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

 

a place of your own?

For years [about 30] I used to tell students that they should register their name as a domain name and set up their own web page. 

Now that artificial intelligence dominates search [apparently] and folk ignore search engines and social platforms when researching people [eg for job applications] that advice is more than ever relevant.

What could be better than your own CV that can be changed only by you? 

the same in Europe?

This research is from the USA where Amazon dominates e-commerce and so I would expect that figure to be lower over here. If they're honest [are there any who are? 😏] I think those folk selling AI would be  disappointed at these results.

what do you think?

The headline of this article says "Influencers Are Still Making Their Mark with Gen Z" ... but is that the case when none of the numbers are over 50%? And what about the research methodology ... what is a 'celebrity or influencer'? eg if you follow one sports person do you appear in this survey's results.

how long?

Six weeks seems a long time to enter something on to a computer?

que?

 

where's that then?

This map - is it a map? - is the result in the search featured in the previous post. It's a town-centre shopping precinct which could be in just about any town or city in the UK. Ho hum.

there's no such place

Sunderland is in the county of Tyne and Wear ... Durham is a city about 20 miles from Sunderland. No excuse. None. 

why not just right write it to start with?

Saw this 'tip' from a source I normally value. But: it's for writing website content - so not thousands of words - so wouldn't it be quicker, and more effective, to just write it off the top of your head and not use ai?