The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new ways of working and has forced organisations to focus on customer and employee’s pulse like never before to ensure they remain physically, mentally, and socially healthy to contribute to the survival and success of the company. Even during these times of disruptions, governments and businesses have embarked on experience transformation journeys leveraging intelligent technologies to support workplace flexibility, productivity, and agility.

A recent report by Qualtrics XM Institute involving over 4,000 global employees revealed that employee expectations and needs have evolved during the pandemic. Amidst the newness of remote and hybrid working to many, 53{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} said long-term remote work policy is one strong factor that would make them stay in their company. The majority (51{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) said their productivity has improved while working remotely– attributed to having flexible schedules, personal space, and zero time spent for commuting, among others. Remarkably, 53{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of the respondents appreciated their organisation’s purpose more since the pandemic and they are twice as likely to say they have improved their well-being despite these trying times.

In Japan, Qualtrics, the leader and creator of the Experience Management (XM) category, has witnessed the increasing demand for XM solutions to support organisations’ playbooks in strengthening both internal and external relationships. To support the Japanese enterprises and governments’ drive for enhanced experiences not only for customers and employees but also for their brands and products, the SAP-owned company will soon launch a new data center in the country.

Addressing the Increasing Demand for Qualtrics XM Platform

Satoru Kumashiro, Country Manager for Qualtrics in Japan, explained that the pandemic has further accelerated the experience transformation strategy of enterprises and governments worldwide, including in Japan, requiring more stringent data security measures. Globally, over 750 government departments and agencies rely on Qualtrics’ best-in-class XM solutions.

Sharing about Qualtrics massive investment and scaling of operations in Japan, Kumashiro said:

“The opening of a data center in Japan is part of our efforts to meet the increasing demands of our customers by expanding our support, expertise, and capabilities. Organisations across all industries, including those with strict data handling requirements, such as government and financial services will be able to benefit from our industry-leading Experience Management Platform. We will continue our efforts to obtain ISMAP certification so that even more customers in Japan can use Qualtrics solutions with confidence.”

Qualtrics have been helping organisations in Japan retain and win new customers as well as improve employee talent management. With the new data center, the XM company further deepens its support to Japanese businesses and governments by helping them comply with data sovereignty and security requirements while leveraging the Qualtrics XM Platform. The Qualtrics data center, which will start operations in 2022, will be the pioneer data center in Japan that is highly focussed on experience management technologies.

Brigid Archibald, Managing Director for Qualtrics in the Asia Pacific and Japan, highlighted that the company has a 10-year advantage in the XM category during this time when organisations recognise experience data as the most valuable data. She added:

“Our continued and growing investment in Japan demonstrates our long-standing commitment to build and lead the XM category in the country, ensuring our customers – including Okinawa City Council, Daikin, and Higo Bank – lead the way and succeed in this age of experience transformation,”

Part of Qualtrics’ business expansion plans in APJ is moving the Japanese headquarters to Tokyo and opening an office in Kansai to support regional customers. Earlier this year, Qualtrics has also forged a strategic partnership with IBM Japan to further expand the capabilities of the Qualtrics XM Platform.

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The Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region still proves to be an emerging experience economy where consumers choose a superior experience over a superior product. As part of its growth strategies and ongoing investments in expanding operations, Qualtrics has opened offices in Singapore and Tokyo in 2017 to address the increasing demand for XM solutions in the region. 

Qualtrics’ recent partnership agreement with multinational technology company IBM Japan is yet another proof of the company’s commitment to driving the digital transformation of businesses across the APJ region. The latest collaboration will empower IBM Japan with the right tools to provide a ‘one-stop support’ for companies when implementing industry-leading solutions from Qualtrics Experience Management (XM) Platform.

With a focus on achieving the goal of accelerating the XM footprint in the Japanese market, IBM Japan will be extending advisory services, delivery, and support for XM solutions to customers in the country.

In a statement, Satoru Kumashiro, Managing Director at Qualtrics Japan, said that Qualtrics has been instrumental in designing and enhancing the experiences delivered to customers and employees for businesses worldwide. Commenting on the new partnership, Kumashiro said the company continues to rapidly scale its operations in Japan. He added:

“Qualtrics’ strategic partnership with IBM ensures businesses across the country can benefit today from the industry-leading Experience Management Platform.”

Meanwhile, Brigid Archibald, Managing Director at Qualtrics APJ, also expressed her delight at the new alliance. The regional MD, who was appointed in May 2020 to direct the growth strategies of Qualtrics XM operations in APJ, remarked:

“An exciting chapter for Qualtrics, IBM, and most importantly, for the customers we serve.”

Expanding the Reach of Qualtrics XM Platform in Japan

In November 2019, IBM joined the Qualtrics Partner Network — a network of expert practitioners with deep industry knowledge, experience, and insights — and has since established a dedicated Qualtrics department to support XM implementations. All members of that group were also certified as Qualtrics consultants in February 2020.

