We believe in people and the power of choice.
In life’s ever-changing marketplace we will always champion the human.
About Us
Heart+Mind Strategies is an insights and strategy consultancy that uncovers how people make choices through values-based and means-end behavioral science. Our mission is to help your organization confidently achieve its goals by aligning brand and audience values to influence choices and drive outcomes.
Headquartered in Reston, VA, we have international reach, providing our clients with thought leaders who bring more than 50 years of practical business experience and industry setting best practices.
Dr. Richard B. Wirthlin in his office, 1982; photo credit: New York Times
Our Heritage
Heart+Mind Strategies is rooted in a tradition of understanding why people choose, not just what they say.
Our founding partners began their careers at Wirthlin Worldwide, the pioneering research and strategy firm founded by Dr. Richard B. Wirthlin, one of the most influential thinkers in modern public opinion research. Dr. Wirthlin helped shape how leaders, organizations, and institutions understand and communicate with people, by grounding strategy in human values, motivations, and emotion, alongside reason and evidence.
As chief strategist and pollster for Ronald Reagan, Dr. Wirthlin was known for a guiding belief that still defines our work today: persuasion begins with reason, but action is driven by emotion. That philosophy became the foundation of values-based research and choice modeling, and it remains central to how we approach insight, strategy, and activation across every engagement.
Heart+Mind was founded to carry that legacy forward—applying rigorous, human centered research to today’s most complex brand, communications, reputation, and societal challenges. The tools have evolved. The channels have multiplied. But the core truth endures: to move people, you must first understand what matters to them.
Our Thinking
Our thinking reflects how we help you navigate change, complexity, and choice.
Entering the U.S. Luxury Hospitality Market: Five Strategic Questions
Hotel openings reveal where brands are growing, but not why some market entries earn traveler, investor, and community confidence while others struggle to differentiate. Brands entering the U.S. luxury hospitality market need to determine where their promise will...
New Research Reveals the Potential of Product Origin Tourism
By Carol Gstalder KEY TAKEAWAYS Product origin can increase interest in visiting the place behind a food, beverage, or agricultural product. Sixty-one percent of consumers say a country’s reputation for a product makes them more interested in visiting and...
The Need for Human-Guided AI Market Research
KEY TAKEAWAYS Confidence in insight is what enables clearer decisions, stronger strategy, and more effective activation. Human expertise remains essential for understanding meaning, context, and motivation. The organizations that win will combine the scale of AI...
How to Make Origin Claims Credible
By Carol Gstalder, SVP KEY TAKEAWAYS Origin claims are most believable when consumers understand why a place matters to a product. Familiar associations, local expertise, and visible traditions strengthen credibility. Evidence such as sourcing details,...
Origin Branding: How Place Creates Trust, Value, and Demand
By Carol Gstalder, SVP KEY TAKEAWAYS Origin matters when place gives people a reason to trust, value, or feel connected to what they buy. Strong origin branding explains what a place signals, not just where a product comes from. Place can create rational...
Meet Charles Rickert: a Heart+Mind Senior Director
Charles Rickert is a welcome new face to the Heart+Mind family–he's joining us a Senior Director of Client Partnerships on the Public Policy + Issues practice. We already know a little bit about Charles–he's from the midwest and super smart–but we needed to dig a...