In this conversation, Siddharth Jalan, Founder of SquidJC, breaks down what it truly means to operate as a “boutique marketing lab” in crowded sectors like fashion, education and development. Drawing from his early grounding in India’s garment business, hands-on work with schools and NGOs, and his global creative exposure as a digital nomad, Sid discusses why nuanced insight not noise creates meaningful brand stories. He explains how SquidJC approaches human-centred communication across industries, why development narratives must move beyond emotional triggers, how education brands can build legacy instead of seasonal messaging, and why AI will never replace the “beautiful chaos” of human creativity. Sid also reflects on rising creator fatigue, the resurgence of founder-led storytelling, and the emerging trust gap shaping the next wave of marketing.
1. SquidJC calls itself a boutique marketing lab. In real terms, what does that mean for brands in fashion, education, and development, the three sectors you’re prioritising right now?
Characterizing SquidJC as a âBoutique Lab,’ is more of a simple truth than a fancy label. The sectors we’ve selected are quite crowded, where many feel they can answer the requirements. But there’s so much nuance that goes into it, which we feel can only be discovered through experience. The main intention with the selection of these sectors, alongwith FMCG, was to identify the ones where we can actually offer some value.
That’s why we see ourselves as an integrated arm of the marketing team. We immerse ourselves within each brand’s vision and audience, allowing the strategy to emerge based on this research and any behavrioural insight. I honestly believe it’s about understanding the smallest gears first, which facilitate the smooth function of something larger. And if you don’t know what these gears are, you’re far from creating any human-centred stories.
2. Your family background in garments and early exposure to fashion businesses shaped your creative lens early on. How has that influenced how you tell stories for fashion brands today?
This is a fascinating question. So, when you grow up as a Marwari in the garment business, your kind of taught from a young age to understand fabric. What works? What doesn’t? What’s selling more? “No, this chiffon isn’t working. Oh, this raw silk is doing great.” These are the nuances which you just kind of take in and just kind of buildup. And every thread of this also is an ode to art that is as old as humans themselves. I think when we don’t think of clothing as art, it is a bit of a disservice
So when I come in and try to do marketing, I look at it from the perspective of an art form because the conversation that I have with my clients is based on that. I’m already past the initial stage of simply trying to understand their fabric, I’m trying to understand what their business needs are. Because my family business kind of also taught me how challenging this business is. So when we speak to the clients, we understand where they’re coming from, where they’re going.
Everyone thinks that fashion needs to be about high-flying shoots, and fancy models, and a lot of noise. But in my experience, what really works in a crowded field like fashion is human-led stories. Who is the person behind it?â©What is their journey? How can we expand that art form?â©I think that’s truly what needs to be. Or that’s how I look at it at least.
3. You’ve done education-focused product and curriculum work, including school-led innovation projects. What gaps do you see in how education brands communicate, and how does SquidJC address them?
Majority of the educational institutions in India look at education as a seasonal project, tending to be more functional in nature. Market – Enroll new admissions – Repeat. Schools and institutions often prioritise their marketing efforts to target the new influx of students. It’s almost as if the relationship expires once the students graduate.
But education doesn’t end with graduation, it lives in legacy. The sense of pride, the sense of identity that comes with being associated with a certain institution, is what is being overlooked. I’m really proud of being from my school, but I don’t know if their brand still holds that value they can market. Brand longevity doesn’t come from the Hundred new students but rather from the Thousands that have lived those very moments.
We try to help them build a narrative that is relevant to students, parents, admins, but also to the alumni. Bridge the gap by never allowing it to exist. This is true for our ed-tech clients as much as it is for our school clients. People often tend to forget that a person will always remain a student at heart.
4. The development sector can be difficult to narrate without sounding like advocacy. How has your experience with Rotary and NGO projects helped you craft human-led development stories that resonate?
With the development sector, I believe we keep telling people not to aim for negative stories. A lot of people use the development sector to talk about either extremely emotional stories or negative stories. While this can work at the moment of donation, it doesn’t connect you to the brand. What we try to do is make it relevant to the individual rather than to the community. Because the community is built off these individuals. When we talk about crafting development stories, it’s about how it matters to the individual.â©It’s sometimes easy to ignore things that feel bigger than you. “Oh, what can I do alone?” But if you flip it onto the person and force them into making a decision on what they can change, it becomes real for them. It’s either your problem to solve or it’s not. That’s how you create stories. And that’s how you work with projects which go further.
