the newsletter, every issue.
Nine hundred and fifty editions of yap, sat in one place. One long read every friday morning. Always free.
Nine hundred and fifty issues.
The entry-level job is disappearing. Marketers should pay attention
Entry-level marketing jobs are disappearing as AI handles basic tasks, forcing new marketers to be strategic from day one without traditional apprenticeship.
Hold on, did Fishwife make canned tuna cool?
Fishwife transformed canned tuna from boring pantry staple to aspirational lifestyle product through bold design, quality sourcing, and strategic branding.
The battle of the (AI) brands
AI companies are battling for market dominance through brand positioning rather than technical superiority, with ChatGPT and Claude taking distinct approaches.
How to kill your darlings
Learn to identify and eliminate 'darlings' - projects, ideas, or processes you love but that are holding back your creative and business growth.
Is the luxury of being unreachable forcing tech into an anti-accessibility arms race?
Digital platforms are creating two classes: the unreachable elite who can afford to disappear online, and the perpetually available who must stay engaged to survive.
The gig economy 2.0
Creative professionals are building diverse income portfolios through shadow freelancing, replacing traditional career paths with creative sovereignty.
The great media amnesia
The internet has become a 'collective forgetting machine' where digital platforms prioritize new content over preserving cultural memory and archives.
Streaming’s biggest takeover (and what it might cost cinema)
Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros could reshape cinema by prioritizing algorithmic content over creative risk-taking and artistic experimentation.
What we lose when giants fall
The Omnicom-IPG merger dissolves iconic agencies like DDB, prioritizing efficiency over creative identity. This consolidation threatens the industry's creative diversity and apprenticeship culture.
Wait, what is Q5??? And why is Pinterest telling me I need to know?
Pinterest identifies Q5 as the week between Christmas and New Year when consumers shift from gift-buying to self-purchasing. This presents a unique marketing opportunity for brands.
The collapse of the “default influencer personality”
The default influencer personality template is collapsing as audiences crave authentic, multi-dimensional creators over formatted content.
The great cultural greyscale
Culture has shifted to desaturated, grayscale aesthetics across films, ads, and brands. This reflects a broader mood where bright color is seen as childish and muted tones signal sophistication.