and your job is ... ?

It would appear that [too?] many ANA members don't understand advertising. Just in case you're not aware, ANA stands for 'Association of National Advertisers'.

really?

All grok can offer is a list of generic problems that cars have. Google's ai once advised me that a common problem with my van was the spark plugs. The make/model of van I own has only diesel engines [in case you don't know, diesels don't have spark plugs].

oh dear 2 ...

 

Oh dear ...

 

the [mis] use of ai

At a recent social event, I ran into a gentleman who I had several times advised on digital marketing for his medium-sized business. Our conversation got round to AI – and he just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Twenty-odd years ago he had consulted me on how his organisation could best use email. I had advised him that as around 80% of his outgoing email was the same few messages that he should create templates, so that all staff sending ‘repeat’ emails [e.g. confirming delivery of goods and confirming receipt of an order] sent out emails in the same layout, same font and in the agreed ‘voice’ of the organisation. Each message was clear and concise, checked by his solicitors to ensure there would be no legal issues raised by addressees of the emails. As a result – even when employees changed – all outgoing messages remained consistent. 

The owner had then retired, and his son had taken over the business. Last year his son decided that all the templates could be scrapped and staff use AI for email generation. The result was – in the old man’s words – ‘utter chaos’. Every outgoing email was different, different style different voice, different colours … different everything.

My client knew nothing of this until news of a legal claim against the company arose because an outgoing email had not made clear what was required or what should happen. As a result, a customer lost [a lot] of money and was claiming that money – and expenses – back from the business.

I suggested he get someone in to advise his son on the use of artificial intelligence in the business.

it's funny 'cos it's true

 

is this a trustworthy list?

Apart from Wikipedia - and why not go direct to that website instead of using an LLM? - I'm not sure I would have a great deal of faith in content from these sites. Reddit in particular as much of it is simply folk's opinions.

it's an advantage of the internet

In the early days of the web when I was 'selling' the Internet to organizations, one of the major positives over printed media was that content could be changed in minutes rather than having to reprint leaflets/brochures/etc.

And yet 30 years later you can still find web pages [like this one] that are 13 years out of date. In this case, someone planning a visit to Cleethorpes could have no confidence that this car park still exists.  I'm pretty sure that if it does, the price will have gone up. Oh - and the link I've underlined doesn't work.

d2c … I don't think so

The headline of the article - in reality, it was an ad for a podcast interview - said "2 Bootstrapped D2C Brands, 1 CEO"*. However, when I read the content it was about a business that buys in products then sells them online. This is online retailing [e-commerce] IT IS NOT D2C. D2C is when a manufacturer/producer sells products direct to the end consumer ie without a third party being involved.

As far as I am concerned everyone that is involved in the business and article does not have knowledge of what marketing really is.

*Note: I'm not adding a link to the article as I don't think it's worth your time reading it.

excellent analogy

Seen on X, from @Emma_Turner75

"Making a microwave dinner is easy. You put it in the microwave, press a button & it’s done.  

Making a microwave dinner doesn’t teach you how to cook; you’re then reliant on microwave meals to eat.

Bypassing the hard thinking necessary for learning with AI use is just microwaving."

I agree completely ...

"In practice, however, technology is never neutral because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise it, finance it, regulate it and use it".

Pope Leo, May 15, 2026.

The reference is to artificial intelligence.

so you've paid a subscription for an ai service ...

And then you get this ...

links - but to what?

Dark on light is easiest to read. That includes text links.

 

why search for something that isn't there?

I'm a fan of filters when searching a website for something to buy ... but listing what's out of stock?

someone [ or more likely, ai] seems to think i want to start a small war