The Dark Side of Performance

This week, we’re joined by Joe Marchese, operating and build partner at Human Ventures and veteran media exec. We discuss why the obsession with performance marketing has created incentives for many intermediaries to focus on giving the appearance of being responsible for a sale rather than actually contributing to the sale, and how that’s led to short-term approaches that skips the basics of building lasting brands. Plus: What the meting of Kamala Harris says about the direction of news and political campaigns, why Netflix points to a shrinking TV ad market and the perils of operating content and commerce businesses as part of one company.

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Skip to topic:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 06:09 Netflix vs. Apple TV: The Future of Streaming
• 16:51 The Meme Election
• 24:42 The Role of AI in Media and Advertising
• 35:59 The Evolution of Content Creation Tools
• 38:07 The Cookiepocalypse and Ad Tech Cynicism
• 40:31 Performance Media and Brand Building
• 44:37 Content and Commerce: The Houdinki Case Study
• 51:32 The Future of Digital Media and Monetization
• 58:56 Media Investments and Optimism
• 01:01:00 Good Product