Make space for applying critical thinking
to important pop culture projects

 

Strategic foundation that gives confidence & clarity in the consumer, category, and culture.

  • MAX Originals

    “Waiting In The Sky is an integral strategy resource to the HBO and HBO Max teams and has helped us with some of our biggest and most complex launches, including but not limited to Euphoria and House of the Dragon…

    They push us with inspiring insights into the hearts and minds of audiences, bringing a strategic approach that is both actionable and results oriented. Waiting In The Sky also has a unique ability to bring different teams together to promote a collaborative process.”

  • Disney's Freeform

    “Waiting In The Sky are strategy masterminds. They are go-to partners to our team to help unlock youth insights, push innovation and clarify our approach. They feel like a part of your team from the jump. Waiting In The Sky are experts when it comes to next-gen culture and consumers, and their perspective on entertainment brands is a one of a kind resource.”

  • REVOLT

    “Waiting In The Sky’s strategic insights elevated our business and brands. We consider them to be a trusted advisor and member of the REVOLT family.”

  • Sony Pictures

    “Waiting In The Sky has their finger on the pulse of culture, content and fans. Their strategies inspire teams, and what makes Waiting In The Sky even more appealing is that you feel safe bringing your campaigns to them. They think of your positioning and audience in a myriad of ways that give you the ammunition to create a successful campaign. The best part is that you are going to have fun while doing so. Waiting In The Sky are an absolute pleasure to collaborate with.”

 

MARKETING STRATEGY & COMMS PLANNING

  • Competitive Insight

  • Category Analysis

  • Positioning

  • Messaging

  • Audience Identification

  • Creative Strategy

  • Go-To-Market Planning

  • Social & Influencer Strategy

  • Partnerships Ideation

  • 360 Creative Ideation

  • Naming & Titling

 
 
 
 
 

INSIGHTS & INNOVATION

  • Generational Insights

  • Cultural Insights

  • Category / Genre Audits

  • Consumer Trend Research

  • Competitive Audits

  • Audience Segment Deep Dives

  • Custom Trend Reports

  • White Space Identification

📸: courtesy of Rob Alexander

 

INPUTS WE UTIZLIZE

  • Generational Research

  • Cultural Insights

  • Fan Community Anthropology

  • Trend Forecasting

  • Expert Interviews

  • Primary & Secondary Research

  • Social Listening

  • Content Performance Analysis

  • Landscape Audit

  • Competitive Analysis

  • Custom Research in partnership with Touchstone Research

 
 

  • Jake Katz created Waiting In The Sky™ to fuse the voice of the consumer into the process of developing products, content, and campaigns. Jake’s background is a mix of Consumer Insights & Marketing Strategy, with a speciality in generational research & cultural trends.

    • Began at MTV as the in-house trend expert for Development, working on the Insights Innovation team that pivoted MTV out of its Gen X roots to focus on emerging generations.

    • Recruited to help launch NBCUniversal's internal trend consultancy, The Curve.

    • Served as General Manger of youth research firm, Ypulse (Youth Pulse). The NFL, Audi, Teach for America, Jack Daniels, Anheuser Busch, Intel, and many others hired Ypulse to audit their marketing and content with custom research and next-gen expertise.

    • Part of the launch team for REVOLT TV, providing Jake an opportunity to study and evangelize diversity in entertainment as the key to reaching emerging generations.

    • Prior to launching Waiting In The Sky™, Jake was head of Strategy for Trailer Park.

  • Prior to joining Waiting in the Sky, Steven Cardwell served as the Vice President of Originals Marketing at HBO and Max, overseeing ground-breaking campaigns for some of the streamer’s biggest tentpole series of the past decade, including House of the Dragon, Succession, Euphoria, Westworld and Game of Thrones.

    Highlights of Steven’s boundary-pushing and Emmy-award-winning work include the immersive Westworld experience at SXSW, the final season campaign for “Game of Thrones” which asked fans how far they would go #ForTheThrone, and the recent season two viral campaign for “House of the Dragon,” which had iconic institutions, sports teams, brands, and fans all over the world raising their banners for either Team Green or Team Black, culminating in a massive 270-foot dragon takeover on top of the Empire State Building.

    Prior to his tenure at HBO and Max, Steven served as the Marketing Director at both Scott Rudin Productions and IFC Films. During that time, he was responsible for marketing a slate of films and Broadway productions, including, The Social Network, True Grit, Moonrise Kingdom, Boyhood and the Tony award-winning musical, The Book of Mormon.