Each and every week the Square Holes team are deep in the bowels of a number of projects, working to mine all of the insights that we can to help grow businesses and support thriving cities.

These insights are used by businesses and organisations to innovate their offerings, move into new markets, track their impact and hone their products and output. Each week we will be sharing a broad insight that we have learnt for you to use in your own work.

Let us know what you find valuable!

Jason: Marketing with confidence 

Yesterday I went to a marketing conference at the last minute, and the consistent themes across speakers were clear: research, culture, and creativity. Research is critical – not just for big-budget campaigns, but across the board. Early, deep understanding of the market, culture, and key purchase moments is essential to uncover the insights that shape strategy. It was refreshing to hear a strong focus on culture — looking beyond algorithms to truly understand how people and segments are shifting in an ever-changing world. Creativity still matters deeply – but it needs to be grounded in evidence, marketing fundamentals, and designed to make a measurable impact. Underlying it all is the balance between brand and performance marketing – a tension that’s hard to get right. Research helps bridge the two: guiding culturally informed creativity and tracking impact over time.

Dylan: Sounding board

When working on a research project it is often important to put your head down and get stuck into the data, but silos can create blind spots. Discussing ideas as you go isn’t just about collaboration—it’s about course correction, clarity, and shared ownership. Early feedback and having a sounding board in your work can create better paths and stronger outcomes.

Mahalia: Playing to lose 

While reflecting on the theme of this week, play, I realised that what makes play so special is it gives you space to fail. Generally when we are playing the stakes are low and the point of the exercise is to experiment and let your creativity take charge. As a child perfectionist, growing into a deeply imperfect adult, I’m trying to make more space for play where the goal of the activity is the journey, rather than the result. Which means failing at things, starting again, and getting creative about how I create solutions or work arounds. While play may seem to be the antithesis of work – incorporating play into your business helps your employees to tap into their creativity and feel safe to express themselves.

Think your business or organisation could do with some insights? Contact us here.