What global reach means in practice: An interview with Rob Dolafi and Jacob Lagerstedt

In the following interview, Rob Dolafi and Jacob Lagerstedt, key regional directors helping to develop Norstat’s international presence, discuss what this means for clients, colleagues and the wider business in practice.

What Global Reach means for clients

For clients, it’s not just about coverage in more countries. It must involve a standardised approach from data quality to project management, ensuring a seamless service. As Jacob Lagerstedt, Norstat’s Regional Director for Southern Europe, explains, “Global Reach is increasing our possibility to act as a single point of contact for our clients, including full control of where the sample comes from as well as the quality of the sample.”

Rob Dolafi, Head of Norstat Americas, agrees: “It allows us to manage clients’ projects as a whole, and relieve them of the duty of managing multiple vendors. Further, it brings the well-respected Norstat quality of panel and service at a global scale across multiple time zones.”

The benefits of a single point of contact

The idea of a single point of contact comes through strongly in both Jacob and Rob’s comments. For clients running multi-market studies, working with one partner reduces complexity and helps create a more consistent experience across markets.

Jacob emphasises the importance of having a trusted point of contact. “Relationships are the key in this business. Working with one point of contact whom you know and who can support you across all markets makes all the difference. At the same time, we bring in local expertise and service to provide a great combination.”

Rob expands on the practicalities, stating, “Clients also get superior data quality, faster delivery across multiple regions, first-in-class service, and access to native language experts with an understanding of cultural sensitivities”

Data quality across markets

Norstat has always delivered real data collected from real people. Our consistently strict approach to quality, standards, and recruitment over many years gives clients confidence in the data we provide, and this is now available globally.

Both directors are clear on the importance of quality, with Jacob noting, “Quality means everything for us, and regardless of country or region, quality is the core thread in what we do. We are taking several steps to maintain our quality both in recruitment, in surveys, as well as frequent analyses of patterns.”

Rob completely agrees, adding, “Data quality is what defines us as a company. It starts with the recruitment of new respondents into our panel and then during each and every data collection engagement. Whether it’s preventing speeders, inconsistent answers, or unengaged open-ended responses, it’s an investment we make as a company to execute best practices and ensure that our clients are getting real data from real people.”

The importance of proprietary panels

Well-managed, growing, proprietary panels are also central to quality. Rob argues that “Proprietary panels are the best method in our industry to access the highest quality data” because they allow for long-term investment in recruitment and in the quality of the panel itself. “We have to ensure that the investment is one that will give us the most sustained return on investment,” he says. “Therefore, we need to ensure that we nurture the panellists so that they provide the quality of data that will keep clients coming back to us.”

The investments in panel recruitment make certain we continue to improve our already strong feasibility for consumer, hard-to-reach, and B2B audiences in both Europe and the Americas.

Shared values and integration work

Norstat and Offerwise have similarities and unique strengths, and the integration process underway is designed to bring together the best practices from both.

Rob is leading the integration from the Offerwise side, and reflects on how close the companies already are: “One of the driving factors behind moving forward on both sides was the uncanny similarity in corporate culture, values and approach to business between the two organisations. Four months later, that feeling is now turning into a reality in practice.”

Jacob is similarly positive, adding that “Norstat and Offerwise are two great companies that have a very similar culture. At the moment, we are working on streamlining our services and digital solutions while also benefiting from a close to 24/7 service and the ability to provide services in more languages.”

What it means for colleagues

The acquisition also creates new possibilities for colleagues. Jacob mentions “more opportunities for growth and more best-in-class knowledge to learn from,” with Rob highlighting “growth, information exchange, learning, and being part of a greater organisation with a larger impact on the industry.”

Similarities and differences

Although there are many cultural similarities between Norstat and Offerwise, there are also a few differences. Jacob describes the two businesses as “a perfect match”, while adding with a smile that Offerwise comes with “a larger interest in football.” Meanwhile, Rob is struck by how many similarities exist across the Atlantic, noting, “I have learned that our colleagues from across the Atlantic enjoy life and a playful work environment where they build personal relationships even at work. That is a perception of Europe that I did not expect, whereas it’s expected in Latin America.”

The acquisition of Offerwise marks an important step in Norstat’s ambition to be a full-service data collection partner with global reach. By combining stronger regional coverage with local expertise and high-quality proprietary panels, the business is ideally positioned to support clients running studies across Europe and the Americas.