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

HubSpot laid off hundreds of employees. Then its billionaire co-founder took to LinkedIn to thank them for their contributions.

Because apparently, "thanks for everything" is supposed to make losing your job feel better.

In Episode 104 of The Cynical Marketers Podcast, Mike and Nada break down HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah's LinkedIn post following company layoffs, the backlash it received, and the apology that somehow managed to sound even more corporate than the original.

We're talking about tone-deaf executives, multimillion-dollar compensation packages, corporate PR disasters, and why being brilliant at building a company doesn't automatically make you brilliant at communicating with actual human beings.

Plus, we get into the dangers of executive personal branding, why corporate communications teams exist, and the increasingly ridiculous disconnect between the C-suite and the people keeping these companies running.

The big question: When your company lays off hundreds of employees, is there anything leadership can say that doesn't make things worse?

This is Episode 104 and our Season 2 finale. Apparently, we've made it through another 52 episodes of corporate nonsense.

Subscribe for more cynical takes on marketing, business, branding, and the people making questionable decisions at the top.

Find The Cynical Marketers on YouTube, Spotify, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok.

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to Episode 104: The Season 2 Finale
00:28 – HubSpot's Co-Founder Posts About Layoffs
01:17 – The LinkedIn Post That Started It All
02:33 – Why the Message Was So Tone-Deaf
03:03 – The Apology That Made Things Worse
04:24 – Layoffs in an Already Brutal Job Market
06:25 – HubSpot's Billions and Hundreds of Layoffs
07:32 – Executive Accountability and Corporate Profits
09:04 – A $1 Salary and Millions in Stock Awards
10:48 – Why Executives Should Think Before Posting
12:14 – When Leadership Loses Touch With Reality
14:33 – Why Corporate Communications Matters
15:55 – Good Intentions Don't Guarantee Good Messaging
17:41 – The Problem With Corporate Apologies
18:56 – When Everyone Tells the Boss They're Brilliant
20:35 – LinkedIn Sycophants and Corporate Leadership
21:59 – Does a Big Company Name Make Job Hunting Easier?
23:13 – Sometimes the Smartest Move Is Staying Quiet
23:58 – Season 2 Wrap-Up and What's Next

Hashtags

#TheCynicalMarketers #CynicalMarketersPodcast #HubSpot #DharmeshShah #CorporateLayoffs #CorporateLeadership #PublicRelations #PRFails #ExecutiveLeadership #CorporateCommunications #LinkedIn #MarketingPodcast #BusinessPodcast

Vaseline might have figured out something most brands still don’t understand: **the person who made an idea famous isn’t always the person who created it.**Instead of chasing the biggest influencers, Vaseline went back and found the original creators behind beauty hacks using its products — some dating back years — and brought them into the brand story.Which got us talking about the much bigger problem with influencer marketing: stolen ideas, paid “authenticity,” undisclosed partnerships, fake UGC, and why it’s getting harder to believe anyone recommending anything online.Is Vaseline onto something brands should actually copy?And more importantly: when an influencer recommends a product, do you believe them?Subscribe, comment, and tell us what you think.Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome to Episode 10200:48 – Vaseline Takes On Influencer Culture01:55 – The Problem With Who Gets Credit Online02:43 – Vaseline Finds the Original Creators03:30 – Why This Campaign Actually Works05:31 – Big Influencers Stealing Small Creators’ Ideas08:24 – Why Small Creators Get Overlooked09:37 – Tracking Viral Trends Back to the Source11:01 – The Truth About Influencer Brand Deals12:07 – How Influencers Actually Make Money13:51 – When UGC Stopped Being UGC15:00 – Nobody Discloses Paid Partnerships Anymore16:00 – Can You Trust Influencer Reviews?16:38 – How Brand Deals Change Creator Behavior18:17 – How an Old Brand Like Vaseline Stays Relevant20:01 – Why This Was a Smart Brand Play21:04 – Do You Actually Trust Influencers?21:49 – Wrap-Up#TheCynicalMarketers #InfluencerMarketing #Marketing #BrandMarketing #CreatorEconomy #UGC #SocialMediaMarketing #ContentCreators #BrandStrategy #DigitalMarketing

