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STRATEGY & INNOVATION

 

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.

How can we help?

+1 (917) 825 1154