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“I have no ego in this.”

-a client

The best way to approach planning and performance analysis.

Prior decisions are sunk costs. Analyze, learn, advance.

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Are you filtering through the fluff?

Or fluffing up the filter?

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I just concluded a prez to the Blue Ion crew by saying that smart/AR glasses are the next consumer computing wave.

This piece from The Verge makes me feel better about that prediction.

and the third is the idea that no one device is the future of XR. Headsets, for example, may just be “episodic” devices you use for entertainment. Glasses could supplement phones and smartwatches for discreet notifications and looking up information.

“The way I see it, these devices don’t replace one another. You’ll use these devices throughout your day,

Ambient computing!

There are plenty of hurdles left, but if Google has figured out on-lens optics, the big ones left are for the accountants.

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As for the promisor…it’s exciting to make the promise. You get to look cool and powerful and helpful. But then when no one is looking and there’s no excitement and maybe you don’t feel like it, you have to fulfill the promise. And it’s important to remember that while you don’t feel like fulfilling the promise, the promisee is somewhere excited that you are going to come through.

Marketing is a pyramid of promises.

Higher promise delivery rate = better reputation = more successful efforts

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The headline: Google To Have More Core Updates, More Often

Details are thin, but this slide from the Search Central Live event where this was announced is interesting:

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Will mobile game ads be wired in 2025?

So far AppLovin has the magic 8 ball saying Outlook Good 🎱

AppLovin’s ads are unskippable and pop up between game levels—a sweet spot for undivided attention. 


And for now, for players used to seeing ads for other apps, these retail ads feel like a welcome change, making them more memorable.

Competition is driving ad costs up and novelty will wear off, driving effectiveness down, but this space has had Next Big Thing status for years.

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The appeal of late night show hosts was (and still is) their mix of personality and taste. Makes sense that podcast hosts are becoming the new late night hosts.

new statistics from YouTube show the platform has cracked 400 million monthly video podcast watch-hours on connected TVs, saying audiences are watching podcasts in their living room in the same way TV audiences in previous decades casually consumed late-night TV.

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Third-party cookies are a tool, not a strategy. They influence how marketing is delivered and measured, but they’ve never been a substitute for a sound marketing plan or strong data practices.

Substitute any form of tech or data solution for “third party cookies” above and it still holds.

The best solution for a theoretical post-cookie world is still the best path forward:

  • First-party data
  • Build relationships and trust
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How to Make a Video According to TikTok (Shop)

First Meta, then LinkedIn, now video making tips from TikTok (Shop).

You Gotta Have a Hook

You have to pique curiosity within the first 3 seconds. The first line must grab attention.

Bennies, Baby

Once attention is grabbed, move into the benefits / variations of your product.

Heed the Call

End with a call to action and make it easy to take the relevant action (aka don’t just dump them on your homepage).

create short videos that capture attention, clearly deliver a brand or product message, and convert.

To recap:

1. Capture attention in the opening seconds
2. Validate the product
3. Give a clear next step (CTA)

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Inflation is sticking around.

From the BLS:

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.3 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis in November, after rising 0.2 percent in each of the previous 4 months

Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 2.7 percent

Shelter index rose 0.3%
Food up 0.4%
Energy up 0.2%