What we are thinking about.
Notes from running 8 publications and building tools for them. Restaurant SEO, local marketing, the boring parts that move the needle.
The Media Planning Survey Nobody Will Read—But You Should, Because It Pays £250
MarketingWeek’s £250 media planning survey for 2026 isn’t just another industry gimmick—if you engage critically, it might actually surface insights you won’t find in agency press releases.
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Apple’s AI Drama and Vine’s Resurrection: What Marketers Need to Stop Ignoring
Apple’s recent AI retreat exposes the myth of its privacy-first stance, while Vine’s comeback challenges marketers to rethink short-form video strategies amid social fatigue.
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Diageo’s CEO Pulls No Punches: ‘Fundamental Questions’ or Just Spin on Competitiveness?
Diageo’s CEO Sir Dave Lewis isn’t hiding the truth: competitiveness and affordability are the overdue focus in a brand strategy long trapped by legacy bloat and premiumization myths.
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Marketing Week’s Webinar Promises Award-Winning Secrets — But Is It Just More Marketing Noise?
Marketing Week’s upcoming webinar offers a peek behind the curtain of award-winning marketing — but beware the usual hype dressed up as insight.
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Ziff Davis Gobbles Up Four Recurrent Ventures Brands, Betting Big on Lifestyle Content While Rivals Retreat
Ziff Davis is doubling down on lifestyle content by acquiring four brands from Recurrent Ventures, bucking the trend of media companies retreating from the open web.
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Old Navy’s Latest Executive Play: Michael Francis to Lead Customer Strategy in a No-BS Turnaround Bid
Old Navy shakes up leadership by appointing Michael Francis as Chief Customer Officer, signaling a no-nonsense approach to its struggling turnaround.
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Criteo’s $1 Billion Quarter Masks Real Trouble Behind YoY Growth
Criteo’s $1 billion Q1 haul looks good until you realize it’s propped up by short-term deals and overshadowed by major client losses. The retargeting giant is struggling to keep pace in a privacy-first world.
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Disney+ AI Hype Meets Reality: Why Josh D’Amaro’s Digital Centerpiece Promises More Than It Delivers
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro calls Disney+ the company’s digital centerpiece, promising AI-driven upgrades. But beneath the hype lies familiar tech grift and underwhelming execution.
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Ted Turner’s Death Marks the End of an Era in 24-Hour News Hype
Ted Turner, the man who created CNN and pioneered 24-hour news, has died at 87. His legacy is a relentless news cycle that reshaped media — for better and worse.
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AB InBev Clinches Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year—Third Time’s Not a Charm, It’s a Monopoly
AB InBev’s third Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year win isn’t just a trophy—it’s a clear sign that marketing creativity is now a game dominated by cash and scale, not innovation.
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Google’s AI Max One Year Later: Search Costs Skyrocket While Advertisers Get Milked
A year after Google launched AI Max bidding, advertisers face soaring CPCs and shrinking returns as zero-click traffic worsens the squeeze.
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OpenAI Rejects Search Budgets—Because ChatGPT Isn’t a Google Clone, Deal with It
OpenAI’s refusal to adopt traditional search budgets reveals that ChatGPT operates fundamentally differently from Google—exposing the SEO industry’s outdated assumptions.
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The Upfront Market Glossary 2026: More Buzzwords, Less Substance
The 2026 upfront market glossary is a parade of buzzwords masking the TV ad industry's refusal to innovate. Real change demands transparency, not jargon.
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Possible’s Marketers Grapple with AI Hype While Clinging to ‘Human’ Facades
Marketers at Possible reveal the messy truth behind AI in marketing: it’s less magic and more a struggle to keep content human amid growing automation pressures.
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Ace Hardware’s AI Assistant: A Rare Win in the Corporate Chatbot Circus
Ace Hardware’s new AI assistant isn’t another half-baked chatbot. It’s a carefully designed tool that actually helps employees, proving that AI can work when done right.
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Marketing’s Toxic Blindspot: Why Ignoring the CTO Is a Recipe for Disaster
Only 4.6% of marketers prioritize strong ties with CTOs—a reckless oversight in a world where tech leadership defines marketing success.
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Forrester’s New Report Exposes B2B Marketing’s Deadly Blind Spot: Buyers Have Already Picked Their Vendors
Forrester reveals that 66% of B2B buyers pick their vendors before any direct contact, rendering traditional marketing tactics obsolete. The buying process is now confirmation, not selection.
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Cartier’s Panther Campaign Proves Luxury Branding Isn’t Dead, Just Lazy Everywhere Else
Cartier’s recent OOH campaign featuring its iconic panther reminded the luxury world that true brand distinctiveness comes from owning your heritage—not chasing trends. The campaign’s success earned it top honors in Kantar’s ‘The Works’ study.
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