The Trust Shock & The Platform Shift
TikTok Uninstalls are up 150% Let’s be clear: The government didn't ban TikTok this week. The users just started leaving. Following the news of the US joint venture, uninstalls skyrocketed. This is what platform risk actually looks like. It’s not regulation; it’s confidence loss. When the "cool" factor evaporates and creators feel unstable, distribution fragments fast.
OpenAI Wants $1 Million (And No Clicks) While TikTok wobbles, OpenAI is making its move into ads. But they aren’t selling performance marketing; they are selling presence. They are asking advertisers for $1 million commitments based on an impression-based model.
This is the death of "hacky" marketing. You can’t optimize your way through an OpenAI ad. They are selling trust and context, not traffic. This favors brands that think long-term and kills the illusion that every single dollar must be attributable to a last-click conversion.
SPONSOR: SEGUNO
Seguno is the only marketing suite built entirely inside Shopify.
Email, popups, banners, reviews, all in the same place you already work. Not synced. Not integrated. It lives in your Shopify dashboard.
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It’s a big reason why they won Shopify’s 2024 Build Award for Best App. It’s built for lean teams with big ambitions. People just like me when we were scaling Bruce Bolt—I was a marketing team of one. I was the full-time everything manager. If that’s you, you need real onboarding, real strategy, and real humans who are eager to help.
One‑click automations. Email that actually feels easy. It is the best buy in the email game for Shopify brands.
The Return to "Real" Marketing
Views Don’t Matter. Shares Do. We broke down the DoorDash UFC stunt, where a creator walked an empty DoorDash bag into the ring. It wasn't about the reach; it was about the group chat.
If people don't talk about your campaign in a private DM, it didn't happen. The era of passive views is over. We are entering the era of shareability. The best brands right now (like Lego x Crocs) aren’t trying to persuade you; they are creating cultural inevitability.
2026 is the New 2016 There is a massive nostalgia wave happening. Gen Z is craving the "low stakes" internet of 2016. They want simpler aesthetics, fewer platforms, and deeper identity. This is why "millennial-core" minimalism (like Matty Martin’s Cadence branding) is actually facing some friction, people want messier, more human, less optimized content.
The Super Bowl Strategy We looked at the new Tecovas spot. It’s not trying to appeal to everyone. It’s deep-belief creative for their people. Sometimes the best Super Bowl ads aren't the ones that go broad; they're the ones that go deep.
SPONSOR: AMP
If you can’t explain your business in one dashboard, you don’t understand it.
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Culture, Careers, and The "Love" Pivot
Valentine’s Day is for Friends (and Yourself) If you're only selling romance this February, you’re missing the bag.
60% of Gen Z say they are likely to buy themselves a gift.
~30% of Valentine's spending is now on platonic relationships. The holiday didn’t shrink; it diversified. Position your products for self-care and friendship, and you win.
The "Career-Defining" Role We highlighted some massive open roles at Jones Road, Harry’s, and Whatnot. The trend? Top operators are leaving bloated corps to join lean teams where they can get mentorship from the founders. Cash is cool, but mentorship from Cody Plofker or Andrew Faris is the new equity.
Bad Culture Shows Up in the P&L We discussed how Glassdoor reviews are becoming a leading indicator for investment. If your team hates you, your margins will eventually hate you too. We are seeing efficiency gains (like Nike cutting 750+ jobs for automation) clash with the need for human soul in a brand.
SPONSOR: POSTSCRIPT
Focus is an amazing thing. There’s only one SMS partner whose sole goal is to make SMS your biggest revenue generator–that’s Postscript.
I know you’re thinking, “Well, I can use a platform I’m already attached to; all my data will be in one place.”
No, my friend.
When a company focuses on one thing, they out-execute companies focusing on ten things at one time. If you want SMS to become your biggest revenue channel, there’s only one partner who will dare take that challenge–that’s Postscript.
I speak from experience. When I was brand-side, I had a top 1% account both qualitatively and quantitatively on Postscript, and that’s because I simply listened and did what they told me to do.
The Final Word
The internet is changing. The "easy" arbitrage is gone.
Whether it’s using Claude as your new Creative Strategist, pivoting to Shoppable CTV (where conversion rates are 24% higher), or building a brand that survives the AI inbox—you have to adapt.
Don't just read about it. Watch the tape.