DeepSeek is the Lenovo of AI, hypercars, and the shifting role of marketing
Update
Weekly Exhale
So far, 2025 is the year social media broke. TikTok has a for sale sign nailed to its servers. This got me wondering: Why isn’t there more of a reaction to the fact that the world’s most powerful algorithms are changing direction? The answer is far closer to home. Marketers aren't worried about Zuck or Musk or social media. They are worried about their jobs.
In the wake of AI, restructuring is rife across every category and company, big or small. The numbers tell the story: U.S. companies cut 761,358 jobs last year—the highest in history outside the pandemic. Consumer brand layoffs rose 14.4$, totaling 42,931 cuts. In the UK, retail brands slashed 170,000 jobs—a 42% increase.
And this week, all things AI took another turn. If neutering TikTok was America’s move, then China hit back. Enter DeepSeek. Within days of launch, DeepSeek overtook ChatGPT on the iOS App Store, racking up 2.6 million downloads. The twist? It was built for just $6 million.
I downloaded DeepSeek on Tuesday, excited by the breakthrough. But, like the chips powering it, its training data stops in 2023. ChatGPT to DeepSeek felt like going from a MacBook Air to an overheating Lenovo. But at their core? They do the same thing. AI just got a lot cheaper. Meaning change is coming a lot quicker.
“No goals on the field”
As NVIDIA’s stock was tanking, I was having lunch at the Soho Hotel with a dear friend, a mentor, a dude, and one of the UK's leading tech investors. Over chicken schnitzel, we joked about the GMA T.50 hypercar he's bought and the need to eat mash instead of chips to stay young. Then, as we moved onto industry gossip, he made an observation about marketing today:
“It’s a field where all the players play beautifully. It’s just… there are no goals on the field.”
Translation? The talent and skill of CMOs far outweigh the perceived value they bring to an organisation. The big brand moments are dwindling, and with them, the ability of marketing leaders to “score.”
Here's the thing. I'm not sure it matters. It just requires a shift from the ego to the soul.
Playing first base
Remember Moneyball? Scott Hatteberg—injured and unable to throw—had to move to first base. As his coach pointed out, playing first base is incredibly hard.And not as fun as being a catcher.
Marketers are facing the same kinds of moves. But here's a fun fact: Research shows that people who switch roles in midlife tend to earn more and live longer.
Enjoy the show
Whatever happens, money will turn less to marketing to find magic anymore. Like the Oakland A's, it's becoming a technocratic game. Less romance. More effective outcomes.
The magic? That's going to belong somewhere else. And that's okay. As AI defines work more and more, work will define us less and less. One of the most touching moments in Moneyball isn't in the throws of baseball. It's in a music shop where Billy Beane catches a moment with his 13-year-old daughter, Casey.
Surrounded by amps and guitars, Casey strums shyly, barely whispering the lyrics to a song. “That’s so good,” Beane says, touched. “Would you sing a little for your Dad?”
She screws up her face. “Little bit?”
And then she does. The scene is absolutely beautiful as he looks at his daughter with admiration, unconditional love and overwhelming pride. It comes right through the screen, and you can feel it inside.
If you're in marketing or just facing down the machines, don't worry about where the goalposts are moving—or whether there are any. Just keep playing beautifully. And as Casey sings it: "Let it go… and just enjoy the show.”
Let's rise together with every issue. ♡
Market Movements
US economy slows despite consumers spending more | BBC
UK house prices rise less than expected in January | Financial Times
Canada and Mexico brace for US tariffs | The Guardian
Brand Beat
Hims & Hers to advertise weight-loss shots at Super Bowl | The Wall Street Journal
Remote working is marketing's top requested workplace accommodation | Digiday
5 reasons we kicked off Coors Light's 2025 SuperBowl campaign with a typo | The Drum
Nielsen's Annual Report highlights these new trends among black consumers | Forbes
Why consumers want realism, not fun, from brands | AdAge
ASDA vows to be 'cheapest' as it backs Joe Wicks as frontman | The Grocer
TikTok named as official partner of BAFTA | Marketing Beat
Huel ignites a moment with 'Every Fire Needs Its Fuel" | Little Black Book
Sustainable fashion's new guard | Vogue Business
How tech helped Levi's ride the baggy jeans trend | The Wall Street Journal
Adidas finishes successful year with better than expected fourth quarter | Adidas
Kim Jones is stepping down at Dior | Women's Wear Daily
Why leaving X can be tricky for brands | BBC
Starbucks earnings beat estimates, but same-store sales decline | CNBC
One brand's journey from TikTok to Dragons' Den | MarketingWeek
Dame Carolyn McCall to be president of Marketing Society | Marketing Society
How Zyn conquered the American mouth | GQ
System1's ad of the week is for tea | System1
Netflix unveils 2025 slate | Variety
Trending: Push Gummies are the tastiest way to take creatine | Thingtesting
Starting Up
Naboo raises €20m to take on American corporate tourism market | Maddyness
Beyond the brand: How founders scale through content creation | Following Up!
US nuclear fusion plant founded by Sam Altman and Peter Thiel raises $425m. | Financial Times
The BrewDog fame chaser, James Watt, launches new TV show | The Rest Is Entertainment
UK start-up Synthesia hits $2bn valuation | UKTN
Tech Tidbits
DeepSeek's overnight success is powered by Gen Z hires | Fortune
What does DeepSeek mean for France's AI darling, Mistral? | Sifted
Bill Gates isn't like those other tech billionaires | The New York Times
Apple and Microsoft defend DEI as big tech back down | Bloomberg Law
New UK competitions Chair will assess curbs on former employer Amazon | The Guardian
Kidnapped co-founder of crypto firm Ledger has his hand mutilated | Reuters
Venture Vibes
The world according to Silicon Valley godfather, Marc Andreessen | Wired
a16z has scattered scouts across Europe despite pulling out of London | TechCrunch
UK active consumer VCs: who they are going to invest in | Taos Edmondson
After DeepSeek, VCs face questions over their AI investments | The New York Times
Design Driven
Why packaging is the perfect place to tell your story | Creative Review
Lego's new Van Gogh set is a 2,516-block masterpiece | Fast Company
Tom Bingham's fantastical illustrations are a reminder to slow down and stay cosy | It's Nice That
Dorothée Meilichzon designs Alpine hotel interiors with giant ski bed heads | Dezeen
Happiness
Are you lonely? Adopt a new family on Facebook today | Wired
The rising value of in-person connection | Big Think
The 10 happiest cities in America | Quartz
Finding new magic: Billy Beane's daughter sings in Moneyball | YouTube
--
Stay gold 🙏🏻
If you like what you read, don't forget to subscribe and share. ♻️
