Matt Kischer
Turning cultural insights into business decisions
Summary
With 18 years of turning research into insights into strategy, attributed $25M+ in new business and countless revenue as a central service, vetted countless go-to-market decisions, and built brand and insights strategies that enhanced the reputations of VICE, Apple, Uber, PepsiCo, Adobe, Verizon, LEGO, Amgen, UKG, and others. At VICE, I helped lead a team of researchers and strategists across i-D, Motherboard, Virtue, VICE News, VICE TV, and VICE Studios. I created proprietary, revenue-driving research frameworks on Loyalty, Trust, and Activism, including a multi-million dollar Gen Z higher-education partnership. My work shaped editorial on gun rights, activism, polling, and the future. I am published on loyalty, education, and power. As Principal of Global Brand Strategy at UKG, I ran enablement across marketing and product for their brand positioning, and build governance around the new brand architecture, naming, and values. I initiated internal research on labor trends and the future of work for creative leadership. My research begins with curiosity and demand and ends with clarity, operational roadmaps, and workshop enablement. I modernize research departments without sacrificing quality and light the research you don't understand. I am fluent in online communities, mixed-method research, and AI-assisted synthesis.
"Turning cultural insights into business decisions"
Expertise
Experience
Principal, Global Brand Strategy & Insights
2025 – 2026
UKG · Remote
Led global brand strategy and naming architecture while centralizing a fragmented strategic ecosystem.
- Led development of UKG's new global brand strategy, including naming architecture, values framework, and regional enablement.
- Expanded the company's brand health measurement program to international markets.
- Built cultural thought leadership to keep brand and marketing teams aligned on the future of work.
- Aligned marketing, product, and GTM around a single strategic narrative, centralizing a fragmented ecosystem.
- De-risked decisions by working with product pre-launch to reposition GTM based on insights diagnostics.
Sr. Director, Global Cultural Insights & Strategy
2017 – 2024
VICE · New York, NY
Led global insights across all VICE properties inclLed global insights across all VICE properties (i-D, Motherboard, Virtue, VICE News, VICE Studios, VICE TV), turning audience community research into commercial strategy for sales, agency pitches, publisher partnerships, news thought leadership, TV measurement, and internal strategy.
- Secured a $5M+ Gen Z higher-education ongoing insights partnership in a media pitch.
- Built proprietary research thought leadership on Loyalty, Trust, and Activism, productized into platforms, and sold brand workshops, opening a new revenue channel.
- Directed editorial work via audience thought leadership culminating in a digital series on gun rights with Publishing, a future series on power, escapism, trust, and privacy, and a Gen Z led cross-departmental content package.
- Created a first of its kind polling partnership with other publications for VICE News.
- Assisted Virtue with deep client research projects, e.g. Journeys, Cultural Explorations, Segmentations, etc.
- Modernized the research stack with agile communities, video and AI qualitative, and theory which compressed turnaround times without sacrificing depth.
- Led a team of 5 researchers and 3 strategists; mentored 2 interns and 1 fellow.
Global Insights & Strategy (Freelance)
2017 – Present
Various · Remote
Agency and supplier-side research and strategy freelance work.
- Alter Agents (2025): Research for Apple, Google, Uber, PepsiCo, Adobe, Amgen, and Roku.
- The Bureau (2024): UX work for United Airlines.
- Huge (2017): Brand strategy and UX work for MSG, Chase, and Bain.
Associate Director, Strategy & Insights
2016 – 2017
McGarryBowen Innovations · New York, NY
Led product and community research for Verizon Innovation initiatives.
- Managed community research for go90.
- Performed custom research and strategic positioning for Hum, 5G, and other Verizon innovations.
- Developed Verizon's go-to-market media strategy.
Associate Director, Strategic Planning
2014 – 2016
iCrossing · New York, NY
Built research rigor for the strategy department while leading digital strategic planning for select clients.
- Built a differentiated insights practice anchored in linguistic profiling and content research strategies.
- Developed digital strategy for CPG, media, toy, financial, insurance, and B2B clients.
Sr. Research Strategist
2009 – 2014
Fuel Cycle · New York, NY
Started as a community research manager, and ended as our lead Strategist for product strategy, and account engagement.
- Led research and UX for company rebrand, increasing customer retention by 5% and lifting community participation to 35% (above industry benchmark).
- Built award-winning research communities delivering brand strategy, UX, and custom research for clients.
Education
- Emerson College · M.A., Global Marketing Communications · 2007
- Butler University · B.S., Marketing · 2004
What I'm looking for
notes: Actively seeking leadership roles in Strategy and Insights in the Atlanta area. work mode: Hybrid/Remote industries: Tech, Media, Agency role types: Director of Insights, VP of Strategy, Head of Cultural Strategy
Ideal next role
Insights and Strategy
Logistics
- Work authorization
- US
- Earliest start
- ASAP
- Languages
- English