The Grip is a newsletter that compiles essential news and insights for bold healthcare marketers, brought to you by Grippi Media.
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Brand building is making a comeback. But it still has to prove itself.
For years, brand building was a "dirty word." Too fluffy. Too hard to track.
But now, as ad costs rise and performance marketing tactics deliver diminishing returns, brand-building is back at the top of every marketing team’s priority list.
And this time, it’s armed with data.
In Issue 34 of The Grip, we dive into how marketers are measuring the ROI of brand-building and the tools they’re using to make it happen.
Other stories from this issue include:
👉 Microsoft CEO Admits That AI Is Generating Basically No Value
👉 The Big Healthcare Startup Buyers Have Left the Building
👉 FDA Declares Semaglutide Shortage Over, Spelling End to Compounded GLP-1 Market, For Now
👉 The GOP is Eyeing Massive Medicaid Cuts
All this and more in issue 34 of The Grip!
I Can’t Believe That’s a Keyword
Using Semrush, we hunt down bizarre (and totally real) search queries and try to answer them.
This Week’s Keyword: Why Does My Belly Button Smell?
Avg. Monthly Search Volume: 14,800
Answer: An average of 14,800 people Google this EVERY month. Let that stink in.
Top Stories We’re Tracking
Essential marketing and healthcare headlines of the week.
Rise of Alt-Measurement Firms Shows Marketers are Balancing Brand and Performance Thinking
Marketers are trying to balance brand-building with performance marketing, and that’s fueling the rise of alternative measurement firms like System1 , iSpot , and EDO. These companies help brands measure how creative campaigns actually impact awareness, recall, and long-term brand equity - not just short-term conversions.
With marketing budgets shrinking, advertisers need proof that their brand campaigns are worth the investment.
These firms offer testing before and after campaigns using panel surveys, AI-driven analysis, and media mix modeling (MMM) to track which ads resonate most with audiences and justify creative spending.
TL;DR? Creativity is making a comeback, baby!
📄 Read Article (Source: Digiday)
Microsoft CEO Admits That AI Is Generating Basically No Value
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is throwing some cold water on all the AI hype, admitting that AI isn’t exactly revolutionizing the economy just yet.
Despite Microsoft’s ~$14 billion investment in OpenAI, Nadella isn’t convinced generative AI has created much real-world value, pushing back on the industry’s obsession with artificial general intelligence (AGI).
If AI is truly the next Industrial Revolution, he argues, we should be seeing productivity skyrocket and the economy growing at 10%, which, 🚨spoiler alert: isn’t happening.
Meanwhile, despite this reality check, Microsoft is still going all-in on AI, backing OpenAI and even signing on to Trump’s $500-billion-maybe-well-probably-less Stargate project. Add in the fact that DeepSeek just wiped $1 trillion off the industry with a cheaper competitor, and the cracks in AI’s golden facade are starting to show.
Between hallucinations, cybersecurity concerns, and underwhelming productivity gains, Nadella’s remarks might be Microsoft’s way of managing expectations before investors realize the AI boom isn’t quite booming.
If you have some time, I highly recommend listening to Ed Zitron's recent appearance on the Factually! Podcast, where he pulls the curtain back on the AI bubble, here.
📄 Read Article (Source: Futurism)
The Big Healthcare Startup Buyers Have Left the Building
The healthcare M&A market isn’t bouncing back the way startups had hoped. Big Tech, retailers, and insurers are hesitant to spend, thanks to past losses, regulatory scrutiny, and changing priorities.
Amazon, Walgreens, and CVS Health have either scaled back or struggled with their healthcare bets, while private equity firms are focused on safer, more profitable acquisitions. With fewer deep-pocketed buyers, many healthcare startups are slashing valuations or merging with peers just to survive.
