Interview with Sarah Gomez: Building UX Research Teams for Regional Marketing in Solar-Wind Energy

Sarah Gomez is a UX Research Lead at Green Horizon Energy, a company specializing in solar and wind solutions across North America. With over 7 years of experience in energy-focused user research, Sarah has guided multiple teams through regional marketing adaptation challenges. We spoke with her about how entry-level UX researchers should approach team-building to support these efforts.

Q1: Sarah, imagine you've just joined a solar-wind company as an entry-level UX researcher. What should you focus on first to help your team adapt marketing strategies regionally?

Sarah: Picture this: You’re in a meeting where the marketing team is debating why their solar panel ads are performing well in sunny California but falling flat in the Pacific Northwest. Your first task isn’t to jump into designing surveys or user interviews. Instead, focus on understanding the existing team’s skills and the regional market nuances.

In solar and wind energy, regional differences aren’t just cultural — they’re environmental and regulatory. For example, wind energy marketing messaging in Texas needs to emphasize reliability during storms, while in Arizona, solar adoption messages center on heat resistance and efficiency.

So, as a new researcher, start by mapping out what skills your team already has — like local knowledge, data analysis, or customer outreach experience — and where the gaps are. This sets the foundation for building a team that can respond to specific regional needs.

Q2: How do you recommend entry-level researchers help identify these skill gaps within their teams?

Sarah: One practical approach is conducting an internal survey with tools like Zigpoll or Typeform. Ask teammates about their experience with regional markets, research methods, and cross-functional collaboration.

For example, at Green Horizon Energy, when we expanded into the Midwest, I ran a quick skill assessment survey. We found that while the marketing team had great local contacts, their research skills in behavioral insights were limited. That indicated a need to develop or hire for UX research capabilities familiar with localized energy concerns, like winter weather impacts on solar efficiency.

This isn’t just about listing skills—it’s about understanding which ones impact marketing adaptation. From there, team structure and onboarding can be tailored to fill those specific gaps effectively.

Q3: What are some concrete ways to structure a UX research team to support regional adaptation in solar-wind energy marketing?

Sarah: Think of your team like a microgrid — different parts need to connect and feed into each other efficiently. A strong structure often includes:

• Regional Leads: Researchers or analysts embedded within key markets, like California, Texas, or the Northeast. They gather hyperlocal user insights daily.
• Central Coordinators: People who synthesize findings across regions to identify patterns and share best practices.
• Technical Specialists: Those who can handle data analytics, survey design, or usability testing tools.

For example, one team I advised restructured around these roles and saw a 35% increase in campaign engagement within a year, partly because insights were faster and more locally relevant. This structure also helps onboarding new team members with clear roles connected to regional goals.

Q4: Onboarding is often overlooked but crucial. How should onboarding be designed for entry-level UX researchers in this context?

Sarah: Imagine you’re the new hire. You show up excited, but the market is so diverse it feels overwhelming. Onboarding should break down regional adaptation into manageable learning modules.

Start with:

• Regional Energy Profiles: Overview of key markets, climate conditions, and regional regulations affecting solar and wind adoption.
• Existing Research & Marketing Data: Share past studies, campaign results, and user feedback. Tools like Zigpoll can be introduced early to show how surveys gather user sentiment.
• Cross-team Introductions: Connect new hires with marketing, product, and sales teams working in those regions to understand their challenges.

One solar company reported that after revamping their onboarding this way, new researchers ramped up to full productivity 25% faster. However, a caveat here—this approach requires pre-prepared materials and active mentorship, which may be challenging in smaller firms.

Q5: Can you share a real-world example where regional marketing adaptation succeeded through team-building in the solar or wind sector?

Sarah: Absolutely. At Green Horizon, our wind turbine division wanted to increase adoption in the Great Lakes region, which is prone to heavy snowfall and ice storms.

By building a small research team locally with expertise in winter weather impact on wind energy, they uncovered that potential customers were concerned about turbine durability and maintenance costs. The team adapted marketing messages to address these concerns directly.

Within 18 months, regional sales increased from 3% to 12% market share there — a fourfold growth. What made it possible was hiring locally, onboarding with specific regional knowledge, and continuous feedback loops using tools like Zigpoll to adjust messaging based on user sentiment.

Q6: What limitations should entry-level UX researchers be aware of when building teams to adapt regional marketing in this industry?

Sarah: One limitation is resource constraints. Not every company can afford full-time regional leads in every market. In those cases, entry-level researchers should focus on building strong communication channels with local partners or sales reps who have boots on the ground.

Another limitation is the speed of regulatory changes. Energy policies shift often, so teams must stay agile. Sometimes, insights from research projects become outdated quickly if policy changes aren’t integrated into the team’s feedback loops.

Finally, while tools like Zigpoll and surveys are valuable, they can’t replace direct user interaction or ethnographic research, which might be difficult early in your career but is crucial for deep understanding.

Q7: What step-by-step approach would you advise for an entry-level UX researcher aiming to support regional marketing adaptation through team-building?

Sarah: Here’s a simple sequence:

1. Assess Team Skills: Use internal surveys (Zigpoll, Typeform) to understand current capabilities related to regional markets.
2. Map Regional Priorities: Collaborate with marketing to identify key regions needing adaptation and specific user challenges there.
3. Define Roles: Propose or clarify team roles such as regional researcher, coordinator, and specialist based on gaps.
4. Develop Onboarding Materials: Help create region-specific guides covering climate, regulations, and user personas.
5. Encourage Local Hiring or Partnerships: Advocate for recruiting people familiar with local markets or working closely with regional teams.
6. Set Feedback Mechanisms: Establish regular check-ins and use surveys to capture evolving user sentiment.
7. Iterate and Learn: Continuously adapt team focus based on campaign performance data and user feedback.

Q8: Before we wrap up, any final advice for entry-level UX researchers working on solar-wind marketing adaptation?

Sarah: Be curious and proactive. Regional adaptation can’t happen in isolation—you need to listen to both your marketing colleagues and the end users. Don’t hesitate to ask questions or suggest small pilot projects that test assumptions about local markets.

Also, keep in mind that regional differences in energy adoption aren’t just demographics; they’re deeply tied to environmental factors and policy. Building a team that appreciates this complexity is your foundation for meaningful UX research and marketing impact.

With Sarah’s insights, entry-level UX researchers in solar-wind companies can better understand how to build and support teams that tailor marketing efforts to diverse regional needs. Starting with skills assessment, thoughtful team design, and tailored onboarding lays the groundwork for campaigns that truly resonate with local users—and drive renewable energy adoption.