creating awareness and being noticed remains one of they key factors for any brand, as you are always visible in people’s eyes and you have a chance of being on top of their minds.
What was your biggest challenge during the conference?
Alexandru Crăciun: Like any new place that one visits for the very first time, the MRMW APAC conference came with its own – from the long trip from Romania and back, to logistics, tricky situations and the emotions before presenting our research in from of a large audience. With all these in sight, we still managed to be on our best form, while also learning new things about a new culture and business models in the APAC region.
Cristian Crăciun: Keeping up with the fatigue and time zone difference!
Neville Chan: Given the packed agenda, it was impossible to network with all the delegates, but I hope this event creates another opportunity to reconnect in the future.
What were some of the most interesting conversations you had with other attendees? Can you speak of any interesting or unexpected interactions or experiences you had at MRMW APAC that you didn't anticipate before attending the conference?
Neville Chan: Most of the interactions were positive in the sense that everyone was quite open to discussions post event. There was nothing out of the ordinary as I would have expected otherwise.
Alexandru Crăciun: The main point of difference is its format, with multiple presentations on various topics, alongside big names from various end clients. Although these aspects are definitely not unique, this year’s edition has definitely been a success when it comes to the quality of the speakers and the topics presented.
In your opinion, what sets MRMW APAC apart from other market research conferences you've attended?
Cristian Crăciun: It`s unique design, the size of the event, being smaller compared to others as for example Quirks or Succeet you have the opportunity to discuss with everyone more in depth.
Alexandru Crăciun: Recent developments brough by research are influencing industries from all areas, so there are big changes coming around. With changes, there also come uncertainty and novelty – market research will always be there for businesses all around the world, in providing answers about trends, consumers, professionals and other aspects.
Neville Chan: This was my first time attending one of the largest market research conferences in APAC, and in my opinion the conversations with delegates were more intimate and thus made it easier to connect with as compared to other larger scale events.
What role do you think market research will play in shaping the future of business and consumer behavior?
Alexandru Crăciun: Recent developments brough by research are influencing industries from all areas, so there are big changes coming around. With changes, there also come uncertainty and novelty – market research will always be there for businesses all around the world, in providing answers about trends, consumers, professionals and other aspects.
Neville Chan: I believe market research will continue to play a significant role in a humanized way to continuously benchmark against alternative research solutions.
Cristian Crăciun: I would not say the role is going to change, at least not soon, but the importance of it will definitely be more and more acknowledged by the entrepreneurs.
What did you learn from this experience? How do you plan to apply what you learned at MRMW APAC to your work at DataDiggers?
Alexandru Crăciun: This year’s MRMW APAC conference showcased that we will always have to learn about the new trends being developed not only for professional reasons, but also for personal ones. Our presentation on the topic of sustainable food definitely shows there is growing interest not only for Singaporeans, but also for people around the world for an phenomenon that is already happening as it happens.
Neville Chan: It was a positive learning experience overall to understand the industry and the challenges common to the MR industry and clients. What can be applied to my work at DataDiggers going forward is to always stay ahead of the curve and keep myself updated of emerging trends and market research solutions.
What was your favorite thing about Singapore? What did you think about the city's culture?
Alexandru Crăciun: MRMW APAC 2023 gave us the chance of visiting a unique place, in Singapore, while our study on sustainable food gave us a glimpse of how Singaporeans think. Singapore remains a true melting pot of cultures not only from Asia, but from the entire world, while the city itself is a tech hub and marvel from an architectural point of view.
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