Google and Apple announced a multiyear partnership this week that puts Google's Gemini AI at the core of Apple Intelligence, including a rebuilt Siri. Marketers need to understand what this means. The Deal Apple confirmed on January 12 that after evaluating its options, it determined Google's AI technology provides "the most capable foundation" for Apple Foundation Models. Reports suggest Apple will pay Google roughly $1 billion for access to Gemini technology. That's on top

The Say-Do Gap Every January, the prediction pieces roll in. CMOs, consultants, and academics tell us what matters for the year ahead. The 2026 consensus is clear: integrate brand and performance, build trust, stop working in silos. Solid advice. One problem: the data shows most marketing leaders aren't actually doing it. Here's where it gets interesting. McKinsey's State of Marketing Europe 2026 report ranked branding as the number one priority for marketing leaders. The in

Universal Commerce Protocol Google announced something at the National Retail Federation conference this weekend that deserves more attention than it's getting. They're calling it the Universal Commerce Protocol. It's an open-source standard designed to let AI agents handle shopping from start to finish; finding products, checking out, handling post-purchase questions, all within Google's ecosystem. Here's what that actually means and why it matters beyond retail. What Google

Mid-Market Companies Can Play This Game Too Big tech is buying up AI sales agent companies. The acquisitions are making headlines, and the enterprise platforms are racing to build autonomous pipeline generation into everything they sell. If you're running marketing or sales at a mid-market company, you might assume this doesn't apply to you. Enterprise tech, enterprise budgets, enterprise problems. That's wrong. And waiting to find out could cost you. What's Actually Changing

What Serious CMOs Are Actually Doing 2026 will not reward curiosity, creativity, or experimentation for their own sake. It will reward marketers who can execute cleanly, prove impact, and take market share while others are still debating frameworks. Most CMOs don’t have a strategy problem. They have a focus problem. Too many initiatives. Too many tools. Too many dashboards explaining activity instead of outcomes. What follows are ten priorities that matter if you are responsi

I'm reviewing Q1 budget proposals from marketing leaders right now, and I keep seeing the same pattern: they're still funding SEO like AI discovery isn't fundamentally changing how buyers find information. Here's what I'm seeing in the data: Organic traffic patterns are becoming less predictable for many businesses AI Overviews are appearing in search results Zero-click searches are increasing And the traffic drops your team is attributing to seasonality? I think many of thos

AI is a tool, not a strategy. It's a capability, not a business model. Sundar Pichai just told the BBC something every marketing agency should tattoo on their foreheads: AI models are still making mistakes, and businesses need to stop treating them like magic solutions. I've seen this movie before I was there for the dot-com bubble and the spectacular crash that followed. I actually bet my entire career in marketing on the idea that eventually—eventually—there would be a legi

Adobe announced they're acquiring Semrush for $1.9 billion. If you're using Semrush daily for keyword research, site audits, or competitive intel, you need to understand what typically happens when enterprise software giants acquire the nimble tools you rely on—not because of fear-mongering, but because there are predictable patterns here. Cut Through The Noise The official line is that this deal is about "brand visibility in an agentic AI era." Adobe's president warns that b

Multi-channel marketing has been around for a while, but cross-channel marketing is a relatively new term. So, what's the difference?...

In 2021 your buyers are in the driver's seat ~ it's time to act like it First of all, we are all consumers.  Have you ever used Amazon to...