Interview: Kaia Fowler - Market Research Manager

For this week’s blog, we interviewed Kaia Fowler, she is the Market Research Manager at the Wisconsin Innovation Service Center (WISC) here at UW-Whitewater. Working as a student researcher myself, Kaia is my manager there.

1)           How did you get here?​

She received a degree in communications, which lead to more marketing roles. She also enjoyed conducting research while doing marketing projects. Before WISC, she worked in the Small Business Development (SBDC) in marketing communications but then moved into more of a research role in marketing instead.

2)           Tell us more about what you do at your job.

Kaia works with small businesses and inventors to help them define their market research goals, and designing projects meet their goals as well. She also guides researchers who carry out the projects like myself. Once research has been gathered and the project is done, she advises clients on how to implement results.

3)           Why do you think it is important to conduct research?

For this question, she indicated that business owners sometimes think they know what customers want. The only way to really know is to get information is from people in the field. At WISC, researchers conduct interviews with industry professionals. “Getting actual information from someone is valuable, it helps make better decisions when having insights. “

4)           How has your past experience with market research helped you with where you are at now?

Kaia said that once she started doing marketing research, she was more comfortable and relaxed reaching out to people and asking what she needs to communicate to the client. “A lot of people want to talk, it’s just motivating them to.”

5)           Describe a typical week for a research position.

She indicated that It mostly varies, depending on what research you are involved with during that time. Some of the time it is looking at other reports and doing statistical analysis, while it could also be on phone interviews. In addition, Kaia said that it is dealing a lot with deadlines.

6)           What are some challenges of working in market research?

The main challenge Kaia said was that there is so much information and sources that it can take a lot of time to find the right information. Every client at WISC has certain information that they are looking for to suit their needs. The information has to be relevant to those needs, she indicated.

7)           What is the best part about your job?

“I like acting as a bridge between the business individuals and inventors”, Kaia said. It is satisfying to delivering information that they may not get otherwise. She also said that sometimes the client doesn’t have the time, skills, or desire to do it.

8)           What is your advice for someone going into market research?

“Learn how to love statistics, it is common to hear statistics are hard or boring, but it can be exciting”, Kaia said. She also indicated it is very doable and powerful for practical use. I then asked if marketing would be a good path to take, and she said, “Marketing is a good path, because you are already having marketing knowledge which can help you decide what research to conduct. Data and statistics work with marketing all the time.” Kaia also said that creative people in marketing can have the ability to look at information and manipulate it in a way that they can tell a story in. I also asked if a person has to have statistical skills for this position, and she said it can definitely be learned.