January is still your chance to set up marketing that actually works. Check out five smart, practical moves to align your strategy, sharpen your story, cut the noise, and build momentum that lasts all year.

Today marks the 100th week since we became Merrick Creative—click here to see how the last 100 weeks brought our four pillars (Bring It, Stir It, Embrace It, Own It) to life.

Ask anyone to picture Santa Claus and you’ll get the same answer. Red suit. White trim. Black boots. Big belt. Jolly expression. Was he always that way?

The brands that win in 2026 won’t fight for attention—they’ll earn trust and scale it deliberately. Here are our 5 predictions shaping that future.

This year, the brands that won didn’t feel dramatic. There was no sudden breakout moment. No “remember where you were when this post dropped” energy. No marketing group chat declaring a new genius had entered the arena. They just… kept showing up.

Before the holiday rush hits full force, before the pies go in the oven and someone inevitably insists they make the best stuffing on Earth, we want to take a moment and say something simple: thank you.

Content pillars keep brands organized, but today’s audiences don’t think in tidy themes—they move through evolving stages, and your content strategy needs to move with them.

Welcome to the clip economy, where moments now move markets.

AI can generate infinite creative options, but true value comes from the human power of direction—making the right decisions that drive brand and business outcomes.