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The GRADIENT: Why Taste Is the New Moat

I’m unnerved by Thomas the Tank Engine’s new look

Beloved children’s character Thomas the Tank Engine has a new look. Over the years since his creation in 1945 Thomas has gone through various iterations, from classic illustration to live action and CGI. Most recently he was 2D animated. The new character design was created after research and testing with preschoolers and their parents, and

Using the PESO Model© to Rebuild Institutional Trust

The 2025 Trust Barometer reveals a crisis of grievance, with 61% of global citizens holding moderate to high levels of grievance against institutions. But there’s hope: Gini Dietrich shows you how to use the PESO Model to rebuild trust. The post Using the PESO Model© to Rebuild Institutional Trust first appeared on Spin Sucks. Source

The SEO Cost Of Slow WordPress Site & How It Affects AI Visibility

This post was sponsored by WP Media. The opinions expressed in this article are the sponsor’s own. You’ve built a WordPress site you’re proud of. The design is sharp, the content is solid, and you’re ready to compete. But there’s a hidden cost you might not have considered: a slow site doesn’t just hurt your

Google searches per U.S. user down nearly 20%

U.S. Google searchers are searching far less than a year ago, according to a new Datos/SparkToro report. The data suggests Google isn’t losing users — it’s losing repeat searches. While Google still dominates search, it’s changing in significant ways. Fewer searches per user means fewer opportunities for clicks, ads and traffic — even if total

Type designer Arthur Calame treats letters like “soft material to be sculpted”

Two core concepts define the type designer Arthur Calame’s practice. One, always creating unique tools for each project , and two taking influence for his work from wider culture, things “that everyone can experience in their daily lives, whether they are typographers or not”. The designer, who studied typeface design at Brussels’ visuals arts university

Standing Out by Finding Your PR Niche

Specialization sets you apart, builds credibility, and attracts clients seeking specific expertise. Indiana Lee discusses how to pursue a PR niche. The post Standing Out by Finding Your PR Niche first appeared on Spin Sucks.

Google May Let Sites Opt Out Of AI Search Features

Google says it’s exploring updates that could let websites opt out of AI-powered search features specifically. The blog post came the same day the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority opened a consultation on potential new requirements for Google Search, including controls for websites to manage their content in Search AI features. Ron Eden, Principal, Product

Starbucks claims ‘broad’ appeal driving ‘customer connection’

Focusing on loyalty members at the expense of infrequent customers is “never healthy” in a business, says Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol. Source

Should game avoid “predatory and opportunistic” indie publishers?

Getting started in game development is challenging at the best of times, and it can become even more daunting when you factor in the need for promotion and marketing. There are so many games out there that it can be a constant battle to get visibility. Hooking up with a publisher can help. These days,

The New Rules of Modern Earned Media

The White House’s communications challenges prove one thing: earned media success requires omnipresence. Gini Dietrich dissects what their former comms director learned working with Biden in the past year The post The New Rules of Modern Earned Media first appeared on Spin Sucks.

Information Retrieval Part 1: Disambiguation

TL;DR Disambiguation is the process of resolving ambiguity and uncertainty in data. It’s crucial in modern-day SEO and information retrieval. Search engines and LLMs reward content that is easy to “understand,” not content that is necessarily best. The clearer and better structured your content, the harder it is to replace. You have to reinforce how your brand

Goalhanger is rewiring its podcasts for the video economy

On YouTube, The Rest is History podcast draws roughly around 500,000 viewers, who stick around for an average of about 48 minutes. That’s close to the length of a traditional hour-long show and even longer than the podcast’s strong audio average of around 40 minutes.. For the production team, seeing that level of engagement, especially

Why Are Brands Still Struggling With Storytelling?

Storytelling transcends time and culture yet most brands still struggle with it. Meg Crumbine breaks down why storytelling matters and how to close the gap. The post Why Are Brands Still Struggling With Storytelling? first appeared on Spin Sucks.

How Do You Compete In Agentic Commerce?

Boost your skills with Growth Memo’s weekly expert insights. Subscribe for free! Agentic commerce transforms organic search from a source of cheap traffic into the mandatory gatekeeper of AI verification. Marketing arbitrage dies; product truth wins. Image Credit: Kevin Indig This week, we’re covering: Why agentic commerce filters out marketing-first brands and rewards granular product

Rocket’s Super Bowl 60 Teaser Finds Lady Gaga Next Door

Lady Gaga is lending her voice to Rocket and Redfin’s Super Bowl 60 campaign. The pop star appears in a teaser spot, released Tuesday, that offers an early look at the brands’ upcoming Big Game commercial. The black-and-white, nearly four-minute video features Lady Gaga singing a reimagined version of “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”—the iconic

A career retrospective with the graphic design legend, educator and role model, Michael Bierut

Last September at Nicer Tuesdays in New York, our US editor-at-large Elizabeth Goodspeed sat down for a chat with legendary designer Michael Bierut. In this insightful Q&A, Michael told the audience about his experiences working with a variety of clients, the responsibility that designers have to service “beauty” and how he has shaped his practice

How Communicators Must Adapt to AI Search Results

How are you adapting your content strategy for AI search? GIni Dietrich has put together a comprehensive guide on evolving the PESO Model© for the age of AI-powered search engines. The post How Communicators Must Adapt to AI Search Results first appeared on Spin Sucks.

Google AI Overviews Now Powered By Gemini 3

Google is making Gemini 3 the default model for AI Overviews in markets where the feature is available and adding a direct path into AI Mode conversations. The updates, shared in a Google blog post, bring Gemini 3’s reasoning capabilities to AI Overviews. Google says the feature now reaches over one billion users. What’s New

Smart marketers set the rules before AI makes the calls

With all the hype around AI, it should be no surprise that I’ve run into many less tech-savvy marketing team members who think AI does everything now. However, there are limitations to its capabilities, and wise marketers will combine AI’s capabilities with their existing technology to — as the mechanic’s motto dictates — use the

How Highguard’s game art failed by trying to please everyone

We’re used to seeing game art divide opinion, but few recent releases have been as controversial as Highguard. Wildlight Entertainment’s new PvP raid shooter is looking set to become the most criticised game since Concord. Two thirds of reviews on Steam are negative, and the art style carries a lot of the responsibility. Developed by

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