Edition 99. Platform power moves, consumer self-expression, and the rise of the $99 “AI CMO.” 👀 5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. When influence pays. Meta Meta is paying creators to post on Facebook. Its new Creator Fast Track offers three months of guaranteed pay, with established creators eligible for $1,000 a month if they have 100,000+ followers, and $3,000 a month for 1M+. They also get extra reach on Reels. Key takeaway: platform distribution is now so valuable that...
28 days ago • 2 min read
Edition 98. I interrupt our regular five-byte format to share an email confession that could drive more revenue for your business 💰 But! Before I get into it… 3 short brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. What’s old is new again. Wall Street Journal The generation raised online might be the one giving the mall its second act. TikTok and Instagram culture is sending Gen Z into malls to film, hang out, and shop. 62% of their purchases happen in physical stores (perhaps for the...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Traps for content copycats, the AI habit *68%* of people admit to, and the second life of content (with a strategy, too). 5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. The Internet still wants answers. Ask Jeeves Back in the day, Ask Jeeves led Search. The name said it all. Ask someone (once upon a time, Jeeves) a question, get an answer. The habit hasn’t changed. But the medium has. A recent consumer sentiment survey found 68% of consumers used at least *one* AI tool in the past...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
When the Internet becomes the brand product team, and why your new “team” might be on a Mac mini. 5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. Rare, but happening: ads have entered the AI chat. Reddit Ads in ChatGPT are here. And it’s a quiet rollout. Brands like Best Buy, Fiverr, and Expedia (and even The Knot) have already appeared. Their ads are inside prompt-related responses as part of OpenAI’s early ad pilot. But scale isn’t the strategy (yet). Here’s the data... An AI search...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Edition 95. Big productions used to win. Now AI is leveling the playing field. The AI marketing tools, ad formats, and brand campaigns winning right now? Let’s dive in. 5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: Yes, it‘s Captain Planet. This will make sense by the end ;-) 1. Small biz, big views. “He was pulled into a drain pipe after being caught in a flood.” What a hook! The AI scene brings it to life. But here’s the real plot twist… (Actually, I won’t spoil it… yet) A...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Edition 94. Nobody reads ads, a new 45-page report reminds us. But a platform shift is reshaping brand discovery, and *this* three-hour masterclass is commanding views in a swipe-first world. 5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. The “Algorithmic Era” is here. Dentsu Dentsu, a global ad and media network, released its 2026 forecast. The report distills its findings into these three truths: 👉 We crave simplicity👉 We crave connection, and 👉 We tune out ads. It maps how AI,...
2 months ago • 4 min read
Edition 93. In case you’re among the 100+ million people set to tune in to the Super Bowl tonight, I’ll keep this edition light (and fun). 5 fun email facts to inform and inspire you this week: The email provider I use for e-commerce, Omnisend, dropped a “Year in Email” recap this week. The “fun edition” 🤪 They analyzed over 26 *billion* emails (yes, billion with a B) — to spot playful patterns instead of performance benchmarks. Because sometimes we need a break from the serious numbers and...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Edition 92. Fragrance drops, gold-medal flexes, consumer predictions, and the rising cost of attention (Meta just reported). Here are 5 brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. Packaging play: going for the gold. Chipotle I did a dangerous thing and wrote this while hungry. So guess who’ll be in line on Friday when Chipotle brings back the gold 🥇 The burrito chain is reviving its iconic gold foil wrapping to mark the 2026 Winter Olympics. “Team Chipotle” (a select roster of Team...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Edition 91. From creator pivots, tax lounges, and pens-turned-lamps, brands are making sharp turns toward where attention and execution meet. Five brand bytes to inform and inspire you this week: 1. I spy a shift: YouTube’s big bet. YouTube The confirmation is in (YouTube’s CEO said so this week). But first, two quick observations: Some former course queens (and kings), many who already made *millions* in course sales, are quietly stepping away from that model, and rebuilding around YouTube....
3 months ago • 3 min read