Yes. The FTC says anyone paid to promote a product has to make that clear, and a free product counts as payment. Mike and Nada say the problem is that almost nobody enforces it. When NewsGuard posed as a consulting firm, more than a third of the political influencers it contacted agreed to post for pay without saying so.

00:00 Do political influencers hide paid posts?

01:17 Undisclosed paid posts aren't new

02:53 Disclosure rules nobody enforces

04:47 Why brands push creators to skip the label

05:50 The gambling app offers

07:14 Can you trust Google reviews anymore?

08:54 Influencers used to be called brand ambassadors

10:02 Why platforms don't label paid posts

11:27 Would you promote a candidate you don't believe in?

13:25 Is the AI hype on LinkedIn paid?

14:18 Why you shouldn't believe any endorsement

15:03 Why Disney got results and consumers don't

16:45 Corporations always get a pass

18:21 Should brands be on the hook for disclosure?

19:12 Go get a real job, influencers

20:19 How influencer deals really get scripted

21:01 What full creative control really means

Episode notes and transcript: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/podcast/influencer-disclosure/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tcm-influencer-disclosure&utm_content=show-notes

Work with Mike and Nada at Big Brain Strategy: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/contact/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tcm-bbs-contact&utm_content=show-notes

Should your brand get unhinged on social media like Dunkin? Probably not. Mike and Nada break down Dunkin's Spidey D campaign, from the hijacked accounts to the Deez Nuts apology, and why it only works for a huge brand with an agency, lawyers, and a backup plan behind every post. A small business trying the same joke just looks strange to people who don't know it.

00:00 Should brands try to be unhinged on social media?

00:42 What is Dunkin's Spidey D campaign?

02:14 The Deez Nuts apology

03:59 Why it works for Dunkin and not for you

06:53 Wendy's did it first

07:27 No, an intern isn't running this

10:34 How campaigns like this actually get made

14:25 It takes real talent: Dollar Shave Club and ClickUp

18:36 Will Spidey get old?

21:46 What happened to Good Good Golf

23:35 The "intern needs a raise" myth

Full episode notes and transcript: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/podcast/dunkin-spidey-d/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tcm-dunkin-spidey-d&utm_content=show-notes

Got something that needs to get done? Work with Mike and Nada at Big Brain Strategy: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/contact/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tcm-bbs-contact&utm_content=show-notes

Is LinkedIn still worth it for business, and was it ever? Mike and Nada think it's become an echo chamber: marketers talking to other marketers, AI-written posts that all sound the same, bot comments, and an algorithm that hides your posts from the people you're connected to.

00:00 Does LinkedIn suck now, or has it always?

00:56 The LinkedIn thought leader era

01:43 Marketers talking to marketers

02:31 Bot replies and automated comments

04:36 Why your connections don't see your posts

06:06 Every AI tool gives the same LinkedIn advice

08:08 Generic advice and no original thought

11:05 Guru posts and karma jacking

12:48 Every connection request is a sales pitch

14:02 Automated outreach and spam DMs

15:56 What happened to real networking?

18:14 Who actually posts on LinkedIn

19:16 Notifications and the Premium upsell

20:48 105 episodes and the start of season 3

Read the full episode notes: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/podcast/is-linkedin-worth-it/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tcm-is-linkedin-worth-it&utm_content=show-notes

Got something that needs to get done? Work with Mike and Nada at Big Brain Strategy: https://bigbrainstrategy.com/contact/?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=tcm-bbs-contact&utm_content=show-notes