Is Human Content Creation Over? The Gemini Episode (508)
This Old Marketing - News Podcast Weekly with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose
Release Date: 11/28/2025
This Old Marketing - News Podcast Weekly with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose
Joe and Robert kick off their annual predictions episode by grading last year’s forecasts using ChatGPT. They revisit what hit, what missed, and why context often ruins otherwise solid predictions. Along the way, they discuss AI’s uneven progress, platform power shifts, crypto hype, nostalgia marketing, podcast attrition, and the growing tension between tech optimism and cultural fatigue. The episode closes with fresh predictions spanning marketing, media, sports, and culture. Key Topics and Takeaways 2025 Predictions Reviewed (with AI grading) BlueSky stalls while X stabilizes and...
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This week on This Old Marketing, Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose unpack two seemingly separate Wall Street Journal stories that are actually deeply connected. First, they dig into the WSJ article declaring that companies are now “” The irony is not lost on Joe and Robert. Storytelling in business is nothing new. Brands have been building audiences, publishing content, and creating narratives for decades. So is this really a new trend, or is the Wall Street Journal simply waking up to what marketers and creators have known all along? They explore why the term “storyteller” is suddenly...
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Joe and Robert open the episode with major breaking news: along with a licensing deal that would allow creators to use select Disney IP inside OpenAI tools. The boys unpack what this actually means— Why Disney is making this move now How this could transform creator workflows What Disney gets strategically vs. what OpenAI gains Whether this is the first domino in a wave of entertainment–AI partnerships The $100 Billion Battle for Warner Bros. Discovery Next, Joe and Robert dig into the increasingly , as Paramount, Skydance, and Netflix position themselves for what could be a...
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The boys kick things off with a and what it tells us about the K-shaped economy we now live in. Joe and Robert dig into spending trends, why some consumers are thriving while others are cutting back, and what this split means for marketers heading into 2026. They look at whether this year’s patterns are temporary or structural, and what smart brands should prepare for next. From there, they turn to YouTube. , and the data shows that YouTube is both the present and the future of television. Joe and Robert talk about how for small and mid-sized brands looking to win in the influencer...
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may be the biggest shift in search and content discovery since Google launched. In this episode, Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose break down what Gemini means for marketers, creators, and anyone relying on organic reach. Will Gemini end organic discovery as we know it? Will synthetic creators become the majority of all content online? And is there still a path forward for human creators? Joe and Robert go deep into: Google’s move from traditional search to a full AI-model Why this shift could make Google even more dominant What happens to creators when platforms auto-generate the content ...
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In this special Thanksgiving edition of This Old Marketing, Joe and Robert dive into the future of AI and what it really means for marketers, creators, and anyone trying to build an audience in the next few years. The boys explore how long traditional marketing roles will remain intact and why we may be much closer to a tipping point than most people want to believe. The Window Is Closing Joe and Robert revisit a theme they’ve both been writing about lately: the shrinking window of time before AI reshapes content, distribution, and discoverability. They break down what creators and marketers...
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The episode kicks off with a pointed look at Meta, which seems to be earning a fortune from fraudulent and scam ads. Joe and Robert trace the pattern back more than a decade…from election misinformation to repeated scandals. The question emerges: Is Meta the least ethical major player in the industry today? This conversation naturally leads into a look at the growing AI bubble and Michael Burry’s bet against The Magnificent Ten. While his prediction may eventually play out, the boys debate why we’re likely still two years away from any real correction. Top Stories Joe and Robert walk...
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This week, Joe and Robert cover three major AI stories shaping the creative and marketing landscape. First, the guys break down the debut of , the first AI-powered artist to land on a Billboard chart. Is this the start of a new music era...or the beginning of the end for human creativity? Next, they unwrap . But this year, it’s not just Coke. Expect a wave of AI-generated holiday campaigns across brands. Joe and Robert debate what this means for creative differentiation and audience connection. Finally, they analyze , revealing how AI is reshaping the global workplace faster than anyone...
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It’s another wild week in the world of marketing, media, and tech. First up: Amazon announced yet , and Joe and Robert dive into the growing trend among the Magnificent 10 companies. Are these just normal business cycles? The result of AI-driven productivity? Or signs of something deeper happening in the global economy? Then: to look more like a traditional for-profit company. With Microsoft now owning 27%, the boys debate what this means for control, innovation, and the company’s future. Could OpenAI become the world’s first trillion-dollar IPO? Next: Morning Brew about the news —...
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This week’s episode of This Old Marketing dives deep into the evolving world of AI, automation, and creator opportunities. 1. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas: A Google Killer? OpenAI’s latest product, , has some wondering if this is a direct strike at Google’s dominance in search. We break down what Atlas is, how it changes the discovery landscape, and what it means for marketers and creators. 2. AI and Robots Taking Jobs A New York Times article reports that . But the twist? The AI industry itself is facing layoffs. Meta has cut significant staff from its AI operations, . We explore what this...
info_outlineGoogle’s release of Gemini 3 may be the biggest shift in search and content discovery since Google launched. In this episode, Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose break down what Gemini means for marketers, creators, and anyone relying on organic reach.
Will Gemini end organic discovery as we know it?
Will synthetic creators become the majority of all content online?
And is there still a path forward for human creators?
Joe and Robert go deep into:
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Google’s move from traditional search to a full AI-model
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Why this shift could make Google even more dominant
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What happens to creators when platforms auto-generate the content
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The new ad model emerging behind AI search
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The long-term implications for independent writers, podcasters, and entrepreneurs
Winners & Losers:
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Joe spotlights Allegiant Stadium as a branding masterclass
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Robert unveils a conspiracy theory surrounding Jeffrey Katzenberg’s new AI marketing startup
Rants & Raves:
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Joe reacts to a Washington Post survey about people reading ChatGPT-created posts — and why he's concerned it could impact birth rates
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Robert shares the creative friction behind building an AI-generated country music artist
If you're a marketer, creator, or business owner trying to understand what’s coming next, this is a must-listen episode.
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