The Square Holes team are made up of a cohort of researchers and inquisitive minds, poised to sink their teeth into the complex problems of our clients, to deliver insights and a roadmap forward for brands and organisations alike.

For marketing and creativity guru, Dylan Jacob, his journey started with an episode of Mad Men, and was fuelled by his curiosity about what makes people tick.

Mahalia: What drew you to this sort of work?

Dylan: When I was in high school, I saw an episode of Mad Men (American drama about a fictionalised advertising firm in the 1950s) and I kind of liked the idea of being this cool, suave, suit wearing kind of guy. So that’s what prompted me to start studying marketing when I hit university. However, once I started my degree, I was drawn to the research subjects, as I’ve always had a fascination with what makes people tick. And then I also liked the idea of problem solving. So, for me it was the mix of wanting to understand people and then helping brands and organisations to problem solve.

M: What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?

D: It would have to be the diversity of the work. I like that it’s something different day-to-day. Different problems, different solutions and thinking required. I also like that on one day I might be looking at and interpreting data, and then the next day I’m conducting an in-depth interview with someone. It keeps the work fresh and exciting.

“I like listening to people. I like understanding their thoughts. you get a more in-depth view of who the person is or who the customer is by doing those deep dive discussions.”

M: What do you find most challenging?

D: Ironically it would be the diversity as well. Every brand, every client has their own unique issues and challenges. We try to find the similarities where we can, but it’s not always a copy paste, cookie cutter approach. That’s not what we do a lot of the time. Most of the work is customised and unique, so finding a solution that best fits the client can be tricky sometimes – but that’s what we’re here to do. And ultimately that’s what makes it fun.

M: What’s a current obsession you have?

D: I’m always finding a new cooking thing I like doing. Everything’s so meticulous and I’m always trying to get better and trying to do something differently to craft the perfect dish. A few months ago, it was cooking on the Weber. Every weekend I was getting different meats and cooking them on my Weber. I’ve been wanting to get a smoker for a while, so I can start experimenting with smoking meats. So maybe that’s my next obsession!

M: What would you like to learn more about?

D: I really want to explore more statistical stuff. I’d love to get into data modelling and more deep dive, complex analysis. There are so many different models you can play with like correspondence analysis, driver analysis and all these statistical, mathematical processes. In terms of the work Square Holes do, that’s something I would like to get better at or to do more of.