August Jackson launches Row36 insights lab

August Jackson has launched Row36, a new insights lab in Chicago designed to help organizations better understand audience behavior and turn those insights into stronger experiences and communications. The offering combines audience intelligence, behavioral science and brand research, and will also publish a newsletter and annual report.

Why it matters: - Row36 is meant to help August Jackson clients move from assumptions to audience-backed strategy. - The lab focuses on understanding what shapes how people think, feel and behave, which can improve messaging, campaigns and experiences. - August Jackson is positioning audience insight as a core input to creative and production work, not a separate research exercise.

What happened: - August Jackson announced the launch of Row36 on Oct. 27, 2026. - The new insights lab is built to help organizations better understand the people they need to reach. - Row36 is based in Chicago. - The lab is designed to turn audience understanding into more effective experiences and communications.

The details: - Row36 combines audience intelligence, behavioral science, cultural fluency, brand research and measurement. - The lab is intended to uncover not just what audiences say, but what influences their behavior. - Row36 is set up to explore questions, challenge assumptions and test ideas before they become strategies, campaigns or experiences. - Insights from the lab are meant to be translated into practical strategies, ideas and experiences. - The name Row36 comes from a client question after a creative presentation: “Will that inspire the people sitting in row 36?” - August Jackson has used that idea as a test for work that resonates beyond the front row. - The agency says that thinking has shaped work for HPE, Deloitte, AbbVie and Constellation Brands. - Row36 is a standalone insight offering, but it is also woven into August Jackson’s broader creative and production capabilities. - Ellen Miller Gilcrest, SVP and Group Creative Director at August Jackson, leads the lab. - Gilcrest’s background spans strategy, creative, communications and audience engagement. - Row36 will publish a regular newsletter and an annual insights report. - The platform will share emerging trends, research and practical takeaways on changing behaviors, cultural forces and audience expectations. - More information is available at August Jackson's Row36 page.

Between the lines: - August Jackson is trying to formalize a research-to-creative workflow that makes audience insight a visible part of its value proposition. - The Row36 branding suggests the agency wants to emphasize practical resonance over internal creative approval. - The newsletter and annual report give August Jackson a recurring thought-leadership platform tied to the new offering.

What's next: - Row36 will continue as an ongoing platform for audience research and perspective. - August Jackson plans to use the lab to help clients uncover opportunities, measure impact and strengthen audience connection. - The annual report and newsletter are expected to surface trends and guidance as audience behavior and expectations evolve.