This Old Marketing - News Podcast Weekly with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose

Joe and Robert unpack IBM's rough AI reality, where enterprise spending may be shifting toward infrastructure and away from traditional software.
They revisit Meta's short-lived Muse image feature and the privacy backlash that forced the company to pull it almost immediately.
Then they connect three major OpenAI stories: a wildly ambitious advertising forecast, Apple's trade-secrets lawsuit, and reports that OpenAI is developing a screenless AI companion. Is OpenAI still building an AI company, or the next dominant technology platform?
Sign up for Robert Rose's exclusive July event here. https://www.seventhbear.com/bearing-table-july/

Robert's marketing winner is Gary Vaynerchuk for his continued push into investing and affiliate marketing.
Joe's loser is LadBible, whose dependence on Meta referrals offers another painful reminder about the dangers of building on rented land.
In rants and raves, Robert reacts to Cloudflare's effort to make AI companies pay publishers for their content and says, "Let it burn."
Joe comments on China's effort to increase its population by cracking down on romantic relationships between people and AI chatbots.
Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing. 
-------
This week's sponsor:

Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot.

Unless you use HubSpot.

Their AEO and customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts.  All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more.
Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.
-------
Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ 
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
-------
This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

Sign up for Robert Rose's exclusive July event here. https://www.seventhbear.com/bearing-table-july/
This week, Joe and Robert dig into what happens when marketing, publishing, and customer data all collide with AI.
First, the guys break down McKinsey's vision for the future of marketing, where brands must move from campaigns to continuous growth systems and become trusted by both people and machines.
Then, they look at a provocative publishing essay arguing that AI-created, ad-supported content may overwhelm much of the media business. If content becomes cheap and endless, what is still worth paying for?
The conversation then turns to HubSpot, which reversed a planned customer data enrichment change after backlash from users. Full disclosure: HubSpot is a sponsor of This Old Marketing. But the story is bigger than one company. It raises the question every platform will face in the AI era: when does better data become a trust problem?
In Marketing Winners and Losers, Joe gives his loser to Meta for rolling out another AI feature that feels like it asked for forgiveness before permission. Robert's winner is bookstores, because in a digital world full of synthetic content, physical discovery and trusted human curation suddenly feel more valuable.
In Rants and Raves, Joe comments on Pangram's research about AI-generated content filling social feeds, especially LinkedIn. Robert raves about new Ramp research suggesting that companies investing heavily in AI are hiring more, not less, pushing back against the idea that AI automatically means fewer jobs.
Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing. 
-------
This week's sponsor:

Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot.

Unless you use HubSpot.

Their AEO and customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts.  All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more.
Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.
-------
Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ 
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
-------
This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

This week on This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert dig into a very strange new reality for marketers: the next audience may not be human.
First, Anthropic's Fable and Mythos models get caught in the middle of U.S. export controls, raising a huge question for any company building on AI platforms. Then OpenAI reportedly floats the idea of giving the U.S. government a five percent stake in the company. Is AI becoming national infrastructure? And if so, what does that mean for marketers building on someone else's platform?
Next, the boys look at the big takeaways from Cannes Lions, where creators, talent agencies, retail media, sports, and AI took center stage. The ad business is still talking about creativity, but the power seems to be moving toward those who own trust, audience, commerce, and distribution.
From there, Joe and Robert discuss new research showing that AI search citations do not line up neatly with traditional Google rankings. In other words, winning SEO may not mean winning AI search. The game is shifting from ranking to being cited.
Finally, they break down the rise of AI agents as web visitors. If bots are now browsing, comparing, filtering, and buying on behalf of humans, then websites, content, and marketing strategy all need to be rethought. Your next customer may not visit your website. Their agent might.
In Marketing Winners, Robert loves Kraft jumping on the World Cup ranch dressing craze with its TSA-compliant ranch idea. Sometimes the best marketing comes from simply paying attention and moving fast.
In Rants and Raves, Joe raves about Stella Artois' World Cup activation and the brand's push to make the bar the true home of the World Cup experience. Joe also shares his personal rave from his World Cup trip to Kansas City. Robert closes with a rant on the latest AI music controversies, from synthetic artists to royalties, labeling, and what happens when human creativity gets buried under machine-made volume.
Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing. 
-------
This week's sponsor:

Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot.

