We work with clients at key points of inflection & evolution
Companies call us when they need to:
Launch new products or services
Understand their customers
Challenge category leaders
Change or refresh their brand strategy
Solve problems at the speed of culture
To tackle these issues, our toolkit includes:
Brand Strategy & Architecture
Business Analytics & Insights
Customer & Cultural Research
Internal Strategic Workshops
Brand Activation & Experience
Below are some sample projects.
Reach out for a full client list and work samples.
Projects
Global research study of teenagers for the Nike Brand Innovation Lab
Brand strategy for Samuel Adams
National study & strategy on immigration for Unbound Philanthropy
New product development for Chobani
Study on HR Innovation for Capital One
ROI analysis of a Formula 1 sponsorship
Futurist workshops with the Johnson & Johnson Med Tech team
Strategy for the annual 'Year in Music’ execution by Spotify
In-Home ethnographies with die-hard basketball fans for the NBA
Strategic workshops with the in-house creative team at Spectrum
Digital innovation strategy for the Bloomin’ Brands restaurant group
Clients
AskMHB has been run by me - Michael Hastings-Black - since 2013. I’ve stayed independent and agile because I love doing the actual work of strategy. Diving deep with Clients to unpack, understand and help solve their toughest problems.
It’s dirty. It’s nerdy. And it’s fun.
Sometimes it’s me, other times we’ll build a bespoke project team.
Before AskMHB, I was at Apple as a Creative Strategist, working with Sales, Product, and external partners, as well as leading an internal cultural and technological insights program.
I’ve been an Adjunct Professor at Parsons and have spoken at academic and industry conferences. Prior to that, I was working in film, on farms and for the NYC Parks Department.
I have a B.A. in English from Bowdoin College and also studied urban planning while living in India, South Africa and Brazil.
Nowadays I live with my family in Washington DC, where you’ll find me cooking, picking vintage or thinking too much about soccer.
