Meta's Fraudulent Ad Revenue Problem

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.

Joe and Robert walk through Meta's pattern of behavior, including the current windfall from scam ads, reminders of past election interference issues, and the repeated failure to effectively police the platform. The bigger question: if this is systemic, where does it go from here?

The legendary investor who foretold the mortgage crisis is now shorting the biggest tech companies. The boys give context on why he might be early, what signals they're watching, and what marketers should learn from speculative hype cycles.

Disney is increasing content spending, but the bulk is shifting toward live sports and in-person experiences. Joe and Robert discuss what this means for marketers and why "experiential" continues to be a long-term bet.

The studio responsible for Coca-Cola's AI holiday ad gives its defense. Is this just another evolution of creative tools, or are creators right to be irritated? The boys break down the nuance.

• Joe's Winner: Netflix House Smart expansion into experiential entertainment. A real signal of where media companies are headed.

• Robert's Loser: The end of the Farmer's Almanac A long-running institution finally fades. Robert shares why this one stings and what it says about legacy content.

• Robert's Rant: Microsoft's sales content Robert has feelings…big ones. And he shares them.

• Joe's Commentary: Chatbot JesusWhat could go wrong?

Subscribe and Follow: Follow Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose on LinkedIn for insights, hot takes, and weekly updates from the world of content and marketing.

This week's sponsor: Did you know that most businesses only use 20% of their data? That's like reading a book with most of the pages torn out. Point is, you miss a lot. Unless you use HubSpot. Their customer platform gives you access to the data you need to grow your business. The insights trapped in emails, call logs, and transcripts. All that unstructured data that makes all the difference. Because when you know more, you grow more.

Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.

-------

Get all the show notes: https://www.thisoldmarketing.com/

Get Joe's new book, Burn the Playbook, at http://www.joepulizzi.com/books/burn-the-playbook/ Subscribe to Joe's Newsletter at https://www.joepulizzi.com/signup/.

Get Robert Rose's new book, Valuable Friction, at https://robertrose.net/valuable-friction/ Subscribe to Robert's Newsletter at https://seventhbearlens.substack.com/

-------

This Old Marketing is part of the HubSpot Podcast Network: https://www.hubspot.com/podcastnetwork