Unless you use HubSpot.

Their AEO and customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts.  All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more.
Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.
-------
Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ 
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
-------
This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

In this episode, the boys cut in with two breaking stories.
First, Walmart buys Vibe.co, a connected TV advertising platform, in a move that could make Walmart's already-growing ad business even more interesting. Robert believes the strategy is right, especially with Walmart's retail media business and Vizio already in the fold, but thinks the price tag may have been a bit too rich.
Then Joe and Robert revisit the FIFA stadium branding story. FIFA's clean-stadium policy has forced brands like Levi's, Heinz and others to cover up their logos during World Cup matches. But instead of making those brands disappear, FIFA may have created the perfect Streisand effect. Heinz, Beats and Levi's have all turned the restrictions into creative marketing moments. Is FIFA protecting its sponsors, or accidentally giving non-sponsors a bigger story?
In our main stories, Google and A24 announce a partnership around AI filmmaking tools. The big question is not whether AI will make the final movie. It's whether AI will control more of the creative workflow before the final product ever exists.
Then Meta and Snap both make new moves in smart glasses. Meta pushes toward a lower-cost, more mainstream AI glasses play, while Snap launches its new AR-focused Specs. If glasses become the next interface, marketers may have to rethink content for a world where the screen is no longer in your hand. It's on your face.
In Winners and Losers, Joe's winner is TIME Canada. TIME is launching a licensed Canadian edition with a local team, local office, original reporting, video, social, print and events. In a world of generated content, Joe likes the bet on trusted editorial brands with a local heartbeat.
Robert's winner is McDonald's, which is bringing back the fried apple pie. Sometimes nostalgia, timing and a little bit of fried goodness is all the marketing strategy you need.
In Rants and Raves, Joe raves about The Infinity Machine by Sebastian Mallaby, a book about Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and the race toward superintelligence.
Robert delivers a super rant on TuneCore and how independent creators may be getting the short end of the stick as AI music floods the market and distribution platforms try to figure out who gets through, who gets blocked, and who gets paid.
Also mentioned this week: In the Weights, a site that lets you see whether you show up in the "weights" of different AI models: https://www.intheweights.com/
Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing. 
-------
This week's sponsor:

Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot.

Unless you use HubSpot.

Their AEO and customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts.  All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more.
Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.
-------
Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ 
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
-------
This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

This week, Joe and Robert lead with Anthropic's safety warning and what it means for marketers building AI-driven systems. Joe sees a real challenge ahead: how can marketers confidently build AI platforms and processes when models, access, regulations, and rules keep changing? Robert is not so sure and thinks some of this may be more theater and marketing than actual danger. Who's right? Maybe nobody knows yet.
The boys also discuss Fox buying Roku and why the deal is less about content and more about distribution, data, advertising, and owning the screen before the viewer decides what to watch. Plus...Sam Harris doesn't care if it's AI or not.
In marketing winners and losers, Robert's winner is a Publicis video, while Joe's winner is Carvana and its move into new-car sales. In rants, raves, and commentary, Joe raves about Sweden pulling back on digital learning for kids and bringing back more books, paper, and handwriting. Robert talks about the LinkedIn and Adobe launch, which may not really be much of a launch at all. Robert also discusses the new AI awards from Cannes.
Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing. 
-------
This week's sponsor:

Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot.

Unless you use HubSpot.

Their AEO and customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts.  All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more.
Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.
-------
Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/
Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/
Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.
Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ 
Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/
-------
This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork