Branwell

When AI becomes an obstacle to purchase

Digital ad spend 2025 report from @iabuk.bsky.social - stats on search, retail media, video and more www.iabuk.com/news-article...

Possibly John Hayward, can’t remember.

Remember it well Tim - was it Alan Green from Guild?

Cindy Rose on new WPP strategy: ‘We don’t want to be a holding company any more’ CEO can “see a path” back to growth for agency group, which will operate as a single company. “I don't think as a holding company WPP had a culture,” she tells Campaign.

Is the holding company era over? Or just no-one wants to be labelled a holdco? ( a bit like no platform is ‘social media’ any more). www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/cind...

AI anxiety is spiking. The internet is pining for the simpler days of iPods, digital cameras, and retro phones. Gen Z and millennials are finding comfort in analog technology as AI disillusionment grows.

Still have my classy black 80GB iPod www.aol.com/articles/ai-...

Perplexity Pauses New Advertising Deals to Reassess Ambitions The move highlights the AI search startup's monetization challenges.

Handbrake turn from Perplexity on ads www.adweek.com/media/perple...

Next …

Super Bowl LX: UK Search and Social Traffic Hit All-Time High in 2026 Lady Gaga, Jennifer Aniston, Ben Affleck, Bad Bunny power 2026 Super Bowl buzz as Dunkin’ and Squarespace campaigns drive all-time UK search spikes and social views.

Too many Super Bowl hot takes to wade through but this one caught my eye - how the event is now mainstream entertainment in the UK (with evidence) www.forbes.com/sites/kateha...

Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix's The New World's Fair reviewed: savage sci-fi glam/country from the cult author and sometime Hawkwind collaborator Michael Moorcock & The Deep Fix's The New World's Fair: savage sci-fi glam/country from cult author and sometime Hawkwind collaborator

www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/mich...

Got you in the end…

Once asked him about using The Fall over the end credits of High Rise, he told me the studio wanted The Sex Pistols but he dug his heels in.

Lord Ed Vaizey, former Culture Secretary: “The biggest creative industries in the UK are advertising and publishing but they get very little direct support [from government].” @adassociation.bsky.social LEAD conference.

Disney names Josh D'Amaro as new chief executive The media giant chooses the head of its amusement park business to replace longtime boss Bob Iger.

New boss at the Mouse House www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

@shona.bsky.social Hi Shona, dropped you a LI message. Wondered if you’d be up for my AWE panel? 🤞

ChatGPT sidelines BBC as AI news skews sources AI chatbots are skewing UK media, and some of the country’s biggest and most trusted outlets are being sidelined altogether.

Who’s in and who’s out? Incredibly important story for any journalist or legacy publisher www.cityam.com/chatgpt-side...

Fun launch for serious book - Trusted Advertising: How to harness the value of trust in your brand @adassociation.bsky.social @mattbourn.bsky.social

It was never just about the ads. 📢

We’ve long argued in our research that the concentration of data power in the hands of tech oligopolies poses fundamental risks to society, safety, privacy and democracy.

The misuse potential of this is huge!
Democracy needs privacy

www.wired.com/story/ice-as...

Well, there goes the metaverse! | TechCrunch The metaverse is on its last legs as VR is eclipsed by AI. But that's not the only thing that went wrong for Meta's VR ambitions.

Deep dive into Meta’s metaverse muddle techcrunch.com/2026/01/19/w...

That’s the one where Wilko Johnson backed Heinz, if my memory bank is functions correctly..

Heinz redesigned the classic French fry box, adding a ketchup compartment The Heinz Dipper, made by Rethink, is debuting in 11 countries, including six cities in the U.S.

But I was taught never reveal your sources! 😄 adage.com/creativity/w...

TikTok named Fifa’s first 'preferred platform' for World Cup New deal will take fans 'behind the curtain and closer to the action than ever before,' Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafström said.

A literal game-changer for World Cup engagement for Gen Z, maybe? www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/tikt...

Disney Plus is getting vertical video Disney wants to make Disney Plus a “daily destination.”

Disney Plus adapting with a vertical video feed www.theverge.com/tech/858277/...

Reddit overtakes TikTok in UK thanks to search algorithms and gen Z Platform is now Britain’s fourth most visited social media site as users seek out human-generated content

In case you missed this one from the weekend … social media trends etc www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Greggs opens 600th franchise location - Retail Gazette <div class="at-above-post addthis_tool" data-url="https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/12/greggs-opens-600th-franchise-location/"></div>Food-to-go retailer Greggs has announced the opening of its...

Greggs is on a roll (ouch!) www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2025/12...

Sony Buys Majority Stake In ‘Peanuts’ IP for $460 Million Charlie Brown and Snoopy will live under the Sony umbrella as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan buy the slice of Peanuts Holding LLC held by Canadian company WildBrain.

Hang on Snoopy!, Snoopy hang on! (Apologies to The McCoys) www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...

Hurrah - marvellous Yuletide gift incoming!

Warc report upgrades forecast for global ad revenue in 2026 Ad sector's investment figures from Warc upgraded to a forecast total of $1.40tn (£1.04tn) by 2027.

“Advertising has broken away from the economic cycle and behaves in a way that does not feel reflective of the real economy.” www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/warc...

Saw it when it was released Joe, remind me - thought you’d mention the Damon Albarn - Nyman soundtrack. Was okay, not on the ‘must rewatch’ list.

Back to some indie progenitors - The House Of Love in Islington tonight ..