What does a point-and-shoot digital camera available on TikTok Shop, Adult Happy Meals, and 8-bit games for Nintendo Switch tell us about what’s working in marketing?

Today’s Apple Bite: Emotion alone is not enough.

How it affects your bottom line, without anyone ever seeing it.

People don’t always tell the truth, even if they mean to.

There are lots of ways to conduct market research, especially in today’s world.

You know what they say about assumptions… they’re no good when taking your campaign to international markets.  You know what they say about assumptions… they’re no good when taking your campaign to international markets.

Even if an AI model is trained not to lie, flawed data still does.   If you’re collecting data with outdated research methods like surveys or incentives, AI won’t change anything about its accuracy. It might not be intentional, but prompting an AI, even an in-house one, with your flawed data won’t uncover new, meaningful insights. The data is the data – asking AI to parse it won’t make it better quality.

Survey data told you one story. The market told you another. Here’s where that disconnect starts and why it keeps happening:  Question 1-47:

It’s spooky season; a downright frightening time of year. And no, we’re not just talking about Q4. In the spirit of Halloween, we’ve rounded up three of the scariest marketing mistakes we’ve seen play out through 2025, plus tips on how to avoid them in case you encounter any of these malevolent energies while ideating…

We’re living in an era where the most influential content rejects influence. So-called “de-influencers” are seeing a surge in popularity. It’s a paradox that’s left brands scrambling. If traditional influence is dead, what replaces it? And more importantly, how do you market to consumers who have are increasingly tuning out everything that feels like marketing?