This Old Marketing - News Podcast Weekly with Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose

When Platforms Panic, Ads Follow (525)

Mar 27, 2026

They tackle a landmark verdict that accuses social platforms of being built to addict users and explore whether this becomes a 'big tobacco' moment. They unpack OpenAI killing Sora, its Disney tie-up fallout, and the hire of an ad chief as a revenue play. New video ad pushes from TikTok and ads coming to Apple Maps spark a debate about a race to the bottom in digital media.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Lawsuits Now Target Platform Design

Plaintiffs are shifting legal attacks from content to platform design, arguing Instagram and YouTube were engineered to be addictive to kids.
Joe Pulizzi and Robert Rose highlight this design-focused strategy as a novel route around Section 230 protections and a potential "big tobacco" style legal moment.

INSIGHT

OpenAI Pulls Sora And Reprioritizes

OpenAI shut down its Sora video app and wound down a planned Disney partnership to reallocate resources toward robotics and core products.
The hosts view Sora as a low-revenue, product-that-didn't-fit (reported $1.4M vs $2B for ChatGPT) and a sign OpenAI is scrambling for viable business models.

ADVICE

Prioritize Clear Revenue Over AI Gimmicks

Seek clear business models before scaling novelty AI products; OpenAI hired an ad chief to focus on revenue after low Sora returns.
Joe and Robert recommend prioritizing sustainable revenue engines (ads, search-like services) over flashy side products.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

This week, Joe opens the show with a quick take on the banning of "AI Fruit Love Island" and can't believe Robert isn't already a loyal subscriber.

Joe and Robert then dig into a landmark legal verdict against social media platforms, focusing on Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube. The big shift? Instead of the usual failed arguments around Section 230, these new cases are targeting platform design itself, claiming the products were intentionally built to be addictive. Joe and Robert discuss whether this could become a true "big tobacco" moment for social media, with larger legal and financial consequences ahead.

Next up, OpenAI shuts down Sora after the Disney deal. Is this a warning sign for OpenAI's long-term strategy, or just a simple business decision to cut a product that wasn't generating revenue and was draining resources? Joe and Robert break it down. Plus, OpenAI hires a new ad chief (which is always a good sign, right?).

Finally, TikTok rolls out new video advertising programs at NewFronts, and Joe and Robert see it as more evidence of a race to the bottom in digital media.

Marketing Losers of the Week Robert looks at the Publicis versus The Trade Desk battle. Joe calls out Apple for confirming that ads are coming to Apple Maps.

Rants and Raves Robert shares thoughts on courts temporarily allowing Perplexity AI shopping agents on Amazon. Joe raves about the greatness of Rick Rubin and why his approach may tell us something important about the AI future.

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