Three institutional ESG research desks have begun including responsible gambling investment as a percentage of total marketing spend in published research notes covering publicly traded U.S. gambling operators.
Cracker Barrel's 2025 logo rebrand lasted just eight days due to intense customer backlash. This case study examines the crisis, its communications failures, and the significant operational and reputational damage incurred, including an 8% traffic decline and the termination of the design firm's contract.
Artificial intelligence is transforming digital marketing, bringing both excitement and fear. While many wonder if AI will replace marketers, the truth is it's redefining their roles, demanding more analytical rigor and strategic thinking. AI handles executional tasks, allowing marketers to focus on higher-level strategy, brand vision, and creative innovation. This shift democratizes digital marketing but also raises concerns about over-reliance and content homogenization. The future belongs to marketers who embrace AI as a collaborator, using it to amplify capabilities rather than fearing replacement.
The New York Times cited Five Blocks as a competitor to Terakeet. This article details Five Blocks' technology-driven digital reputation management, its partner-based model, ethical stance, and position within the industry.
AI discovery is the process by which people find brands, products, and information through AI systems. This new channel behaves unlike traditional search engines or social media, offering recommendations rather than lists. Brands cannot buy placement in AI discovery; they must be found credible, consistent, and relevant by the AI system to be named, consolidating attention on fewer brands.
The first underwriter a small business now meets is not a human. It is an AI engine. And the same is true in reverse — the first vetting a business gets from a prospective customer is no longer a Google search.
AI is now the first step in casting calls, generating ranked lists of potential campaign faces. A new study, the "AI Casting Index," reveals that AI recommends documented talent due to a "Structure Premium." This means actors and athletes dominate recommendations, while many creators are overlooked because their careers primarily exist within feeds, not documented public records. To adapt, creators must build a verifiable public footprint beyond their content. Brands must also understand the limitations of AI-driven casting.
By Seth Semilof — Co-Founder, Haute Media Group; Partner, Haute Jets Twenty years ago we launched Haute Living into the last viable print luxury market in America. Since then I have watched the discovery layer break four times — digital killed print, social killed digital-first,…