Archive - The Brad Berens Weekly Dispatch

The Precipitous Decline of Brands

...and the rise of generics because of AI agents and other things. (Issue #173)

Jul 6 •

June 2025

AI and Brand Safety, Shoppable Videos, Coffee Mugs on the Oregon Coast, and more! (Issue #172)

Jun 29 •

A Marketing Win

Since so much of the news is dyspeptic and terrifying, here’s a story about how 1-800-FLOWERS creates happiness and profit at the same time. (Issue…

Jun 22 •

Four shorter pieces this time: the so-called L.A. riots, the middle east, more on AI, and what would we call a third party? Plus, a handful of other…

Jun 17 •

Mission Implausible

Tom Cruise’s new movie has amazing stunts, a ludicrous plot, and doesn’t understand Artificial Intelligence. Here’s my snarky review. (Issue #169)

Jun 8 •

Experience Stacks and the End of Quests

My search for a 22-year-old comic book series led to a realization about where satisfaction comes from... or doesn't. (Issue #168)

Jun 1 •

May 2025

Our Best Friends

Mark Zuckerberg thinks our BFFs will soon be AIs. He’s wrong. They’re still dogs, and that’s never more clear than when our dogs die. (Issue #167)

May 11 •

The Unbearable Complexity of Drug Pricing

"My Ozempic Journey" continues, Elon's bad week, plus "Coyote vs. Acme," how to respond to "I do my own research," and more! (Issue #166)

May 4 •

April 2025

Are You Better Off...

...than you were 97 days ago? Ronald Reagan's 1980 question revisited. (Issue #165)

Apr 27 •

Scammer Spotting: Little Tips and Big Worries

Online scams are a $500B annual "industry." Here are a few ways to protect yourself from being the next victim. (Issue #164)

Apr 20 •

Adapt-amnesia, and Why it Matters

We’re the most adaptable species on the planet, but then we forget that we adapted. That’s bad news for incumbent businesses today. (Issue #163)

Apr 13 •

In today’s world of limitless information, stores, experts, and brands need to find new functions in order to avoid irrelevance. (Issue #162)

Apr 6 •

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