Furthermore, that dedicated team of experts has won orders for large-scale employee experience projects and received the highest satisfaction rate in IBM Japan after the implementation. The group has also successfully delivered professional implementations of Qualtrics EmployeeXM, built on the Qualtrics XM Platform, to Japanese customers.

As the first Japanese company to acquire Qualtrics reseller certification, IBM Japan will help accelerate time to value for joint customers. The tech giant will also have significant involvement in expanding the reach of XM capabilities as an implementation partner for Qualtrics in the region.

“IBM Japan’s appointment as reseller for Qualtrics in Japan is testament to the proven abilities of Qualtrics, which is already being successfully used by leading Japanese companies,” Kumashiro said.

By combining Qualtrics XM software and IBM Japan’s services and solutions, the strategic alliance will help clients in achieving greater results in their XM implementations. Joint account planning will also be conducted with sales representatives from both companies. Additionally, the collaboration will see XM training held within IBM Japan.

Moreover, Qualtrics customers will join Think 2021 — a digital event hosted by IBM Japan — along with other experts in the industry to learn more about how to navigate change through transformation, automation, and modernisation. 

About IBM Japan

IBM Japan Ltd. is a commercial services provider that offers computer system and semi-conductor products, software, technical support, and business consulting services to fulfill the needs of customers.

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In the 2019 Cushman & Wakefield report, Singapore’s data center market ranked third globally and was recognized as the only mature data center market in Southeast Asia. Many multinational companies expand their presence in the country since Singapore continues to rise in the global index due to improved high-speed connectivity, political stability, and low risk of natural disasters relative to other countries.

As the city-state is projected to remain a major connectivity hub in the Asia Pacific region, it is no surprise that Qualtrics has set its eyes on Singapore to be its next data center location to cater to Southeast Asia customers. Slated to open in 2021, the Qualtrics data center aims to ensure government and enterprise customers’ compliance with data sovereignty and security requirements when deploying the vendor’s experience management (XM) platform.

Sharing about the rationale behind opening a new data center in Singapore, Mao Gen Foo, Head of Southeast Asia at Qualtrics, said:

“With the opening of a dedicated data center for Southeast Asia in Singapore, Qualtrics is well-positioned to help businesses and governments improve the customer and employee experience they deliver with our industry-leading XM technologies.

Our continued and substantial investment demonstrates our long-standing commitment to build the XM category in the region, giving local businesses the competitive advantage needed to continue competing on the global stage.”

Growing APJ Market

To address the growing demand for XM solutions at the end-user level, the new data center in Singapore is anticipated to increase local headcount by at least 50{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} in Southeast Asia during the next 12 months.

Soon after SAP’s $US8 billion acquisition of Qualtrics early last year, Qualtrics APJ has become the fastest-growing market for the company, serving over1200 customers, employing approximately 160 people, and having eight offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Qualtrics cater to industry leaders such as Cathay Pacific, GOJEK, Samsung SDS, Fuji Xerox, Sony, Yamaha, Qantas, Chobani, and Volkswagen Group Australia, which have contributed to the unprecedented growth of the XM company in the region.

Brigid Archibald, the recently appointed Qualtrics Managing Director of APJ and former Country Manager of Australia and New Zealand, explained that the strategic move is a logical consequence for the business. She stated:

“The capabilities and expertise of the Qualtrics team is unmatched, and we are excited to continue this growth in 2021.”

Qualtrics currently operates a network of global data centers, spanning the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, and the APJ region. Four years after the opening of its APJ headquarters in Sydney, Australia, Qualtrics APJ doubled the size of its regional workforce in 2019.

Commenting on Qualtrics’ plan in Singapore, Verena Siow, President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia, said:

“The establishment of a Qualtrics data center in Singapore is of huge value to businesses and governments – giving them the tools and capabilities needed to thrive in today’s business environments. Qualtrics is central to helping businesses unlock the insights they need to improve every experience they deliver.”

SAP announced in July its intent to take Qualtrics public through an initial public offering (IPO) while retaining majority ownership.

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As businesses slowly ease into the new normal, including creating marketing strategies and roadmaps for the future of commerce, Qualtrics’ recent survey on consumer behavior during the pandemic in the Philippines and Singapore gives organisations critical insights on the pulse of the market in these changing times.

The recent Qualtrics study relates to the last study conducted by Qualtrics in May 2020, which outlines the biggest drivers of brand trust following the COVID-19 pandemic and how consumers want to be engaged. In Qualtrics’ latest study, the actions brands are taking continue to have a significant impact on consumers regardless of the changes in restrictions due to the pandemic.

Lisa Khatri, Research and Brand Experience Lead for Qualtrics in APJ said:

“Being able to identify, understand, and respond to rapidly changing expectations is business-critical during the pandemic, and long after it. The fact that preferences toward the message and the medium have changed and yet the importance of actions remains hugely important reveals brands cannot afford to stand still in how they engage consumers. 

As we move forward through the pandemic preferences and attitudes will continue to shift. This is why it is hugely important businesses use technology like Qualtrics to have an “always on pulse” of consumer sentiment and behavior tracking. Insights delivered by Qualtrics help identify the lead indicators businesses need to design and deliver the brand communications and experiences people want, and which ultimately cultivate the trust needed to succeed.” 