Looks like AI can do everything except close a deal. 🤷🏻♂️
📄 Read Article (Source: Business Insider)
FDA Declares Semaglutide Shortage Over, Spelling End to Compounded GLP-1 Market, For Now
The FDA has officially declared the semaglutide shortage over, meaning compounding pharmacies will no longer be allowed to produce and distribute compounded versions of the drug, which had been a lower-cost alternative to branded weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. The FDA is giving compounders until April or May to phase out production.
This move is a 1-2 punch to all telehealth companies and pharmacies that have built a business around selling compounded GLP-1 medications. The ripple effect is already being felt, as hims & hers announced that they're discontinuing the production of their GLP-1 compound to the tune of a 27% stock nosedive.
Availability was only part of the issue with GLP-1's. The FDA’s decision doesn’t really account for the millions of patients who relied on compounded versions due to the high cost of the branded drugs, which can exceed $1,000 per month. That's equivalent to a carton of eggs these days!
Amidst all this, Eli Lilly and Company announced they'll be making Zepbound vials cheaper for self-paying patients.
📄 Read Article (Source: Fierce Healthcare)
House Republicans Pass Budget Resolution, Clearing a Key Early Test for Trump Agenda
House Republicans just squeaked through a budget framework that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in spending cuts - a key step in advancing Trump’s agenda.
However, the healthcare community isn’t particularly happy, especially with the potential Medicaid cuts that could hurt low-income and disabled Americans. As the father of a disabled child who relies on Medicaid, I understand these concerns all too well.
What's next? The House and Senate must come together to hammer out the final details, setting the stage for more political battles ahead.
📄 Read Article (Source: NPR)
The Latest from Grippi Media
Recent articles and videos from the Grippi Media team
There are two ways to get attention in B2B marketing: rent it or own it.
Renting is easy - just throw money at ads and PR.
But if you don’t own the channel, you don’t control the rules.
That’s why smart B2B marketing teams are shifting to owned media to cut out the middlemen and build direct connections with their audience.
According to Content Marketing Institute, in 2025, 91% of B2B marketers are investing in owned media, with 46% ramping up their spending.
In my latest video for Grippi Media, I break down what owned media is, why B2B marketers are betting big on it, and how you can use it to break through without breaking the bank.
Featuring real-world examples from:
👉 Out-Of-Pocket
👉 Amazon Web Services (AWS)
👉 Aidoc
👉 Pendo.io
Our Latest Podcasts
Recent episodes of the podcasts that we produce.
Making Value-Based Care More Efficient with AI
Value-based care is a great concept, providers get paid to keep patients healthy rather than just for treating them when they’re sick.
But it’s not easy, and the results don’t always meet the potential.
Can technology and AI help?
In this episode of the HealthBiz Podcast, host David E. Williams speaks with Jay Ackerman, CEO of Reveleer on how AI can automate time-consuming tasks, streamline fragmented workflows, and consolidate critical risk adjustment to improve value-based care.
Programming Biology to Revolutionize Drug Discovery with Tharindi Hapuarachchi from Generate: Biomedicines
The convergence of artificial intelligence and biological engineering is ushering in a new era of drug design.
On this episode of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Health Innovation Podcast, Sanjit Misra speaks with Tharindi Hapuarachchi, PhD, VP of Platform Strategy & Operations at Generate:Biomedicines, about their groundbreaking work in generative biology.
Through their innovative platform, they're revolutionizing how we design therapeutic proteins, bringing unprecedented speed and precision to drug development.
What We’re Listening To
New music that has been inspiring us.
Sam Fender - People Watching
Sam Fender sort of sounds like the modern day Bruce Springsteen...if Bruce Springsteen was British and made better music. I was never a fan (sorry not sorry).
Each song stands on its own like a chapter in an anthology of heavy stories, ranging from the apocalypse to growing older and powering through breakups. What I love about this record is how it unravels in a controlled yet organic fashion. There’s a perfect balance of push and pull, tension and release, that elevates the expert songwriting and production, making every moment hit with precision.
Judging by what has been rolled out so far this year, People Watching may wind up being one of the best releases of 2025.
Thanks for reading! See you next week! 👋
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