Agency Squid

03/31/2026

Brand strategy is not a tagline. It's not a values exercise. It's not a mood board with a mission statement stapled to it.

It's the core of what a brand stands for and how it shows up, setting the stage for everything: creative outputs, marketing plans, etc. Most brands either skip it entirely or buy a version so abstract it can't be acted on. Either way, they end up paying for it twice, once in wasted creative, once in the agency review that follows.

So we wrote the breakdown we wish every brand had before they started: what a brand strategy engagement actually delivers, what each output is used for, how long it realistically takes, and what happens downstream when you skip it.

Brands that skip strategy end up buying it twice — once in wasted creative, once in the review. Here's what brand strategy actually delivers and why the sequence matters.

02/18/2026

Consumers are making faster decisions at shelf, and the brands winning in 2026 are the ones reducing friction. Clear typography. Bold color systems. Human illustration. Modernized heritage. Sustainability that feels real, not performative.

Our latest breakdown of packaging and branding trends for 2026 explores what shoppers are actually responding to and why it matters for wine, spirits, and CPG brands looking to drive growth. If your packaging hasn’t been re-evaluated through the lens of consumer behavior, now is the time.

Explore the top packaging and branding trends for 2026 that consumers are responding to at shelf. Learn how clarity, heritage, bold color, and sustainability influence purchasing decisions.

01/28/2026

For a long time, creative was treated like a nice-to-have.

Now it’s one of the few things left that can actually move the business.

Marketing leaders are turning back to creative, not for awards, but because effectiveness matters more than ever. We break down why creative is back, what changed, and what marketers should expect from creative agencies today.

Read the full perspective here:

Creative is back, but only if it drives results. Learn why effectiveness now defines great creative and how agencies are proving business impact.

01/19/2026

Marketing leaders are being asked to do something very different than they were even a few years ago.

Awareness is no longer the finish line. Revenue is.

We break down why expectations have shifted, where most marketing teams are getting stuck, and how to build a growth system that connects brand, performance, and sales without burning long-term equity.

Read the full perspective here:

Marketing leaders are now accountable for revenue, not awareness. Learn what changed, what’s broken, and how to build a growth system that works.

01/16/2026

What Marketing Leaders Need to Know About 2026

2026 is shaping up to be a reset year for marketing.

Brands are moving away from noise and toward clarity. Authentic storytelling is replacing irony. Lo-fi content is outperforming polished production. AI is everywhere, but human judgment, taste, and cultural relevance are becoming the real differentiators.

Search is changing too. Traditional SEO still matters, but Answer Engine Optimization is now critical as AI-powered search tools decide what brands get surfaced, cited, and trusted.

At Agency Squid, we help brands navigate these shifts by blending cultural relevance, creative impact, and commercial success. Not just to keep up with change, but to lead it.

If your brand is thinking about how to grow in 2026, now is the time to rethink how you show up.

Explore 7 marketing predictions for 2026 shaping brand strategy, AI-driven search, creator commerce, experiential marketing, and authentic storytelling. A strategic guide for modern marketers.

11/04/2025

90% of the people in the office disagree, but I’m here for it and I’m posting on our social today. Don’t worry, we won’t be posting a bunch of Christmas stuff, but sexy cocktails from our recent shoot? Yaaaas will do.

10/21/2025

A glitch in the matrix or really that bubbly…?

Showing some love for non-alc that’s no short of sparkling.