5. For a boutique lab, credibility is everything. What does it take for SquidJC to become a recognisable voice in fashion, education, and development instead of being seen as “just another agency”?
Now that is the question, right? How do we not become âjust another agency’? There are a few things that I’m looking towards, at least personally, and I could be wrong. Only time will tell. Creativity and creative output is one of the main facets. Brands aren’t paying us to be boring. Understanding the sectors and its nuances is another method of getting traction. But more importantly, we’re just trying to solve our client’s problems. I truly believe that the only reason we’re getting more work from existing clients, and getting so many recommendations, is that people believe in the work that we’re doing, that we can deliver. That’s kind of the main thing to look at. When I think about the work that we’re doing, we’re trying to solve a client’s problem. We’re not fine-art artists, we’re creative problem solvers.
6. You’ve worked across multiple geographies as a traveller and digital nomad. How has moving through different cities shaped your understanding of audiences and creative culture?
I think it’s critical to travel as a creative, because the main aspect of creativity is to dispel any assumptions that we might hold. We can think that we know what a person wants, but we don’t actually meet those individuals. I can write a campaign for someone sitting in Sitapur or Dubai, but if I’ve never been there or experienced it, I might be fooling myself. Of course, a lot is accessible in the digital age, but I truly believe it’s important to just go meet the people you’re trying to talk to. And as an individual, it just humbles me when I experience and imbibe different moments of creative expression. Everything infuses into your ecosystem, fueling the desire to do more and to create more.â©
7. In the age of AI, every creator is rethinking their process. What is your POV on creativity, craft, and storytelling right now when machines can produce content instantly?
Surprisingly, AI is both the most feared tool and the most embraced at the same time-especially in creative industries like ours. The one thing I am certain of is that AI is undeniably efficient and inefficient at the same time. It outperforms human speed and consistency in designing, writing, editing, and iteration. What AI can never replicate is the beautiful chaos inside a creator’s mind. The constant, fluid exchange of ideas, the intuitive leaps, and the destructive emotional rollercoaster. AI can definitely filter through this chaos, but it will never fully mirror the rich, nuanced creativity innate to a human mind. I think of AI as purely a tool to use. Instead of a blank paper, you’re starting off with a few ideas. Take it, use it, and move beyond it.
8. A lot of creators are struggling with dilution and fatigue. From your vantage point, what are the biggest challenges artists and writers face today, and how do you see brands responding?
In an era dominated by short-lived trends and rapid content churns, dilution and fatigue among creators feel inevitable. What I’ve noticed is that people have begun to lose trust in creators, deeming their content to be too polished or even AI-generated. This skepticism fuels a rising imposter syndrome, where no matter the originality or quality of the content, creators feel unrewarded and unseen. The pace adds even more pressure to jump on a trend, forcing a bit of unhealthy competition and repetitive content. My thought is to embrace the weirdness, the edge, the rough sides of a smooth paper. People hate the perfect, so if you’re struggling with dilution and fatigue, bring it to the fore. We are the sum part of all our emotions. Let it run free.
9. Looking ahead, what are the emerging opportunities you see in fashion, education, and development where storytelling is going to evolve the most?
You know, the funny thing is that founder-led marketing and advertising is becoming a big thing, which goes back to trust. When you look at fashion, education, development, and even our other 2 sectors, which is real estate and FMCG, all five have a problem of trust. But if we know the promoter or the founder, we feel like we can trust this person and their product. Celebrity and creator brands might not be working because people think they’ve become too perfect. What you need to do is show the roughness. So, when you have a businessman creating content, it’s never perfect. It’s rough and endearing, but people also feel like they know this person. Look at Physicswala as the best example. Rough, yet delivers results. People need to feel as if the person on the other side won’t cheat them. Because if that person does, I can broadcast to his entire following that he’s a fraud. Nobody wants that, especially in India. That being said, it can be a severe limitation for a brand, so we find other ways to create trust in the market. Founder-led stories is one facet. What are the other ways?
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