Marketing, Machines & Mischief

Matthew Newell
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Marketing
  • Weekly

The weekly intelligence briefing that actually respects your time and brain cells. Marketing veterans Matthew Newell and Chris Stone deliver 10-minute episodes packed with what happened in marketing that didn't suck, AI developments that won't be obsolete by Thursday, and creative campaigns worth your attention. No fluff. No corporate speak. No hour-long "journeys." Just sharp insights from professionals who've survived enough industry disasters to separate breakthrough from BS. Whether you're running your first campaign or your thousandth rebrand, you'll finish each episode knowing something actionable - plus you'll probably chuckle. Perfect for day-1 and day-10,000 marketers who want concentrated weekly intelligence that moves the needle. Because great marketing isn't just science - it's art, instinct, and knowing which robots to trust. New episodes every week. Real perspective. Actual value.

  1. 1d ago

    The AI Payoff: Why 55% of Marketers Are Making More Money in 2026: EP 056

    Contra Labs surveyed 150,000 creative professionals for its 2026 Creative Intelligence Report, and we read the whole thing so you can skip the LinkedIn carousel version. AI has stopped being a fun productivity toy and become something clients pay marketers to design. The numbers that matter: 72% of marketers use AI daily, and 55% report higher earnings, which ties with video editing for the biggest financial bump 02:39. We also dig into where AI pulls its weight (ideation, automation, custom GPTs, RAG apps, and brand prompt kits), why adoption sinks from 87% at ideation to 69% at the mockup phase, and why 70% of professionals say subscription fatigue is a bigger barrier than quality or privacy. There are 1,000 tools and everybody uses the same five. It's the Cheesecake Factory menu all over again, and you still order the chicken. The real question is whether you're selling the final asset or the machine that makes it. With 60% of creatives offering or planning to offer AI workflow design, we debate whether you're teaching clients to fish or just handing them the recipe. We also cover why the 50-page brand PDF is in hospice (the nurses are named ChatGPT and Claude) and how to package a prompt kit so clients actually get value. Do it with a quarterly tune-up and congratulations, you've invented a retainer. We also keep one eyebrow raised throughout, since the "human taste is more valuable than ever" report comes from the human taste company. Like, subscribe, hit the dinner bell, and tell us in the comments whether this left you hungry or full of marketing value. Then go eat something. Waffle House is not a bad call. 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    The AI Payoff: Why 55% of Marketers Are Making More Money in 2026: EP 056

  2. Oct 26

    Your 2026 Holiday Marketing Strategy is Already Late (Do This Now!): EP 055

    Holiday shoppers started early, AI bots are comparing products, and Cyber Monday leaves marketers with barely five traditional sales weeks. Fear not, fellow marketers! Matthew and Chris focus on the practical fixes brands should make now, from machine-readable product data and creator content to exclusive bundles that avoid a race to the bottom. We also prune the walled garden of Target’s incrementality metric, conversational AI media buying, and OpenAI’s push to make ChatGPT advertising a permanent part of agency media plans. Alas, the focus shifted to agentic commerce and the growing need to market to bots as well as humans. How about trying geo holdout test? This little puppy can reveal whether retail media is actually driving sales more reliably than platform dashboards. The episode also identifies the fastest holiday move for a small team: create distinctive bundles or exclusive assortments that can’t be compared line for line with competitors. Come chill with us, grab your Holiday wish lists and enter the 37th Chamber in these podcast streets of Shaolin. 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    Your 2026 Holiday Marketing Strategy is Already Late (Do This Now!): EP 055

  3. Oct 19

    The "Verification Economy" — When Proof of Humanity Becomes a Paid Media Channel: EP 054

    On this “Kathy Bates Approved” episode of Marketing, Machines & Mischief, Matthew and Chris invite you to the private club of the verification economy, where proof of humanity may matter more than raw digital reach. They discuss private communities, AI slop, deepfake crisis planning, and why brands are trading public feeds for gated Discord servers, DMs, and invite-only spaces. They also unpack Omaha Steaks’ 46% conversion jump after pairing creator content with direct mail, before asking what authenticity is worth when brands can no longer trust clicks, bots, or automated engagement. 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    The "Verification Economy" — When Proof of Humanity Becomes a Paid Media Channel: EP 054

  4. Oct 12

    Why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the New SEO: The Death of the 10 Blue Links - EP 053

    Matthew & Chris things off with Taco Bell and Duolingo making people learn a language before earning food rewards. Then they get into the backlash around fossil-fuel advertising, AI-generated green imagery, and whether marketers can really separate technology from the systems powering it. The main event is the rise of AI agents, which could drive $100 billion in online sales. Matthew and Chris explore what happens when search stops serving up ten blue links and starts handing people one definitive answer. That means marketers need accurate information and strong reputations, but they can’t abandon storytelling. As Matthew Newell says, “No one falls in love with pristine numbers.” 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    Why Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the New SEO: The Death of the 10 Blue Links - EP 053

