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

In this episode of This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert dig into OpenAI's very rough week. From missed targets and questions about future contract payments to legal proceedings involving Elon Musk, the company suddenly looks a lot less inevitable than it did just a few months ago.
Then OpenAI launches a self-service advertising platform, which leads Joe to ask the big question: Is ChatGPT turning into Yahoo? Robert sees it a little differently, arguing that the better comparison may be Netscape. Either way, the boys agree that OpenAI may be trying to do too many things at once while Anthropic continues to gain ground.
Next, Joe and Robert discuss Coinbase and its latest round of layoffs. The company says AI is part of the reason, but is that the real story, or just a convenient excuse? They also look at the strong performance from Uber and Disney, and what it may say about the rise of local and regional experiences in today's service economy.
In Marketing Winners and Losers, Heineken gets attention, and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District makes another appearance as a surprisingly effective content and social media operator.
In Rants and Raves, Joe honors Ted Turner and his incredible impact on marketing, media and publishing. Robert closes with a rant about the California governor's race and what it says about media, politics and the state of public discourse.
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

This week, Joe and Robert break down a Wall Street Journal article about big brands putting more money into individual creators.
While micro-influencers continue to be an important trend, the boys believe there may be an even bigger opportunity sitting inside most companies: employees. If brands want trusted voices, they should not only rent them from the outside. They should invest in their own internal talent and help employees become trusted experts, creators, and community builders.
In other news, Taylor Swift has filed new trademark applications, including sound marks, to help protect her voice and likeness from unauthorized AI usage. Joe and Robert ask whether brands should be thinking about similar protections as AI-generated content becomes easier to create and harder to control.
Marketing Winners and Losers
Robert's winner is Taco Bell for its big NFL Draft moment involving first-round pick Fernando Mendoza.
Joe's winner is Anthropic for hiring an events director, a signal that even AI companies understand the power of in-person experiences, brand trust, and human connection.
Rants and Raves
Robert rants about Nike's controversial Boston Marathon advertisement and what happens when edgy creative misses the moment.
Joe's commentary focuses on prediction markets and the marketing opportunities that may be coming, but have not fully arrived yet.
This Week's Takeaway
Brands are waking up to the power of individual creators. But the smartest companies may realize that some of their best creators are already on the payroll.

Other links: Are NFT's Back?
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/
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This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

In this special episode of This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert step away from marketing and talk about something more personal: the health changes they've made, why they made them, and what they've learned along the way. Both share the specific moments that pushed them to take their health more seriously, along with the physical, mental, and long-term brain health concerns that made those decisions impossible to ignore.
Joe walks through the habits and strategies that have shaped his approach, including intermittent fasting, creatine, resistance training, and reducing negative social media exposure. Robert then shares his experience with GLP-1s, what the process has been like in practice, and how it has affected the way he thinks about weight, health, energy, and the future.
This is an honest conversation about getting older, paying attention, and trying to make smarter choices for the years ahead.
Disclaimer: This episode is based entirely on Joe and Robert's personal experiences and should not be taken as medical advice. Everyone's body, health history, and needs are different. Please do your own research and consult a qualified medical professional before making any health-related changes.
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

Joe and Robert dig into Anthropic's launch of Mythos and Project Glasswing and ask the bigger question: is this the moment marketers need to wake up to the fact that AI is not just a tool shift, but a business model shift? Joe argues this may be AI's Napster moment, the point where the future is suddenly visible and the old rules no longer apply.
They also discuss the attack on Sam Altman's house and what it says about the growing anti-AI backlash. As fear, frustration, and economic anxiety build, what does the AI industry need to understand before resistance gets louder and more dangerous?
Finally, HubSpot makes headlines with its media acquisition, but the bigger conversation is the company's decision to rename its flagship event from Inbound to Unbound. Joe and Robert both believe the move is a mistake and break down why consistency, memory, and brand equity matter more than clever repositioning.
In this episode:
Anthropic launches Mythos and Project Glasswing
Why Joe calls this the Napster moment for AI
What marketers need to do now as the model changes
The Sam Altman attacks and the rise of anti-AI anger
What AI companies are missing about public frustration
HubSpot's media move
Why changing Inbound to Unbound may be a branding error
The value of consistency in event strategy
Winners and Losers/Rants and Raves
Joe's Winner: A gas station that turned into a speakeasy
Joe's Rave: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Robert's Loser: DoorDash
Robert's Commentary: The four categories of AI perception (inspired from this article)
Closing Thought: The old marketing playbook is getting shaky fast. The question is no longer whether AI will change the rules. The question is whether marketers are willing to admit the rules have already changed.
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/
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This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

What would Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose do if they had to build a media company from scratch in 2026?
In this special episode of This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert tackle that exact question. Starting with zero audience, limited resources, and a media landscape flooded with AI-generated content, shifting algorithms, and declining trust, they break down what kind of media company they would actually build today.
Would they start with a newsletter, a podcast, YouTube, or LinkedIn? What niche would they choose? How would they make money in the first 12 months? And in a world where content is cheap and everywhere, what would make the business truly defensible?
Throughout the episode, Joe and Robert walk through the key questions any modern media entrepreneur should ask:
Who is the specific audience?
What problem are they solving?
Which platform should come first?
What content tilt or point of view is unique enough to stand out?
What business model makes the most sense early?
What should be avoided completely?
And what creates a moat when AI can produce endless content?
This is part strategy session, part debate, and part reality check for anyone thinking about launching a media brand today. If you were starting over in 2026, this episode will help you think through what to build, what to ignore, and where the biggest opportunities still are.
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