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The GRADIENT: Why Taste Is the New Moat

Microsoft CEO, Google Engineer Deflect AI Quality Complaints

Within a week of each other, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Jaana Dogan, a Principal Engineer working on Google’s Gemini API, posted comments about AI criticism that shared a theme. Both redirected attention away from whether AI output is “good” or “bad” and toward how people are reacting to the technology. Nadella published “Looking Ahead

Amazon comes to CES to take the market’s temperature

CES has become the ad industry’s first real gut check of the year. For Amazon’s ad team, that means less pitching and more listening. That posture can read as contrarian given the concentration of big agency leadership and CMOs. Internally, however, Amazon treats the show less as a sales opportunity and more as a read

“There’s an appetite to learn more, know more and do more”

It’s been a great year to think about collaboration, community, and connection. I believe we’ve yet to fix the challenge around silos, but I have seen a lot of people being unafraid to start again and find their new potential, whether that’s in a new workplace, a new country, or even a completely new sector.

How to Manage Your Brand on the Dead Internet

Bots now outnumber humans online. Gini Dietrich says you can counter the “dead internet” with a PESO Model© playbook: proof-of-work content, provenance, and verified human signals. The post How to Manage Your Brand on the Dead Internet first appeared on Spin Sucks.

16 Content Writing Tips From Experts To Survive 2026

AI has created insecurity for content writers, where their jobs could be in jeopardy from machine-generated content at scale. The reality is that many content writers may be displaced, but the ones that can survive and be in demand are the ones who embrace the current changes in search and adapt. Writers can be irreplaceable

Zocdoc Turns Healthcare Anxiety Into Comedy With Goth Kids and Auctioneers

Finding the right doctor can feel like a gamble, but Zocdoc wants patients to know they don’t have to settle. That’s the premise behind the healthcare app’s new national campaign, “You’ve Got Options,” created by 72andSunny. The work takes a humorous, character-driven approach to the everyday anxieties of seeking medical advice, aiming to normalize the

Former Disney and Pixar creative reveals the secret to super smooth animation

Disney and Pixar have made some of the most influential animated films of the 2000s, so budding animators want to pay attention when an alumna shares a tip. A Disney actor turned animator turned game developer has just shared one of her favourite pieces of technical advice for achieving fluid animation, and it’s a point

6 Ways to Scale Trust with the PESO Model

Every communicator wants visibility. Travis Claytor shows why the path there starts with trust and how to scale it with the PESO Model©. The post 6 Ways to Scale Trust with the PESO Model first appeared on Spin Sucks.

Why ITV is investing in brand to drive its next stage of growth

Source: ITV ITV has launched a new brand platform as it looks to enter its next phase of growth, marking its biggest brand-led marketing investment since the launch of its streaming platform ITVX in December 2022. Launched on 1 January, ‘There’s No Place Like ITV’ is a fully integrated campaign running across TV, radio, online,

“Every curve and shape is a choice, not decoration,” Shaqa Bovand on the art of Arabic type design

Shaqa Bovand is a type designer who works at F37 Foundry. Born and raised in Iran, she grew up surrounded by calligraphy – from traditional wall signs to the use of calligraphy in architecture and the beautiful Qur-ans and Hafez books found in most Iranian homes. While training as a graphic designer, she began experimenting

Handling the “AI Discount” Question from Clients

TL; DR Price outcomes, not hours. AI collapses drafting time; your fee maps to judgment, QA, compliance, and results. Operationalize standards. Add an AI Accountability Addendum (provenance, data non-training, IP warranties, security, human signoff, remediation). Show your receipts. Use a Deliverable Map that labels AI acceleration vs. human decisions, with QA proofs and rights logs.

For platforms, here’s what’s not going to happen in 2026

TikTok existing in the U.S. beyond the realms of a legal ban, Meta winning its antitrust trial, and Omnicom partnering with X were not quite on Digiday’s bingo card for 2025. Which is to say that trying to predict, especially in the world of tech and platforms, what might actually materialize at any time, let

Apple’s iconic AirPods could have looked very different

It’s easy to forget today how distinctive Apple earphones were when the company launched the iPod back in 2001. Making earphones white instead of black immediately identified iPod (and later iPhone) users, creating a status symbol and a key ingredient for one of the best print ads of the 2000s. When the wires disappeared with

From “Wait, What’s the PESO Model©?” to “Let Me Show You How It’s Done”

You’re probably not going to master the PESO Model© overnight – and that’s okay. Shelly Verkamp explains how to build mastery and confidence over time. The post From “Wait, What’s the PESO Model©?” to “Let Me Show You How It’s Done” first appeared on Spin Sucks.

Top Consumer AI Trends for 2026 Reshaping Search, Shopping, and Creativity

AI no longer sits quietly in the background. In this episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Suzy founder and host Matt Britton explains why 2026 will become a turning point for consumers, not just companies. He breaks down the top consumer AI trends for 2026 that will change how people search, buy, create, and

Why Pixar’s rules of storytelling are as relevant in 2026 as they were 15 years ago

Back in 2011, former Pixar story artist Emma Coats began posting a series of tweets in which she shared lessons and guidelines she had learned while working at the animation studio. The insights became known as the Pixar rules of storytelling. Almost 15 years later they’re still relevant not just for animators but for all

How to Measure Brand Awareness, Trust, and Reputation

TL; DR In an AI-shaped market, reputation is a ranking signal—if robots can verify you, humans convert faster. Measure the upper trust layer.: branded search, proof density, message delivery, linkbacks. Pair it with the bottom action layer: qualified sessions, form completions, demo-held rate, and pipeline influenced. Run PESO as a sequence, not silos: Recognize →

Aldi reclaims top spot as ‘most recognised’ Christmas ad

Brands “subverting Christmas traditions without falling out of step with the festive spirit” have made this year’s “most effective” ads. Aldi has topped the charts for branded and de-branded recognition with its three-part festive trilogy, according to exclusive Ipsos ‘Race to Christmas’ data. In the final week of the race, Aldi’s tenth year of ‘Kevin

Always mixing muddy colours? Here’s the fix

Most artists don’t even realise they struggle with colour mixing – they assume they’re struggling with themselves. When their mixes turn muddy or dull, the instinctive thought is ‘I’m just not good enough yet’. So they keep practicing, watching tutorials, and winging it – hoping next time will magically work. But here’s the truth: muddy

How Communicators Get Sh*t Done In Bureaucratic Environments

The communicators who get sh*t done aren’t louder or luckier, they’re intentional. Travis Claytor shows how to drive action even in bureaucratic environments. The post How Communicators Get Sh*t Done In Bureaucratic Environments first appeared on Spin Sucks.

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