The UnPodcast

Scott Stratten, Alison Stratten
  • 4.7 (110)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Business is built on relationships, so make building them your business. Discussions centered around authenticity, integrity and community served with a side of sarcasm. Hosted by Scott and Alison Stratten.

  1. When Team Building Becomes Survivor | Ep. 322

    2D AGO

    When Team Building Becomes Survivor | Ep. 322

    In this episode: Why Gen Z is going to the movies more than everyone expected, and why phones in theaters should maybe be legally actionable. How streaming-only movies and albums can just disappear forever because apparently permanence was too convenient. A $500,000 tropical company retreat somehow became E. coli, dead tarantulas, Navy SEAL drills, fire ants, and a falling porcupine. A CEO says craving work-life balance is a red flag, because billion-dollar executive advice remains undefeated in being wildly out of touch. Why return-to-office arguments keep pretending to be about culture when they usually end at “because I said so.” Listen if you care about movie theaters, missing media, corporate retreats from hell, CEOs with too much confidence, work-life balance, remote work, and workplace culture getting a little too culty. 00:00 Intro: Eyes on the Prize, Probably 02:10 Gen Z Is Saving Movie Theaters? 05:00 Phones, Second Screens, and Movie Theater Jail 06:48 Streaming, Missing Media, and Movies That Vanish 09:42 The $500K Corporate Retreat From Hell 17:46 Work-Life Balance Is Apparently a Red Flag 22:30 Remote Work, Return-to-Office, and Executive Control 27:21 Wrap-Up Article Links: Gen Z & movies https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/gen-z-driving-box-office-1236703551/ Corporate Retreat from Hell https://www.inc.com/leila-sheridan/plex-tech-company-retreat-nightmare/91327481 Work-life balance https://fortune.com/2026/04/22/work-life-balance-bupa-fortune-500-ceo-barack-obama-work-weekend/

    28 min
  2. When CEOs Kiss Burgers and Reviews Get Shady | Ep. 321

    MAY 13

    When CEOs Kiss Burgers and Reviews Get Shady | Ep. 321

    In this episode: The McDonald’s CEO blames his mom for the world’s weirdest burger bite, because apparently even billion-dollar burger drama can become a family issue.  Google changes the review rules, because apparently businesses needed a reminder that “please say Brad was amazing” is not organic feedback.  Scott’s hilarious fake testimonial stunt for his own book proves that with enough Fiverr and zero shame, “bomb diggity” can become a marketing strategy. The Bell Mobility review mess, where Scott used the highly classified investigative tool called LinkedIn and helped turn fake app praise into a $1.25 million lesson, all before getting out of bed. Listen if you care about customer trust, fake reviews, CEOs trying to act relatable, Google review rules, brand credibility, and why “just leave us five stars” is not a business strategy. Article links: https://sporked.com/article/mcdonalds-ceo-blames-small-bite-mother/ https://www.threechaptermedia.com/blog/google-review-policy-2026 https://www.tripadvisor.ca/AttractionProductReview-g45963-d13166381-Exotic_Car_Driving_Experience_at_the_Las_Vegas_Motor_Speedway-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html https://unmarketing.com/articles/for-whom-the-bell-mobility-tolls   00:00 Intro 02:57 McDonald’s CEO and the Burger Bite Heard Around the Internet 08:30 Google Changes the Rules for Customer Reviews 17:44 Fake Testimonials, Review Trust, and the Bomb Diggity Problem 19:34 The Bell Mobility Tolls Article and the $1.25M Review Scandal

    27 min
  3. Trust Over Surveillance, Bad CEOs, and Job Posting Lies | Ep. 320

    MAY 6

    Trust Over Surveillance, Bad CEOs, and Job Posting Lies | Ep. 320

    In this episode: Why animal shelter adoption data says more about business than most executives do Dropbox treating adults like adults should not feel revolutionary, and yet here we are. “Return to office” keeps pretending it’s about collaboration when it’s really giving control issues a corporate haircut. Ontario’s hiring rules are basically the government stepping in because too many employers refused to stop being shady on their own. Listen in if you care about: The future of work, the nonsense built into modern hiring, and why “trust your people” still feels like a radical business strategy. Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/ Articles: Best Friend’s Society: article  Dropbox CEO: article  Return to work mandate - leases: article Moms at work pay transparency: article

    28 min
  4. AI Courtroom Chaos, Spy Vacuums, and Microwave Logic | Ep. 319

    APR 29

    AI Courtroom Chaos, Spy Vacuums, and Microwave Logic | Ep. 319

    In this episode: Why a robot vacuum exposing thousands of cameras is deeply cursed The microwave analogy that perfectly explains AI hype and creative shortcuts How one CEO allegedly used ChatGPT to scheme around a massive payout How smart glasses turned a courtroom into a Black Mirror blooper reel Listen in if you care about: AI ethics, surveillance tech, smart devices, marketing culture, business judgment, creative work, automation, privacy, and the future of human decision-making. Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/ Articles: DJI RoboVac security flaw - article Microwave analogy by Colin Fraser - article ChatGPT courtroom story - article Smart Glasses - article

    24 min
  5. We’re Doing Font Crimes Now | Ep. 318

    APR 22

    We’re Doing Font Crimes Now | Ep. 318

    In this episode: Why the infamous “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” campaign is back in the spotlight Why AI-generated logos, copy, and strategy can create bigger business problems than they solve How marketers are being pressured to adopt AI even when it feels wrong Why Grammarly’s AI “expert” feature sparked major backlash from writers and journalists What businesses lose when they treat art like content and creativity like output Why being more human may now be the smartest move in marketing Listen in if you care about: AI in marketing, creative work, branding, storytelling, content strategy, business ethics, marketing culture, and the future of human-made media. Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/ Article Links: Stolen Font Grammarly

    28 min
  6. Creepy AI Pitches, Moist Dog Food, and a Media Plot Twist | Ep. 317

    APR 15

    Creepy AI Pitches, Moist Dog Food, and a Media Plot Twist | Ep. 317

    In this episode: Why “moist dog food” should never have made it past legal How AI-powered outreach is making bad marketing even worse Why using AI to help people process layoffs is as bleak as it sounds The podcasting shift marketers should absolutely be paying attention to Scott’s “fraudcast” idea for getting comfortable behind the mic before launching a real show Listen in if you care about: Marketing, podcasting, AI, media trends, content creation, and preserving even a shred of human dignity. Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast: HERE

    33 min

  7. 03/12/2025

    316: Those Crazy Influencers

    In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about the why Drake is suing UMG because of Influencers, how influencers are reviving bookstores, and how influencers might have gotten scammed out of money. So, it’s mostly about influencers. But there’s more!

    26 min

  8. 03/05/2025

    315: Everybody Stay Calm

    In this episode of the UnPodcast, everybody should stay calm because we’re live! We talk about a new thing Scott doesn’t like, Hulu and YouTube unstoppable ads, a grand realization made by Walgreen’s, and why paint drying is funny. All this and more.

    24 min
See All (114)

4.7
out of 5
110 Ratings

About

Business is built on relationships, so make building them your business. Discussions centered around authenticity, integrity and community served with a side of sarcasm. Hosted by Scott and Alison Stratten.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott Stratten, Alison Stratten
  • Years Active
    2013 - 2026
  • Episodes
    114
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2014 - 2026 UnMarketing Inc
  • Show Website
    The UnPodcast

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