Dr. Karen I. Fischer

Dr. Fischer has been providing strategic and tactical qualitative research for 25 years in a wide variety of industries with Fortune 500 companies. Karen’s background is ideally suited to provide the insights necessary for effective strategy, marketing and advertising solutions.

She is a highly skilled interviewer who knows how to put people at ease and establish the rapport necessary for candid disclosure in order to uncover the deeper meanings and cognitive structures that are so crucial to understanding consumers’ decision-making. Her work focuses on both directive and projective techniques in order to uncover the key motivations and beliefs that strengthen products, brands, channels, service and communications.

Karen’s educational background is grounded in psychology, with a unique entry to the field of market research. She earned a Ph.D. and license in Clinical Psychology, certification as a school psychologist, professional affiliations with the Clinical Society of Hypnosis and Biofeedback Society of America and was an adjunct professor at Thomas Jefferson University Medical Hospital, Philadelphia. Karen had a thriving private practice in psychology that treated adults, families and children, in addition to consulting with public and private schools.

Twenty-five years ago, Karen was invited to a conduct a market research study, using clinical techniques, in order to develop a fresh, new positioning for a brand that had existed since mid-century. At that time, using a psychological approach for brand positioning was novel, and the advertising campaign that developed was so successful, that Karen was asked to repeat the process with additional brands at the same company. Karen soon discovered that her clinical and research background in psychology was ideally suited to the field of market research. After two years of wearing both hats, Karen phased out of her clinical practice, realizing that she truly enjoyed her market research clients and projects.

Due to her dedication to quality and the strength of insights from her qualitative research, Karen has enjoyed relationships with some the same clients for 25 years, and her consulting has been largely based on word-of-mouth referral.

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I’ve had the privilege of working with Karen over the course of a number of years and many projects across a wide range of businesses and categories. I consider Karen a “go to” qualitative researcher for important projects whenever they come up. I know I can always depend on her to deliver what I need, when I need it. In planning and designing research she is extremely flexible, constantly available and attentive to every detail. Her recruiting is flawless and her focus group techniques are creative and highly effective at deriving the core insights that are both meaningful and actionable. Her reports and presentations are extremely enlightening and insightful and provide a great balance of research findings and meaningful and actionable implications. She blends great research skills with extensive experience across a wide range of businesses and an astute business sense. Karen is delightful to work with, her client servicing skills are best in class and she makes the research process fun..

Senior Vice President, Brand Strategy, Luxury Consumer Goods Industry