Off the record with Agustín Soriano
Inside a strategist’s mind – and what the job is becoming
Playground Readers,
Today’s “Off the record” conversation is with my dear friend, ex-colleague, and the person I still think of as my strategy mentor – Agustín Soriano.
Agustín is a Madrid-based strategist with 20+ years of experience across strategic marketing, brand management, and communication strategy. He’s worked across the US, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Spain, with brands like Adidas, IKEA, Volvo Cars, and Google – and his work has earned major industry recognition, including a World Grand Effie and multiple Cannes Grand Prix.
More than anything, I wanted to capture the way Agustín approaches strategy: with curiosity, precision, and an insistence on naming what’s actually going on beneath the surface.
We met in 2019, when we both joined Volvo Cars’ global creative strategy team at headquarters in Gothenburg. It was a strange, intense moment in time – a new team, big ambition, and then Covid hit and everything happened at once. Somewhere in the middle of that, I found my feet in strategy properly. Not because Agustín made it easy, but because he made us think sharp: pushing for clearer thinking, stronger logic, and braver honesty – always in service of the work.
We used to debate a lot daily (in the best way), so when I asked him to answer these questions, I knew we’d get the same energy back – generous, direct, and refreshingly unpolished.
You’re in for a good one. I’ll leave you with my friend’s words – meet Agustín.
How did you get into strategy?
I discovered strategy early in my career, during my time in the US working for a hispanic agency in Chicago. I realized the importance of understanding people when I saw the different levels of acculturation, tensions and worries among the hispanic community. That demanded a bespoke strategic approach for them, instead of just a translation of the creative executions inherited from the main US market. Basically, I realized I liked why creativity works. I discovered I was obsessed with why a message can make people lean in, open wallets and change behavior.
What’s the most common misconception about being a strategist?
There are so many! Ha.
That we’re the people who “write the brief”, when strategy is not filling templates. It’s cultural anthropology with a commercial agenda. Most people think strategy is about being right, but it’s actually about being useful.
Fill up, being a strategist in 2010 was…
about decoding consumers. We were translators between research decks and creative departments.
in 2026 will be…
In 2026 it’s about navigating change and uncertainty in a world where culture moves faster than brands and attention is fractured. AI is demolishing the industry and democratizing production. I think today being a strategist is a filter. Deciding what not to do is half the job. That is why we need more seniority in strategy than ever before.
but in 2036 we will see…
In 2036 everyone will have access to information, so the differentiator will be judgment. Taste. Ethical clarity. The ability to connect dots across disciplines: economics, tech, psychology, geopolitics… and still make it commercially sharp. I think strategy will look less like planning and more like systems thinking together in sync.
How, and when do you carve time to observe?
Observation is a habit rather than a calendar slot. Living in a big city and walking a lot helps. Then I read a lot outside my field. I pay attention to how people way smarter than me talk about the big concepts that are shaping our world. Following the right things on Social Media helps a lot too. And young people, they are the main source of inspiration for me today. They help me to see that I don’t understand the world enough.
What’s the most important thing in your work many people wouldn’t know?
Most strategies fail not because they’re wrong, but because they’re vague about the emotional tension. Strategy lives in the uncomfortable human truths.
Any tricks to get into strategy flow if you get stuck?
When I’m stuck, I explain the problem to someone smart who’s outside the industry. The second you strip away the jargon, you realize how much unnecessary complexity you’ve built in your head.
I saw you had a reading challenge last year, which led you to reading even more, anything you took from it?
It started as a New Year’s resolution with the clear intention of reading more. I used to read a lot, but over the past few years I drifted away from it and wanted to get back. What I didn’t expect was the compounding effect. The more you read, the more good stuff finds you. One great book leads to another, and curiosity starts to grow wildly in you. It becomes a virtuous loop: you’re no longer forcing yourself to read, you actually want to. I’m keeping it going in 2026. It’s February 18th and I’m already eight books in 🙂
Off the record, I’d say that….
The most underrated asset a brand can have today isn’t money or data, it’s courage. We’re facing a global shortage of bravery.
Fire Questions
What has been taking up the most of your mind lately?
A new project with HOALA is on its way and it’s set to redefine how strategy is trained for the professionals shaping brands around the world. I’m genuinely excited about what’s coming.
What is one subject you’ve been interested in recently that is completely unrelated to your area of work?
Politics. I’m fascinated, and also concerned, by polarization and the resurgence of fascism across Europe and the U.S. I’m trying to understand how people you’d consider intelligent buy into them, and how culture absorbs, reflects, or pushes back against it. And then you see cultural responses like Bad Bunny turning political tension into mainstream conversation. The intersection between power, identity and culture is so interesting right now.
Where would you take us if we asked you to give us a one-day tour of the city you live in?
Start early with a good coffee in a traditional Spanish bar. Then walk to El Rastro and drift through La Latina and Lavapiés. Immigration, tradition, decay, reinvention… the raw Madrid. Late morning, hit Reina Sofía museum. Lunch in Chamberí, in a classic taberna that hasn’t changed in 50 years. Afternoon walk through the city center and golden hour at Templo de Debod or at any of the many rooftops the city offers. Dinner late at a nice place, sharing a very nice Spanish red wine.
Snap a picture of your creative space / work desk right now! No cheating - do not tidy up.
I’m in a Starbucks right now writing this!
What are the books/films/podcasts/any piece of media that truly influenced how you perceive creative work?
Recent pieces of media that have influenced how I perceive creativity:
A book: House of leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski. It blew up the idea I had about the limits of what a book can be. And “THE BOOK, The ultimate guide to rebuilding civilization” is as ambitious and beautiful as it sounds.
A film: Marty Supreme. Not because of the movie (which I didn’t like much), but because of its advertising campaign and the hype A24 & Chalamet created around it. Have you seen A24’s website? It’s the movie studio that is really understanding culture.
An artist: Rosalía. Same reason as above.
A designer: Jonathan Anderson, Pharrell Williams, Rei Kawakubo.
A brand: Aimé Leon Dore, House of Errors, Jacquemus, Loewe.
A creative collective: MSCHF.
An advertising agency: Uncommon.
If you had one extra day in a week - what would you use it on?
Easy. I would spend it with my partner and my kids. And reading pendent books.
What is the one fail you made in your career that you would be happy to repeat?
Going to places or taking on projects that were far from my comfort zone. I’ve failed publicly doing that. I’d do it again. Safe growth is boring.
What are the ways you incorporate play into your daily work?
“What if” is a powerful tool.
What if the opposite is true?
What if [fill the blank] is not what we think it is?
What if we push the idea to an extreme, almost to absurdity, and see what survives?
That’s where the fun starts.
One advice I wish I never had…
I usually don’t listen to advice. For better or worse, that’s probably what got me here.
How do you play?
All in. Always.
To keep up with Agustín, follow him on LinkedIn or Instagram, and here’s some of his incredible work, including the Volvo ad we had the pleasure of collaborating on back in the day:
Testing Grounds Showroom? continues. And this time we are changing the table.
After our first panel at Form Us With Love, we are now inviting the brands to share: WHAT’S THE NEW DESIGN DISCOVERY MIX?
A roundtable reimagining the future of design meetings!
March 12th, Thursday, 18:00, Form Us With Love studio, Kungsholmen.
Stockholm friends, RSVP here!
Housekeeping
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Thanks for reading,
Auste & Playground team
This interview is full of quotes I can really get behind! Throughly enjoyed this read 👏👏