Source [De]Coded — Most brands are boring. The algorithm agrees 🔥

Hey hey…if you’re reading this, congrats, you made it through another week of the internet doing whatever the hell it wants.

I’m back from sabbatical, feeling refreshed, slightly less pale, and unfortunately for the team, fully re-energized. Timing worked out pretty well too, because while I was off pretending to unplug, the crew went ahead and picked up PRWeek’s Outstanding Technology Agency of the Year. Casual. Not bad for a group that refuses to be boring.

Matt broke down Nvidia GTC, Christa dug into SXSW, and the takeaway is pretty simple. Everything around how brands get discovered and trusted is shifting fast, and most brands are still showing up like nothing’s changed.

Here’s the part that’s been rattling around in my head since getting back. Most brands are boring. Not because they have to be, but because they choose to be. Too much polishing, too much second guessing, too much “let’s not rock the boat.” And the algorithm sees right through it. So do your customers.

At the same time, everything underneath how brands get discovered and trusted is shifting fast. AI is deciding what’s credible. Search is turning into answers instead of destinations. Podcasts and personality are filling the gaps machines can’t. And somehow, we’re all still reporting on clicks like it’s 2015.

Anyway, I’m back, the team’s on a heater, and the industry is having a bit of an existential moment.

Let’s have some fun with it.

Becky and Greg

AI is reshaping how influence and credibility are earned

Visibility now depends on whether machines trust you

TL;DR:

AI is changing how brands are discovered and trusted, shifting influence from media volume to whether AI systems see your brand as credible, authoritative, and worth citing.

Takeaway:

This is the shift most comms teams are just starting to feel. AI is not just changing workflows, it is redefining influence itself. As answer engines replace traditional search, brands are no longer competing for clicks, they are competing to be included in the answer. That raises the bar. Consistent Tier 1 coverage, clear positioning, and authoritative content now shape whether AI systems recognize and recommend your brand. The tension is speed versus substance. AI makes it easier to produce more content, but only credibility earns visibility. The teams that win will not be the ones using the most tools, they will be the ones using AI to strengthen strategy, connect insights, and elevate human judgment. In this environment, communications leaders are no longer just storytellers. They are architects of trust in systems they do not fully control.

Consider:

• For marketers, are you building content that AI systems can recognise as credible and authoritative

• For communications leaders, how are you measuring influence in a world where visibility is driven by citation, not clicks

Garage Beer proves “dumb” content can be a serious strategy

Community beats polish when it actually feels real

TL;DR:
Garage Beer is winning attention with absurd, low brow humor and community driven content, from parody lawyer ads to chaotic stunts featuring co owner Jason Kelce, all designed to entertain rather than sell.

Takeaway:
Garage Beer is a reminder that not all effective marketing looks smart on paper. The brand leans into what its own team calls “dumb” content, but that simplicity is deliberate and hard to replicate because it feels native, not manufactured. Instead of chasing polish, it builds consistency through tone, showing up again and again with the same irreverent voice across campaigns, social series, and stunts. That creates something more valuable than a one off viral moment, it builds a community that knows what to expect and wants to be part of it. The tension is obvious. Most brands are trained to refine, control, and elevate their messaging, while Garage Beer succeeds by doing the opposite and trusting that entertainment drives connection. The lesson is not to be silly for the sake of it, but to commit to a distinct point of view and execute it relentlessly across content and culture. Brands that hesitate or dilute their voice will always lose to those that fully lean in.

Consider:
• For marketers, is your content actually entertaining or just strategically correct
• For communications leaders, where are you over controlling the message at the expense of authenticity

AI is rewriting discovery and humans are pushing back

SXSW signals a turning point in how brands get found

TL;DR:
SXSW 2026 highlighted a major shift in media and marketing, where AI driven search is replacing traditional discovery, podcasts are becoming dominant attention platforms, and human creativity is emerging as the key differentiator.

Takeaway:
This is not another incremental change. It is a structural reset. AI is collapsing the traditional search model by delivering answers directly instead of sending users to websites, which means brands are now competing to be cited, not clicked. That shift is forcing a move from SEO to something closer to authority engineering, where clarity, structure, and opinion determine visibility. At the same time, podcasts are rising because they offer something AI cannot replicate easily, trust and sustained attention. The tension sits right in the middle. AI can scale content and distribution, but it struggles with relationships, judgment, and cultural nuance. That leaves brands with a clear challenge. Build for machines to be discovered, but build for humans to be remembered. The ones that get both right will own the next phase of attention.

Consider:
• For marketers, are you optimising for clicks or for being cited and recommended by AI systems
• For communications leaders, where does human perspective and relationship building still give you an advantage AI cannot replicate

Zero click search is turning visibility into influence

If no one clicks, your brand still needs to show up

TL;DR:
Zero click search is accelerating as AI powered results answer queries directly, reducing traffic to websites and forcing brands to rethink success beyond clicks toward visibility and influence.

Takeaway:
This is the uncomfortable shift most teams are still underestimating. Search is no longer a gateway, it is the destination. Users increasingly get what they need without ever visiting a site, which means traditional metrics like traffic and click through rates are losing relevance. The implication is clear. If your brand is not part of the answer, it effectively does not exist in that moment. That forces a shift from SEO to something closer to authority building, where structured, credible, and easily extractable content becomes the priority. The tension is control versus visibility. You may lose the click, but you gain presence at the point of decision. Brands that adapt will measure influence, citations, and recall, not just traffic. The ones that do not will keep optimising for clicks that never come.

Consider:
• For marketers, are you still optimising for traffic or for being included in the answer itself
• For communications leaders, how are you ensuring your brand is trusted enough to be cited by AI systems