Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire Neil and Eric break down why AI is quietly killing the marketing channels most businesses still rely on β cold email open rates have dropped over 40%, AI-generated content is getting near-zero engagement, and outreach inboxes are completely flooded. They share exactly where they're shifting their marketing spend in 2026, why branding and in-person events are the new moat, and why Neil basically quit doing podcasts. Key Takeaways: Cold email open rates dropped 40%+ from end of 2024 to Q1 2026 across 11 B2B companies AI-generated content gets terrible engagement unless it's specifically about AI topics Brand, relationships, and intellectual horsepower are the only real moats left in 2026 Chapters: 00:00 AI Is Destroying the Marketing Channels You Rely On01:13 The Cold Email Saturation Problem Nobody Is Admitting02:51 Open Rates Dropped 40% β Real Data From 11 B2B Companies05:48 Why Branding Is the Only Real Moat Left in 202606:44 Why He Basically Quit Doing Podcasts11:46 The 3 Things That Survive AI: Brand, Relationships, Horsepower13:23 Why Manual Content Is Beating AI Content Right Now πππ’π¨π§ π§ππ ππππ‘π‘ππWelcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Hosted by Eric Siu and Neil Patel, recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer. ποΈ Learn More About the HostsEric Siu β Leveling Up: https://www.youtube.com/@LevelingUpOfficialNeil Patel: https://www.youtube.com/@neilpatel π© Free ResourcesUbersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/ β Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!