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

NFL Marketing Wins Big with Bad Bunny

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 [https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/10/spotify-spot-q4-2025-earnings.html?utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew] 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 [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/movies/markiplier-iron-lung-movie.html] 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 [https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2026/02/11/ai-bowl-ad-reception-openai-anthropic-feud] 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 [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260210-tiktok-is-tracking-you-even-if-you-dont-use-the-app-heres-how-to-stop-it?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us] 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. ------- 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/ [https://www.hubspot.com/] to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better. ------- Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ [https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/] Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/] Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/]. Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ [https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/] Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/ [https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/] ------- This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

The Ultimate Rants & Raves Supercut Episode (518)

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/ [https://www.hubspot.com/] to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better. ------- Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ [https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/] Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/] Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/]. Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ [https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/] Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/ [https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/] ------- This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

Special "Ask Us Anything" Episode (517)

In this special episode, Joe and Robert answer all the questions from the This Old Marketing audience. How do backlink strategies (SEO) and citations (AEO) work together, and what unified content strategy can help brands earn both? In the age of GEO, how should membership organizations decide what content to keep free versus behind a paywall, especially when balancing search visibility with exclusive expert value? As AI takes over more execution, will small businesses and solopreneurs still need and pay for human marketing strategy, and how can independent consultants differentiate and stay relevant in an AI-first world? Did the Netflix series about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders measurably impact the team's brand or game viewership, and is it a model for how entertainment content can elevate a sports franchise's marketing? Should marketers clearly separate "content marketing" (audience-building) from "sales enablement content" (purchase support), and does lumping them together lead to bad strategy and wrong KPIs? If you were starting from zero today, with AI flooding every channel, what would you build first to create real audience trust and attention over the next five years, and what would you completely ignore that most marketers are still chasing? Thanks to all of you for your questions and support. 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/ [https://www.hubspot.com/] to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better. ------- Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ [https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/] Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/] Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/]. Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ [https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/] Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/ [https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/] ------- This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

AI Partnerships, Ads in ChatGPT, and the "Most Amazing" Super Bowl Bet (516)

This week on This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert unpack a trio of headlines that perfectly capture the optimism and overconfidence of the AI era. First, Apple and Google announce [https://blog.google/company-news/inside-google/company-announcements/joint-statement-google-apple/] a multi-year partnership on AI. Two of the most powerful companies on the planet, joining forces to shape the future of intelligence. What could possibly go wrong? Then OpenAI confirms that advertising is coming to ChatGPT later this year [https://openai.com/index/our-approach-to-advertising-and-expanding-access/]. The honeymoon phase of AI is officially over, and the business model phase has arrived. Joe and Robert explore what ads inside conversational interfaces really mean for brands, creators, and trust. Finally, Salesforce steps up to answer MrBeast's call for the "most amazing Super Bowl ad ever [https://news.designrush.com/mrbeast-salesforce-super-bowl-2026-creator-marketing]" for Super Bowl 2026. When enterprise software meets YouTube spectacle, expectations get set very high. And history suggests that rarely ends quietly. Marketing Winners: * Dos Equis [https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2026/01/16/dos-equis-most-interesting-man-CFP], for proving that great brand storytelling and humor still cut through, even in an AI-flooded content world. * Breeze Airways [https://www.norebbo.com/breeze-airways-livery/], for smart positioning and customer-centric marketing in an industry that desperately needs both. Rants and Raves: * The continued rise of AI-generated music [https://www.morningbrew.com/stories/2026/01/15/you-can-t-spell-sienna-rose-without-ai?mbcid=43541026.899024&mid=f8eba9ee5da4bad2190c441240f5c0cf&utm_campaign=mb&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morning_brew] hitting the charts, raising uncomfortable questions about creativity, authorship, and what "human" even means in popular culture. * A rave for Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning [https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl/dp/0807014273/ref=monarch_sidesheet_title], and why its lessons about purpose, suffering, and responsibility feel more relevant now than ever in a world optimized for convenience and automation. As always, the episode ends where This Old Marketing lives best, at the intersection of technology, media, and the timeless human need for meaning, trust, and something real to hold onto. 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/ [https://www.hubspot.com/] to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better. ------- Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ [https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/] Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/] Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/]. Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ [https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/] Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/ [https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/] ------- This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork

The Death of Dead Marketing (515)

In this special episode of This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert tackle one of marketing's favorite habits: declaring things dead. Every year, marketers rush to pronounce entire channels, strategies, and ideas obsolete. But many of the things we keep writing off are not only alive, they're quietly doing the hard work of building trust, relevance, and long-term value. Joe and Robert break down what marketers think is dying (but isn't), why these fundamentals continue to matter, and what actually deserves to be put out of its misery. Things Marketers Think Are Dead (But Aren't) * The Website Why the website is still the center of gravity for trust, clarity, and audience ownership, especially as platforms become more volatile and AI-driven. * Traditional PR and Communications How earned media, relationships, and credibility haven't disappeared, they've become harder to fake and more valuable as synthetic content explodes. * Purpose-Driven Marketing Why purpose didn't die. Performative purpose did. Authentic values still matter, but only when they're proven through action over time. * In-Person Events The enduring power of physical connection, shared experiences, and real community in a world dominated by digital noise. Things That Probably Should Be Dead * Safe Marketing Why playing it safe is the fastest way to be ignored, and how clarity, conviction, and point of view beat neutrality every time. * The Myth of Personalization After 25 years of trying to get personalization right, most marketing still confuses data with relevance. True one-to-one personalization at scale remains elusive, often resulting in content that feels generic, invasive, or hollow. The real opportunity isn't more personalization, it's better positioning and messages that resonate deeply without pretending to speak to everyone individually. Coming Soon: Listener Questions Episode In a few weeks, Joe and Robert will be recording a special listener Q&A episode, and they want to hear from you. Have a marketing question you want answered on the show? Submit your question in text or audio form at: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ [https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/] 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/ [https://www.hubspot.com/] to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better. ------- Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/ [https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/] Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/] Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/ [https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/]. Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ [https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/] Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/ [https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/] ------- This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork