This week, Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose tackle one of the boldest statements in recent marketing memory. The CEO of Unilever says big brand advertising is dead. Is he right? Or is this a Trojan horse for something much bigger?

Big Brand Advertising: Dead or Disguised?

When the head of one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world questions traditional brand advertising, it’s not a throwaway comment. Joe and Robert unpack what’s really happening:

• Are we witnessing the collapse of mass brand-building?

• Or is this a pivot toward creator-led, performance-driven, and retail media strategies?

• Is “brand is dead” just cover for short-term earnings pressure?

Facebook’s Creator Monetization Shift

Next, the hosts examine Facebook and its evolving creator monetization programs.

Here’s the surprising part: most of the creators earning real money aren’t in the U.S. or Europe.

What does that signal?

• Is Facebook optimizing for lower-cost content markets?

• Is this about global growth or cheaper engagement?

• Does this open the door to more synthetic and AI-generated content?

Joe and Robert debate what this means for marketers investing in creator partnerships and for Western creators assuming they’re at the center of platform economics.

AI Actors, Hollywood, and Trademarking Yourself

A fascinating conversation between Matthew McConaughey and Timothée Chalamet sparks a larger discussion: what happens when AI enters the craft of acting?

Will we eventually see:

• Best AI Actor?

• Best Synthetic Film?

• Or entirely new creative categories?

Joe raises a bigger issue for marketers and creators: should you trademark your name, image, and likeness?

As AI-generated replicas improve, protecting your identity may become a business necessity rather than a vanity move.

Winners and Losers

Winner: The Creator Betting on Landline Phones

Joe highlights a surprising trend: a creator sells old-school landline phones.

Marketing Loser: U.S. Men’s Hockey

Robert explains why the United States men's national ice hockey team earns this week’s marketing “L.” Brand positioning, expectations, and execution all come under scrutiny.

Rants, Raves, and Heated Debate

Robert dives deep into Anthropic and its recent moves around AI safety. Is the company quietly shifting away from its core safety mission?

Then things get heated.

Joe and Robert spar over an article by Matt Shumer on the future of AI. Is exponential acceleration inevitable? Are we underestimating the timeline? Or overhyping the disruption?

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. 

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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 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.

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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/

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This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

Companies like Meta and other social platforms are facing serious scrutiny over the effects of social media on mental health, teens, misinformation, and society at large. Lawmakers are circling. Hearings are happening. Headlines are dramatic.

But is this real regulatory momentum… or political theater?

Joe and Robert debate:

• Whether meaningful regulation is actually possible

• What history tells us about tech antitrust moments

• And what marketers should prepare for if something does change

Are we watching the beginning of a structural shift, or just another PR cycle?

OpenAI Buys OpenClaw

OpenAI makes another strategic move, acquiring OpenClaw.

Smart vertical integration or signs of pressure?

Joe and Robert explore:

• What this signals about OpenAI’s long-term positioning

• If this move strengthens the moat or exposes vulnerability

Desperate land grab or calculated chess move?

Apple Moves into Video. Too Late?

Apple continues expanding its footprint in video podcasts and entertainment. But in a world dominated by established streaming giants and creator-driven platforms, is Apple behind?

The discussion covers:

• Apple’s historical pattern of entering late and winning anyway

• Whether hardware advantage still matters

• If brand trust gives Apple an edge in a saturated market

• What this means for content creators and marketers

Is Apple playing the long game… or missing the moment?

Marketing Winners and Losers

Winners

Joe shares a win from Surfside and what “winning” looks like in Key West. Sometimes the lesson isn’t scale. It’s positioning, timing, and owning a moment.

Losers

Robert discusses the Ring backlash and how they just didn't read the room.

Rants and Raves

Robert’s Rant

The evolving role of the AI creator. Is the curator the new role?

Joe’s Rave

Differentiation is not louder messaging. It’s clearer identity. In a world drowning in synthetic sameness, the brands and creators who stand for something specific will win.

As always, Joe and Robert cut through the noise so you can focus on what matters.

Subscribe. Share. And don’t miss this one.

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. 

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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 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/

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This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

This week, Joe and Robert break down one of the boldest marketing decisions the NFL has made in years and why it continues to pay off.

NFL + Bad Bunny: A Strategic Win

The NFL’s move to spotlight Bad Bunny wasn’t just a halftime performance decision. It was a strategic signal about where the league is headed as it expands globally and looks to connect with younger, more diverse audiences.

Joe and Robert explore whether this marks a broader repositioning of the NFL brand and what marketers can learn from a legacy organization willing to evolve in public. This isn’t about one performance. It’s about how institutions modernize without losing their core.

Super Bowl Ad Winners & Losers

The guys break down the biggest hits and misses from this year’s Super Bowl ad lineup.

Which brands actually created impact?
Who played it too safe?
Did AI-driven ads live up to the hype or feel automated and forgettable?

Some advertisers made bold cultural bets. Others blended into the background.

Spotify’s Big Earnings and the Hidden Opportunity

Spotify’s latest earnings report might signal something bigger than a financial rebound. Joe sees a potential opportunity for creators and marketers who understand the long-term value of owned audio audiences.

Is podcasting and direct subscription audio still undervalued?
Are marketers overlooking one of the most durable attention platforms available today?

If you care about building direct audience leverage, this segment matters.

Winners and Losers

Joe’s Winner: Markiplier’s Iron Lung
Markiplier’s direct-to-theaters success with Iron Lung shows what creator-led distribution can look like without traditional Hollywood gatekeepers. Is this a preview of the next decade of media?

Robert’s Loser: AI Ads at the Super Bowl
AI promised scale and personalization. On the biggest stage in advertising, many of those spots felt soulless and generic. Scale without taste is not a strategy.

Rants and Raves

Joe’s Rant: TikTok Privacy
Are creators and brands ignoring long-term privacy and platform risk for short-term reach?

Robert’s Commentary: The Overblown SaaS Apocalypse
Robert pushes back on the constant doom-and-gloom narrative around SaaS and tech. Is the so-called apocalypse real, or just another overreaction cycle?

Big Takeaway

Legacy institutions are adapting. Creators are bypassing gatekeepers. Platforms are redefining monetization.

The question for marketers is simple: Are you reacting to change, or positioning yourself to benefit from it?

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. 

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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 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/

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This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

It’s the episode you’ve been waiting for.

Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose bring together their favorite rants and raves in one fast-moving supercut that tackles the biggest questions facing marketers and creators right now.

Is print really making a comeback, or are we just nostalgic for a slower, more thoughtful era of media? Why does everyone seem so certain in a world that’s becoming more complex by the day? And is “thoughtful marketing” finally ready for its return after years of hacks, shortcuts, and algorithm chasing?

The guys also dig into a question every content team should be asking: Is content actually broken, or is the real problem your org chart?

Along the way, Joe and Robert explore what might be the next great opportunity for marketers and content entrepreneurs who are willing to zig while everyone else zags.

Big ideas. Sharp opinions. A few laughs. And plenty to argue about on your next walk or commute.

You don’t want to miss this one.

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 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