MSQ brings award-winning CXM agency MBAstack to New York

MSQ, the international next generation creative and technology group, is launching its Customer Experience Marketing agency MBAstack in New York, bringing further creative, data and tech expertise to its North America hub.

MBAstack has been one of the UK’s foremost customer experience agencies for almost 30 years, creating breakthrough work for clients including Royal Mail, Interflora, Visit Britain and Sonova. 

The agency is now opening its first overseas office following a series of client wins in North America, offering brands a local presence to support its US capabilities. The office will be overseen by Managing Director Nicola Nimmo, in addition to her current role in the UK, supported by new and existing MBAstack employees , as well as MSQ’s existing 150 strong multi-disciplinary team in New York. James Middlehurst, will remain in his role as Managing Director over-seeing UK and other international clients including Interflora, Sonova and The Royal Mail. Jack Gallon will continue in his role as ECD across both territories.

MBAstack New York will work with clients including CFA Institute, Dartmouth College and Reckitt, offering standalone agency expertise where appropriate, as well as working as part of a wider integrated MSQ team. The team’s focus in the US will be on bringing its market-leading data-driven CXM offer to a broader set of US and global companies.

MBAstack lights the fuse for clients on a growth mission, helping meet the commercial and digital transformation challenges – as well as the need for greater accountability – that marketers face today. 

The agency merged in March 2021 following MSQ’s acquisition of MBA, joining it up with existing shop Stack to create a 50-strong agency in the UK. The new entity has since gone from strength to strength, winning new business from clients including Three UK’s Smarty, Visit Britain, Cancer Research UK, MoneySuperMarket and Hofmeister, adding new data and tech capabilities and growing to more than 65 people. 

Stephen Maher, Chairman & Chief Executive of MBAstack, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be bringing all the award-winning CXM capabilities of MBAstack to the US. I’m excited for us to be even closer to all our existing US-based clients – as well as sharing our thinking with new brands across North America – all powered by the might of MSQ.” 

MSQ now has six agency brands operating in North America across its New York and San Francisco offices, incorporating The Gate New York (creative), Stein IAS (B2B Marketing), Elmwood (branding & design), Smarts (PR & creative) and, most recently, Walk-In Media (full-service media), which launched in New York in February. 

MSQ also has a wider group offer, MSQ North America, which joins up the very best experts from across the MSQ group, creating bespoke teams to help clients solve complex business challenges and get closer to customers. The group launched MSQ North America last year, hiring Deloitte Digital’s Aaron Lang as President and Heat’s Justin Cox as Chief Strategy Officer, and recently appointed Lisa Leone as Chief Creative Officer. 

Peter Reid, Global Chief Executive of MSQ, said: “MBAstack has thrived since we brought MBA and Stack together last year, offering a unique set of capabilities and joined-up thinking that helps our clients get closer to customers. As more opportunities open up in North America as well as the UK, I’m delighted that we’re able to bring MBAstack to New York, to provide a strong local service for our clients wherever they’re based.”