  5. Oct 6

    The Bot Wars: Why Amazon Blocked Meta & The Future of AI Shopping Agents: EP 052

    Amazon is bringing sponsored product placements into ChatGPT, turning conversational search into a new paid channel for marketers. Matthew and Chris unbox what “answer engine optimization” could mean for campaigns, product data, and the future of discovery. The conversation also takes on Google’s ad strength ratings, Amazon’s decision to block Meta’s Muse shopping agent, and the rise of agentic commerce. With $70 billion in Amazon ad revenue at stake and a projected $5 trillion in agent-led transactions by 2030, the checkout button may soon belong to the bots. The bigger question is where human emotion, brand loyalty, and small-budget marketers fit when machines handle the purchase. 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    The Bot Wars: Why Amazon Blocked Meta & The Future of AI Shopping Agents: EP 052

  6. Sep 26

    The “Anti-Slop” Premium: Why Perfect AI Content Is Failing - EP 051

    Is AI making marketing better, or just making the internet noisier? In this episode, Matthew and Chris examine LinkedIn’s crackdown on generic AI content, YouTube’s new view metric, and Meta’s push to measure chatbot ROI. They also unpack the “anti-slop premium,” the performance cost of content that merely feels machine-made, and the growing demand for unmistakably human perspective. Matthew shares how an AI-generated book cover got him permanently banned from a marketing forum, while Chris argues that AI works best as the nail gun, not the finish carpenter. The conversation moves from transparency and creative ownership to a chatbot that replaced a broken Oura Ring in two days, before ending on a more unsettling question: what happens when machines learn to fake culture and mischief too? 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    The “Anti-Slop” Premium: Why Perfect AI Content Is Failing - EP 051

  7. Sep 21

    The Death Of The Marketing Agency: Who Survives Marketing’s AI Consolidation? - EP 050

    AI is moving from marketing tool to marketing territory. Matthew and Chris examine ChatGPT’s rapidly growing advertising business, the rise of real-life experiences as premium marketing assets, and the latest forecast pushing U.S. ad spending toward a historic milestone. Then they tackle the bigger question: what happens to marketing departments and agencies when one AI-assisted marketer can handle the work of several specialists? The conversation covers shrinking teams, falling quality standards, brand consistency, human discernment, and why strategy, storytelling, taste, and adaptability may matter more than any single technical specialty. 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    The Death Of The Marketing Agency: Who Survives Marketing’s AI Consolidation? - EP 050

  8. Sep 11

    The Great Marketing Shakeout: Surviving Layoffs, Burnout, and Broken Agency Culture - EP 049

    If you're watching AI eat your industry's budget while HR quietly circles the wagons, you need to hear this episode before your name shows up on a spreadsheet somewhere. Agencies are cutting 15% of their workforce. 90% of them think AI is coming for the rest. And nearly two-thirds of marketers admit they're overwhelmed — most too scared to even tell their manager. Matthew and Chris break down why the agency model is buckling under its own weight, why "decisioning five times faster" doesn't mean much when legal still hasn't signed off, and why HR isn't always the safety net you think it is. More importantly, they hand you the playbook: the three things AI still can't replicate (and how to document them before someone questions your value), the honest conversation leadership needs to have before good people quietly walk, and why protecting your burnout-prone team now pays off tenfold later. No corporate jargon. No fluff. Just two guys who've survived enough of these cycles to tell you what actually matters — and what's just noise. 📖 Grab the new Book “How To Succeed In Marketing, Advertising and Artificial Intelligence Without Really Lying” on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJDXzU 🔗 **Join The Marketing, Machines & Mischief Community** ✅ Official: https://MarketingMachinesMischief.com ✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewnewell/ ✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingMachinesMischief ✅ instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmachinesmischief Marketing, Machines & Mischief is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

    The Great Marketing Shakeout: Surviving Layoffs, Burnout, and Broken Agency Culture - EP 049
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About

The weekly intelligence briefing that actually respects your time and brain cells. Marketing veterans Matthew Newell and Chris Stone deliver 10-minute episodes packed with what happened in marketing that didn't suck, AI developments that won't be obsolete by Thursday, and creative campaigns worth your attention. No fluff. No corporate speak. No hour-long "journeys." Just sharp insights from professionals who've survived enough industry disasters to separate breakthrough from BS. Whether you're running your first campaign or your thousandth rebrand, you'll finish each episode knowing something actionable - plus you'll probably chuckle. Perfect for day-1 and day-10,000 marketers who want concentrated weekly intelligence that moves the needle. Because great marketing isn't just science - it's art, instinct, and knowing which robots to trust. New episodes every week. Real perspective. Actual value.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Newell
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Matthew Newell
  • Show Website
    Marketing, Machines & Mischief