Marketing, Machines & Mischief

In this episode, the duo dives into the ongoing tug-of-war between CMOs and CFOs over what really counts as marketing success, the explosive rise of retail media as an essential - not optional - channel, and why AI isn’t replacing marketing teams, but transforming how they’re built. Plus, they spotlight bold campaigns that break the mold, celebrate Chicago’s marketing resilience, and tackle the wild world of city and state tourism budgets. Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned pro, get ready for sharp commentary, quick-witted banter, and actionable takeaways in just 10 minutes.

🔗 **Jo...

What if the best marketing move you could make is to stop overthinking it?

This week, Matthew and Chris dissect Unilever's baffling decision to hire 300,000 influencers (yes, really), Timothée Chalamet's unhinged genius in film marketing, and why the YMCA's 175th anniversary rebrand didn't need blockchain or a pivot to "Y.io" to absolutely crush it. Plus: why Altoids' ancient tin packaging is a masterclass in forced consumer rituals, and what the hell happened to women's portrayal in advertising this year (spoiler: we went backwards).

Tune in for practical takeaways, a few laughs, and zero f...

What happens when 19% of a tech giant's revenue comes from scam ads running right next to your brand?

Matthew and Chris dive into Meta's $3 billion scandal, WPP's shocking valuation collapse, and why the UK just banned junk food advertising after 9 PM. This week's episode cuts through the noise with the kind of condensed marketing intelligence you won't find anywhere else. From KFC's masterclass in brand collaboration (Hawkins Fried Chicken, anyone?) to a surprisingly convincing argument that the pirate logo might be the most powerful brand symbol on earth, Matthew and Chris deliver their signature blend of authority...

If you're tired of marketing podcasts that waste 45 minutes saying what could've been said in 10, this episode cuts straight to what actually matters this week.

Matthew and Chris break down the $1.14 trillion global ad spend surge (spoiler: AI's burning cash faster than a tipsy sailor), Uber's new data platform that's monetizing your midnight shame purchases, and why YouTube's CEO just won Time's top honor for…successfully copying TikTok?

Plus, they spotlight Samsung's rare AI ad that doesn't feel like a dystopian nightmare, and Bigelow Tea's audacious claim that American tea beats the Brits—because sometimes the...

If you're tired of marketing podcasts that waste your time with generic advice and hour-long interviews about someone's "journey," this episode cuts straight to what actually matters this week.

Matthew and Chris dissect a cautionary tale from the ad tech world - how a billion-dollar merger between Outbrain and Teeds imploded, losing 90% of its stock value. They reveal why marketers treating AI like a cheat code are getting destroyed by those rebuilding their systems around it (spoiler: doing the work still beats shortcuts). Plus, they explore how AI is turning PR into a multi-headed hydra - from...

If you're tired of sifting through endless marketing noise to find what actually matters, this episode cuts straight to the good stuff.

Matthew and Chris break down TikTok's explosive $500M Black Friday weekend, Adobe's surprise $2B acquisition of SEMrush, and why 77% of customers are angrier than ever - and what that means for your brand. Plus, they spotlight Apple's accessibility campaign that proves inclusivity doesn't need a lecture, just a sick beat, and Canva's brilliant London takeover that made graphic designers everywhere smile.

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If you're tired of marketing podcasts that waste 45 minutes saying nothing, buckle up for 10 minutes of actual intelligence.

This week, Matthew and Chris break down Fox News Media's new AI partnership with Palantir Technologies and what it means for the future of ad targeting and audience modeling. Then they tackle the hard truth: the marketing industry just lost 800 jobs in September—but before you panic, they explain why smart, focused marketers will always find opportunities (and how AI plays into it).

Also covered: UK gambling companies dropped $2.6 billion on ads last year, Dunkin' turned do...

If you're tired of scrolling through marketing news that feels like AI-generated slop, this episode cuts through the noise with the stories that actually matter.

Matthew and Chris break down Meta's $16 billion scam ad scandal (yes, beeeellion), the launch of Artists & Robots - a new agency built on AI efficiency and human creativity - and why Steph Curry and Under Armour just called it quits after years of partnership.

