Author: Spencer Gellman

This might sound like a strange question, but… does Meta have a Facebook problem?

We’re recommending (and receiving client requests) more and more to omit Facebook placements from our campaigns. Whether it’s due to spammy leads, outlandish commenting, or Advantage+ audiences that can’t stay in their suggested age or gender lane, Facebook is starting to feel like a drag on performance rather than a valuable part of the mix.

It’s not that we’re totally out on Facebook, but it seems to be entering a new phase where it is no longer part of the default channel mix, and need to fit a select criteria to merit inclusion.

We’re seeing more brands ride the #PrimeDay wave than ever this year —even ones with zero #Amazon presence.

And we’re here for it.

It’s mid-July. No one’s shopping unless you sell beach towels or aloe vera lotion. Fall product isn’t in yet, and your spring line is starting to get a bit dusty. Budgets are sleepy. Engagement is soft.

Enter Prime Day, the most conveniently timed fake holiday in e-commerce. All of a sudden, people are using their credit cards for something other than beachside spritzes. There’s urgency, traffic and the ideal time to run a promo without the head winds and sky-high CPM’s of Black Friday.

Some brands are even co-opting the word “Prime” just to soak up the goodwill (and clicks).

In essence, Prime Day isn’t just a chance to save 10% on triple A batteries; it’s a well-timed retail reset for brands to make those summer sales a bit sunnier.

We just got asked by a client what they can do to appear in AI results. I explained that the process was extremely similar to SEO, and that the initial steps would likely be the same as optimizing the site for organic search. They quickly retorted, “We don’t care about organic search.” While this would have been an insane thing to say even 2 years ago, it’s not a totally nuts sentiment to have in 2025.

Times are tough for organic search as people are beginning their discovery process on AI or social networks. Over 50% of Gen Z users now prefer TikTok or Instagram as search tools over Google. 50%!!

Throw in platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude that are quickly becoming the go-to for product recommendations, research, and idea exploration and the role for organic search results is shrinking fast. Even Google’s own Search Generative Experience (SGE) is pushing traditional organic links below AI-generated answers.

For brands, this means rethinking where and how discovery happens. It’s no longer just about climbing Google’s rankings—it’s about being the first to appear where consumers begin their journey.