Weve all seen this play out in life: Theres the popular, interesting friendthe reason everyone comes to the partyand the sidekick, the one everyone tolerates because they pick up the tab. This is also the story of media. Media companies (and social media platforms) are the cool friends who attract the audience. Brands pick up the tab in order to be included in that experience.
Its been this way since the invention of brand marketing. In the early days of print, radio and TV, audiences were truly thankful for the advertising that made programming possible and accessible. That appreciation made the model work.
This is a truth we seemed to have forgotten in the digital era. And the promise of automation turned out to be a bit too effective, even removing humans from the audience.
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