Plus: why the UPS Store's latest campaign is a masterclass in emotional storytelling without the cringe, and what Liquid Death's packaging teaches us about brand decisions...

If you're tired of sifting through marketing noise and want the distilled truth about what's actually moving the needle right now - this episode is your shortcut.

Matthew and Chris break down the week's most critical shifts: why Comcast's latest acquisition is collapsing the wall between traditional TV and digital buying, how digital out-of-home is quietly outperforming streaming and social in the final mile of purchase, and why Amazon just did what most brands are too scared to try - rerun the same ad twice and win bigger.

No jargon. No fluff. Just two...

We deliver the intelligence briefing marketers actually need: why short form video is eating 82% of internet traffic (and getting 2.5X more engagement), how Coca-Cola is doubling down on controversial AI holiday ads despite last year's backlash, and why live sports remain the last mass audience standing in our microsegmented world.

But here's where it gets good: Saucony's brilliant pivot from performance worship to emotional connection (46% brand search increase, 41% revenue jump), while we also unpack nudge theory—the behavioral economics hack behind Netflix's autoplay and that fake fly in the urinal that actually works.

No fl...

If you're tired of wading through hour-long marketing podcasts that treat every social post like a Nobel Prize achievement, this episode cuts straight to what actually matters.

Matthew & Chris dissect WPP's new AI self-service platform (yes, the company that started as Wire and Plastic Products), Dommmino's smart rebrand strategy when sales are up not down, and why major brands like Dove and Heineken are publicly rejecting AI in their creative.

Plus: Target doubles down on Hot Santa with a full cinematic universe, and Ukraine's elite military brigades are running recruitment campaigns that would make...

If you're wondering where $248 billion in digital ad spending is actually going this year (and why tariffs are messing with those projections), Matthew and Chris have the breakdown that cuts through the industry's latest "transparency" charade.

This week: the Media Ratings Council wakes from its periodic stupor to demand openness in an 80% closed-loop ad ecosystem dominated by Google and Meta (Matthew's betting $1,000 nothing changes), California just legislated the end of ear-splitting streaming ads, and Anthropic pulled off something most AI companies are too scared to attempt - they took their chatbot Claude offline and into a West...

If you're tired of watching legacy brands fumble billion-dollar opportunities while startups somehow nail cultural integration on their first try, we have the breakdown you've been waiting for.

This week: Maxwell House transforms into Maxwell Apartment (partnering with Amazon for a year-long lease stunt that resurrects a 130-year-old brand), Cracker Barrel unceremoniously fires its San Francisco agency after their "Luxe" rebrand backfired so spectacularly it made international headlines, and Columbia Sportswear inexplicably joins the "unhinged brand" club alongside Duolingo, Ryanair, and Scrub Daddy.

Plus, Matthew and Chris recognize real marketing excellence: Venmo's NIL-powered college...

We break down why Reddit is suddenly getting more AI citations than Wikipedia and YouTube combined—and what that $60M Google deal really means for your content strategy. They dissect Omnicom's $13.5 billion acquisition (with a bizarre political boycott clause the FTC slipped in), and reveal TikTok's internal research proving it's finally a legitimate bottom-funnel conversion machine with 2.2x sales lift.

Plus: Xfinity turned Frankenstein into a Wi-Fi-obsessed sourdough baker (and hired the actual Universal Studios makeup artists to do it), and Mountain Dew just co-launched gummy candies that taste like soda—because cross-promotion has officially entered its fina...

If you're drowning in marketing podcasts that recycle the same tired talking points, this episode delivers the intelligence briefing your brain actually craves.

In this episode, we cut through industry noise with razor-sharp analysis of ChatGPT's leaked internal research (70% of users aren't doing work - and that matters more than you think), Google's stealth holiday campaign arsenal that's already reshaping Q4 strategies, and the TikTok "solution" that could trigger the biggest user exodus in social media history.

We’ll dissect why Brian Cox makes McDonald's sound Shakespearean, how Applebee's NFL campaign proves emotional triggers still tr...