Think about the brands you most admire. The ones you’d never consider leaving. The ones you recommend without being asked. Now ask yourself: what do they all have in common?

It’s not the biggest marketing budget. It’s not the flashiest logo or the most polished social feed. It doesn’t really have anything to do with any single tactic or channel at all. What the most powerful brands in the world all have is something more fundamental than any of that and is the foundation on which every great brand strategy is built:

Looking over your Q4 reporting, you’re likely seeing a potentially startling trend: a drastic decline in follower growth, impressions, and engagement on Instagram. It’s not just you. We’ve noticed similar declines across profiles we manage, and even on my own account. So, what gives?

While much of the press said this year’s Super Bowl spots were better overall than last year, it’s not official until some Reuben Rinkers weigh in. Although AI was featured prominently, with mixed results, and simple messages seemed to win the day. Thank goodness.

Here are a few takes on our best and worst picks.

We circled the Burke House for a quick capture of what Reuben Rinkers are seeing as important trends in marketing in 2026. Not surprisingly, AI was a hot topic. But there are some interesting takes on how it may create greater opportunity for connecting with audiences in the coming year.

Let’s be honest. Figuring out the right image sizes for social media can feel like a never-ending game of catch-up. Platforms update their specs constantly, and what worked last month might get awkwardly cropped today.

But getting your image sizes right matters. A lot. Pixelated photos or images that cut off your messaging won’t just look unprofessional; they’ll hurt engagement and make people scroll right past your content.

So here’s a breakdown of the image sizes you need for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X. All dimensions are listed in pixels (px). Keep this handy, and you’ll save yourself the endless googling.