In this article, we will take a look at how the consumer behaviors, preferences, and expectations from brands they engage with shifted during the first 6 months of the pandemic in the Philippines and Singapore.

The Philippines Consumer Pulse

95{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of the Philippines consumers said that brand actions impact trust in the time of a crisis. The drivers of the brand trust are consistent with May 2020 Qualtrics’ research and these are:

• (41{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) Not taking advantage of a crisis to maximise profits remains the most important 
• (40{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) Maintaining reasonable pricing
• Taking care of customers (34{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) and employees (23{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22})

A Shift in Communication and Engagement Platforms

The survey revealed a significant shift in communication preferences, messages, and engagement platforms in the Philippines.

The top brand communications people expect today are updates on the brand’s response to the pandemic and messages on safety and hygiene protocols. Information into products and services is down one place to the third most desired message, (50{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}). Sales and promotion emails (45{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) and information on reward programs are next in the consumers’ preferences.

Facebook (84{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) remains the most popular engagement platform followed by online media (63{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), email (56{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), and TV advertising (51{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}).

Singapore Consumer Pulse

In the city-state, more than 90{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} of consumers agreed that during a crisis brand actions impact trust. Similar to Singapore’s response in May 2020 and comparable the to Philippines’ consumer response, the drivers of the brand trust in the country are:

• (40{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) Not taking advantage of a crisis to maximise profits remains the most important 
• (37{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) Maintaining reasonable pricing 
• Taking care of customers (32{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) and employees (27{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22})

A Shift in Communication and Engagement Platforms

The top message that Singaporeans expect from brands today is sales and promotion via emails (52{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), which has shown an 11{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22} increase from May 2020. The other messages that make up the top 5 messages consumers want are information into products and services (47{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), safety and hygiene protocols (43{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), and reward programs (41{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}).

As for the preferred engagement platform, Singaporeans are increasingly choosing email (60{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), followed by Facebook (47{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), and Whatsapp (45{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}). The study revealed that consumers are moving away from traditional broadcast (19{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}) and online media (38{aa282f308afcc222aaa21b0478c79e01a8fedd01972e2180867097bd93930f22}), which showed a significant drop versus last May.

*Qualtrics surveyed 328 Singaporeans and 328 Filipinos (aged 18-65) in early September 2020.

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After a successful 8 months as the country manager for Australia and New Zealand, Qualtrics promotes Brigid Archibald to regional managing director for the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) region. 

Citing Archibald’s impressive performance in Australia and New Zealand, CEO and co-founder Ryan Smith said he looked forward to seeing Archibald take over the continued rapid growth of Qualtrics across the APJ region:

“Since joining Qualtrics to lead our ANZ business Brigid has had an incredible impact. Her contributions have helped the region consistently exceed expectations and cement Qualtrics’ position as the leader in experience management. Qualtrics is relentlessly focused on helping organizations get back to business the right way by uncovering the insights they need, and we are incredibly excited to have Brigid lead the way in APJ.”

Qualtrics XM Growth in APJ Region

Qualtrics first opened its APJ regional headquarters in Sydney, Australia back in 2015. At the time the experience management company was serving 250 customers and only had a handful of employees. By 2016 though, this number significantly grew and surpassed 1,000 customers—resulting in three more offices and a data center opening in the country. As the demand for XM solutions in Southeast Asia and East Asia grew, offices in Singapore and Tokyo were opened in 2017.

After Qualtrics was acquired by SAP for $US8 billion in January 2019, Qualtrics APJ has become the fastest-growing market for the company. Today it serves more than 1200 customers, employs approximately 160 people, and has eight offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, India, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia.

The rise of Qualtrics in the APJ region has been nothing short of remarkable. The XM solutions provider counts industry leaders Cathay Pacific, GOJEK, Samsung SDS, Fuji Xerox, Sony, Yamaha, Qantas, Chobani and Volkswagen Group Austalia as customers.

Part of its growth strategies in the region included significant and ongoing investments in expanding operations and expertise across APJ. In 2019, Qualtrics APJ doubled the size of its regional workforce. Several senior appointments were made in the same year: three appointments to its Research Services & Strategy team and two to its Employee Experience (EX) product.

Qualtrics’ recent partnership agreements with multinational professional services provider Ernst & Young (EY) and leading South Korean IT service provider Lotte Data Communication (LDCC) is another proof of the company’s commitment to accelerate the digital and XM transformations of businesses across the APJ region. 

With Archibald’s appointment as MD for Qualtrics APJ, the company expects that the support needed by businesses in the APJ region to improve experience management across the four pillars of business—customer, employee, brand, and product—will be further reinforced, strengthening Qualtrics’ position at the forefront of the experience management category even more.

Before joining Qualtrics in 2019, Archibald held positions at Salesforce, American Express, HP, Compaq, Digital Equipment Corporation, AT&T and NCR.

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