Gen Z brought iced coffee to a job interview, and apparently, we've got a workplace crisis on our hands.In Episode 101 of The Cynical Marketers, Mike and Nada get into the viral coffee controversy, why millennials suddenly care so much about interview etiquette, and whether bringing a drink to an interview is actually unprofessional.Mike thinks it's a little too casual. Nada thinks there are much bigger things to worry about. And both have spent enough time interviewing people to know that a cup of coffee is hardly the craziest thing a candidate can bring.We also get into how workplace expectations have changed, the generational shift in corporate culture, and the absurdity of demanding traditional interview etiquette when companies are increasingly using AI bots to screen candidates.So, where do you stand? Is bringing coffee to an interview a red flag, or are we making a big fucking deal out of nothing?Drop your take in the comments.Subscribe to The Cynical Marketers for more unfiltered conversations about marketing, business, and the workplace.00:00 Welcome to Episode 10101:13 The Gen Z iced coffee interview controversy03:47 Is bringing coffee actually unprofessional?06:00 Mike's take: It's about respect, not the coffee07:02 Why traditional job interviews are overcoached08:39 The generational hypocrisy of interview etiquette11:07 What happens when millennials become managers?13:44 How corporate culture and professionalism have changed16:08 AI interviews vs. traditional interview expectations17:27 Coffee, phones, and what actually matters18:06 What's the craziest thing you've seen in an interview?#TheCynicalMarketers #GenZ #Millennials #JobInterviews #WorkplaceCulture #Hiring #Recruitment #CorporateCulture #GenerationalDifferences #BusinessPodcast #Professionalism

100 episodes. More episodes than subscribers. Zero paid promotion. And somehow, we're still here.For our 100th episode of The Cynical Marketers, Gary Vee gave us the perfect topic.In a recent clip, Gary tells a struggling podcaster that his content sucks, the algorithm IS the customer, and if he's not growing, he's simply not providing enough value.Yeah. We have some thoughts.We're talking about why good content doesn't always get seen, the difference between building a personal brand and building an actual business, and why going viral means absolutely nothing if it doesn't bring in customers.Plus, Mike reflects on building a $100 million e-commerce business without building his personal brand, Nada questions whether Gary's advice still applies to everyday business owners, and we get into the exhausting reality of trying to compete with AI slop, rage bait, and dancing HVAC guys.If you're a business owner wondering why your content isn't taking off, this one's for you.And to everyone who's watched, listened, commented, or subscribed along the way: thank you for being part of our first 100 episodes.Here's to the next 100. Assuming we don't get canceled first.Subscribe to The Cynical Marketers for marketing conversations without the guru bullshit.00:00 Episode 100! More episodes than subscribers02:10 Gary Vee says your content sucks03:11 What happened to Gary Vee?04:00 Mike's $100M business and the personal branding mistake05:23 The algorithm is NOT your customer07:20 Is Gary Vee out of touch with small businesses?09:51 Who has actually replicated Gary's success?11:40 Starting from nothing vs. starting with an established business13:42 Why results alone don't build a personal brand15:39 Viral content doesn't mean more customers17:24 "Provide value" isn't a marketing strategy19:30 Rage bait, algorithms, and the content problem21:06 What actionable advice is Gary actually giving?22:24 Why social media is so hard for small businesses24:03 Marketing works beyond social media24:29 Has Gary Vee become the rage bait?25:50 Celebrating 100 episodes26:40 Why your friends and family aren't your audience28:15 Thank you, internet strangers!#TheCynicalMarketers #CynicalMarketers #GaryVee #GaryVaynerchuk #MarketingPodcast #Episode100 #MarketingStrategy #SmallBusinessMarketing #SocialMediaMarketing #PersonalBranding #ContentMarketing #MarketingBS