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.
Aaron Silva of Exverus by Brainlabs Smokes the Competition—And His Own Meats at Home
Aaron Silva, assistant director of ad ops at Exverus by Brainlabs, is as serious about his barbecue game as he is about his digital campaigns, proving real mastery demands grit and craft.
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Brian Chap’s RootIQ Isn’t Your Average AI Hype — It’s a Decision Engine That Actually Delivers
Brian Chap’s RootIQ is cutting through AI hype with a decision engine that actually delivers actionable insights, not just buzzword bingo.
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AB InBev’s Third Cannes Lions Creative Marketer Crown Exposes the Industry’s Trophy Obsession
AB InBev’s third Cannes Lions Creative Marketer of the Year award spotlights an industry obsessed with trophies over true innovation. It’s time to call out the marketing echo chamber.
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WPP’s Quarter Proves Margins Matter More Than Revenue — Stop Worshipping Vanity Metrics
WPP’s latest quarterly report proves that margin improvements matter far more than headline revenue growth in today’s agency landscape.
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James Murdoch Sparks a Bidding War for Vox Media — Brace for Portfolio Shakeup
James Murdoch’s bid for Vox Media isn’t just another acquisition—it’s a sign the company’s sprawling portfolio faces a ruthless restructuring ahead.
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**Mark Zuckerberg: Navigating the Storm of Public Scrutiny and Corporate Transformation**
In the heart of Silicon Valley, Mark Zuckerberg stood on a stage, the blue glow of his laptop illuminating his face as he addressed an audience of eager tech enthusiasts and skeptics alike. The air was thick with anticipation, the kind that
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WPP’s Quarter Proves Margins Matter More Than Top-Line Bullshit
WPP’s latest quarter reveals the real battlefield isn’t revenue growth, it’s margin expansion. Time for agencies to ditch the growth-at-all-costs grift and get profitable.
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Criteo’s ChatGPT Hype Collides With Reality as Revenue Forecast Takes a Hit
Criteo’s ChatGPT partnership has drawn client interest but failed to stop shares from sliding after a downgraded revenue forecast, exposing the limits of AI hype in ad tech.
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TikTok’s Ecommerce Hype Meets PepsiCo’s Experimentation—But Don’t Call It ‘Active Attention’ Yet
TikTok claims it can turn viral videos into instant purchases, and PepsiCo is testing those ecommerce waters. Spoiler: it’s not magic, just early-stage hustle.
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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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