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.
Publishers Still Ignoring Structured Data for Google AI Overviews Are Leaving Money on the Table
In 2023, Google’s AI overview panels rely heavily on structured data—yet over 70% of major publishers fail to implement it properly.
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The AI Content Detector Scam: Why Your 'Originality' Score Is a Joke
By 2024, AI content detectors like OpenAI's classifier and GPTZero fail 70% of real human writing tests, exposing their fundamental uselessness.
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Diageo’s North America CMO Exit Spotlights Leadership Chaos Amid Turnaround Gambit
Diageo’s North America CMO departure reveals cracks in the brand’s shaky turnaround under CEO Dave Lewis, exposing leadership volatility amid strategic confusion.
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Disney’s ‘Rivals’ and Biscoff’s Influencer Play Expose Marketing’s Lazy Habits
Disney’s latest ‘Rivals’ launch proves brand partnerships aren’t optional; Biscoff’s influencer strategy shows challenger brands school the lazy marketing world. Time to wake up.
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Marketing Shuffle 2026: Gap, Saucony, and Fanatics Make Moves While Agencies Stay Stuck in Neutral
Gap, Saucony, and Fanatics shake up their marketing leadership while the agency world keeps churning out the same tired SEO grift. Real change comes from inside brands.
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‘Today’ Clings to Morning News Crown as CBS Mornings Makes a Quiet Power Move
NBC’s ‘Today’ show maintains its morning news lead, but CBS Mornings is making quiet gains that could signal a brewing challenge to the tired status quo.
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Fixed-Fee Pricing Is Eating Agency Margins — Here’s Why 25% of North American Agencies Are Signing Up for the Squeeze
A new study reveals 25% of North American agencies have adopted fixed-fee pricing as AI disrupts traditional billing models. Spoiler: it’s a survival tactic, not a victory lap.
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CBS News’ Charles Forelle Pushes Back Against Corporate Puppeteering, Claims Editorial Independence Amid Industry Scrutiny
CBS News’ Charles Forelle asserts the network’s editorial independence amid widespread skepticism, while CNN unveils a new slate of Originals programming in a bid to reclaim credibility.
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CNN’s Rare Growth Amidst Cable News Ratings Stagnation Exposes Fox News’ Viewer Plateau
For the week of May 4, 2026, CNN stands alone among cable news networks with actual viewer growth, while Fox News maintains its lead without expanding its audience.
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The Fixed-Fee Pricing Swindle: Why North American Agencies Are Ditching Value for Predictability—and Why It’s a Trap
A new study reveals that 25% of North American agencies have switched to fixed-fee pricing—a move that signals desperation, not innovation, in the age of AI-driven marketing.
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Ally Demands More Than Logo Placement: Wants a Seat at the Table in Women’s Sports Media Deals
Ally Financial is disrupting women’s sports sponsorships by pushing for influence over media deals, not just logo placements. This signals a new era of brand power plays.
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Stop Chasing AI Agents: The Real Winners Nail Process Before Tech
Most brands chasing AI agents are missing the point. The winners started with process, not tech — and it shows in their results.
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Amazon’s Video Podcast Gambit: The Next TV Network or Another Measurement Mirage?
Amazon is betting big on creator video podcasts as the future of TV networks, but without fixing podcast measurement, it’s just another data black hole for advertisers.
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Programmatic Marketing Summit Exposes the AI Agent Buying Circus — And Why It’s Still a Mess
At Digiday’s Programmatic Marketing Summit, marketers revealed the harsh truths behind AI-driven ad buying: it’s messy, opaque, and far from autonomous. Human oversight still rules.
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CeraVe Courts Gen Z by Naming Carmelo Anthony ‘Head Coach’ of Dandruff Campaign — Because Why the Hell Not?
CeraVe’s latest dandruff campaign taps NBA star Carmelo Anthony as its “head coach” to grab Gen Z’s attention — a bold, if desperate, move in a stale category.
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Rightmove’s CMO Bets on AI to Deliver ‘Relevance at Scale’—But Is It More Hype Than Help?
Rightmove’s CMO Matt Bushby touts AI as key to delivering “relevance at scale” in marketing—but the real lesson is that AI works only with solid data and strategy behind it.
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Marketing Training: The Double-Edged Sword Killing Creativity While Pretending to Help
Marketing training promises rigor but often delivers formulaic blandness, killing creativity and producing interchangeable campaigns that bore audiences and marketers alike.
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Cannes Lions 2026 Cracks Down: Stricter Entry Rules, AI Awards, and WPP’s Beach Space Coup
Cannes Lions 2026 slams the brakes on lazy entries with tougher rules, debuts a serious AI award, and sees PMG wrest control of WPP’s iconic beach space.
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