Local Data Matters: An interview with Jordi Quirós

Local knowledge across markets

“The first thing to understand about Latin America is that there really is no single ‘Latin American market’. Mexico is very different from Brazil, Colombia is different from Argentina, and Central America has its own dynamics,” says Jordi. “It’s not just language and culture; consumer behaviour, technology adoption and even the way companies make decisions can vary enormously. That is why local knowledge matters so much here.”

With Norstat, clients can work with one partner across multiple Latin American markets while still having people on the ground who understand each individual country. “We have spent years developing our presence, teams and panels across the region, and we combine that local expertise with the scale, technology and experience. I think that combination is particularly powerful: international presence without losing the local expertise that is essential in such a diverse region.”

People, quality and ambition

For Jordi, the combination of people, quality and ambition stands out as one of the best things about Norstat. “One of the things that has impressed me most is how much knowledge exists across the organisation. There are people who have been working with panels, technology and data collection for many years, but at the same time there is a real willingness to evolve and try new things.”

And then there is the human side. “Market research is ultimately a people business. Technology is increasingly important, but clients remember whether you were there when they had a difficult project, whether you found a solution when something went wrong, and whether they can trust the person on the other side of the table. That combination of technology, data quality and people is probably what I value most.”

The importance of data quality

“I think we are entering one of the most interesting periods the market research industry has experienced in a long time,” says Jordi.

“Clients want things faster, simpler and increasingly automated, but at the same time concerns around data quality are probably greater than ever. In some ways, those two trends pull in opposite directions.”

He adds that technology will continue to make research faster and more accessible, which is positive, but notes that “speed without quality has very little value. If the people behind the data are not real, properly recruited and engaged, making the wrong decision faster is not really an improvement.”

“For companies like Norstat, I think this creates a major opportunity. Our job is not simply to provide completes. It is to provide reliable access to real people and ultimately data that clients can confidently use to make decisions.”

AI and verified human data

Jordi expects artificial intelligence to reshape market research significantly. “It will automate many tasks that currently take us hours, help us analyse information faster and make research tools much more accessible. I also think it will change some of the roles within our industry. We should embrace that rather than be afraid of it.”

At the same time, he sees an important paradox emerging as AI-generated content becomes more widespread. “The more content AI generates and the harder it becomes to distinguish what is real from what is synthetic, the more valuable verified human data becomes. AI can analyse answers, identify patterns and help us ask better questions, but if you want to know what consumers actually think, buy, remember or intend to do, at some point you still need access to real people.”

For Jordi, that makes AI both an opportunity for the industry and something that makes high-quality, verified human data even more important.

Solving the client’s challenge

“I particularly enjoy projects where the client comes to us with a challenge rather than simply sending us a specification,” says Jordi. “After so many years in the industry, the interesting part is not receiving a request for a certain number of interviews. It is sitting with the client, understanding what they are actually trying to achieve and figuring out the best way to make it happen.”

He also enjoys complex multi-country projects. “Latin America can look relatively simple on a map, but executing the same study across Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Chile or Central America can be a completely different story in each market. Those projects allow us to combine technology, operations and local expertise, and that is where I think we can add the most value.”

Why Norstat

Jordi is clear: “Because good decisions start with good data. There are many ways today to collect data quickly and cheaply. The most difficult part is knowing whether you can actually trust it.”

“At Norstat, we combine high-quality panels and technology with something that I consider equally important in Latin America: people who understand the local markets. We know that what works in Mexico may not work in Brazil, Colombia or Argentina, and our clients have teams who understand those differences.”

But he sees partnership as equally important. “We want clients to see us as more than a sample provider. When a project is difficult, we want to be the team they call to find a solution.”

“For me, the ideal relationship is very simple: our clients should feel that we are part of their team, not just another supplier.”