The Grip is a newsletter that compiles essential news and insights for bold healthcare marketers, brought to you by Grippi Media.
CRM giants, Salesforce and HubSpot are betting big on AI agents, fueling hype around what's being called the "third wave of the AI revolution."
Their words. Not mine.
These AI agents, powered by large language models (LLMs), are built to autonomously manage a wide range of marketing, sales, and customer support tasks—all with minimal human involvement.
Sounds impressive. But can AI agents live up to the buzz?
In issue 17 of The Grip, we’ll break down whether AI agents are just another cash grab from software giants riding the AI wave—or if marketers should really be watching their backs.
Other stories from this issue include:
👉 OpenAI Executives Exit as C.E.O. Works to Make the Company For-Profit
👉 Why Fractional CMOs are Being Tapped for Evaluations of Marketing Teams
👉 Here's What You Can Expect of ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode
👉 WordPress Bans Thousands Of WP Engine Customers
👉 Four Reasons You Can’t Ignore Branded SEO in 2025
👉 Battle of the Budget: Employers vs. Rising Healthcare Costs
👉 Up Against a 'Ghost Network' for Mental Health Care? Here's What You Can Do
All this and much more in issue 17 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: Do Bubble Machines Stop Mosquitos?
Avg. Monthly Search Volume: 1,900
Answer: Yes, I took the time to look this up myself. No, a bubble machine is not an effective mosquito repellent.
Top Stories We’re Tracking
Essential marketing and healthcare headlines of the week.
Is the AI Agent Hype Just Gen-AI All Over Again?
Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft have recently announced their commitment to AI agents, positioning them as "the next big thing."
These autonomous systems are designed to manage various marketing, sales, and customer service tasks with minimal human involvement, from handling customer inquiries to running personalized campaigns. The promise is that AI agents will streamline operations and boost productivity.
However, there’s skepticism about just how effective these AI agents will be. With AI still feeling like it’s in perpetual beta-mode, handing over critical marketing workflows to autonomous systems could be very risky.
Some proponents argue that these agents will enhance productivity and take on mundane tasks, enabling marketers to focus on more impactful ones. But many marketers are doubtful that "freeing up their time" is the true end game here. There are many concerns about the possible over-reliance on automation and the risk of job displacement. With Hubspot using language like "increase your team's productivity without expanding your staff," it's not hard to see why.
So, will AI agents replace marketing teams? Like most things with AI, the answer is: ‘The technology isn’t quite there yet, but give it a few years.’ However, getting AI agents to fully live up to their potential will come with a hefty price tag, likely much more than paying human workers...for now, at least.
If these systems do manage to replace human marketers, who will be left to purchase and manage them? Whoever it is, let's hope their title isn't as silly as "prompt engineer."
📄 Read Article (Source: Smart Company)
WordPress Bans Thousands Of WP Engine Customers
WordPress has banned WP Engine, a managed web hosting service, from adding or updating plugins and themes, affecting thousands of websites.
This decision came after WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg accused WP Engine of trademark infringement and demanded compensation. When WP Engine failed to comply by a set deadline, Mullenweg publicly announced the ban, causing significant disruption for WP Engine users. The ban has sparked widespread criticism, especially on social media.
As of the time of this writing, nothing is being done to resolve this situation.
📄 Read Article (Source: Search Engine Journal)
Four Reasons You Can’t Ignore Branded SEO in 2025
Branded SEO is a valuable, yet underused opportunity, as many SEOs tend to ignore branded traffic, focusing more on generic search queries. However, branded search queries represent significant potential, influencing how middle-of-the-funnel users perceive your brand and potentially building long-term customer relationships.
Search engines like Google measure brand strength using factors such as branded search queries, brand engagement metrics, and an understanding of the brand entity. Branded searches serve as “implied links” that signal trust, similar to how backlinks work, boosting a brand's authority in search results.
To optimize branded SEO, marketers need to educate Google about their brand by creating content that highlights brand-specific search queries and brand engagement.
Monitoring branded keywords, user interactions, and engagement metrics can offer key insights into how your brand is perceived, allowing you to adjust your strategy and improve your online presence.
📄 Read Article (Source: Search Engine Journal)
Why Fractional CMOs are Being Tapped for Evaluations of Marketing Teams
The rise of fractional executives, particularly fractional CMOs, reflects a growing need for flexible leadership in marketing. These part-time CMOs not only oversee daily marketing operations but also evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of existing marketing teams and vendors.
Their impartial perspective helps companies, often early-stage firms with limited resources, identify growth opportunities and improve strategies.
With many full-time CMOs experiencing high turnover, fractional CMOs provide proven talent to navigate challenges and maintain momentum, utilizing their diverse experiences to effectively guide companies through transitions, product launches, or market expansions.
📄 Read Article (Source: Digiday)
OpenAI Executives Exit as C.E.O. Works to Make the Company For-Profit
Mira Murati, OpenAI's chief technology officer, announced her departure after over six years, aiming to create space for personal exploration while ensuring a smooth transition for the company.
This announcement came shortly after the resignations of chief research officer Bob McGrew and vice president of research Barret Zoph, as OpenAI transitions toward becoming a traditional for-profit entity under CEO Sam Altman.
The company, originally founded as a nonprofit in 2015, is seeking to capitalize on its enhanced brand equity and is in talks for a new investment round that could value it at $150 billion, despite facing significant financial challenges with costs surpassing revenue.
From the start, OpenAI's strategy has been to leverage its nonprofit status to gain access to a wide array of copyrighted material to train its large language models (LLMs). It seemed inevitable that OpenAI would transition to a for-profit model once it reached a certain scale.
Amidst recent executive exits, including the notable departure of several founding members, OpenAI has sought to stabilize its leadership and expand its workforce.
The company has hired experienced executives while emphasizing the safety and innovation of its AI technologies, even as it grapples with maintaining a cohesive research team. With the remaining founders dwindling and key personnel leaving, OpenAI's identity is rapidly transforming.
📄 Read Article (Source: The New York Times)
Here's What You Can Expect of ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode
OpenAI has begun rolling out its Advanced Voice Mode for ChatGPT, initially showcased in May, to ChatGPT Plus and Team users this week, with plans to extend access to Enterprise and Edu users soon.
This feature, powered by GPT-4o, allows for natural, real-time conversations that can be interrupted at any time, responding to users' emotions. While the voice capabilities are impressive and entertaining, providing a more human-like interaction than typical voice assistants, there are still limitations to address.
Early reviews suggest that while Advanced Voice Mode offers a captivating experience, it still feels like it’s in a beta phase. Users report that the chatbot sometimes struggles with response accuracy and engagement, occasionally going off-topic or losing track of the conversation.
The technology isn’t quite there yet, but give it a few years.
📄 Read Article (Source: Business Insider)
Battle of the Budget: Employers vs. Rising Healthcare Costs
As businesses navigate the budget planning season, they face the challenge of rising healthcare costs, projected to increase by 8% by 2025, according to the Business Group on Health. This rise in expenses places significant pressure on employers to effectively manage their budgets while ensuring employee health and well-being.
In response, employers are employing various strategies to tackle these complexities, including innovative cost-saving measures and simplifying the healthcare navigation process.
The ongoing struggle to balance quality care with cost considerations highlights the need for actionable insights into the latest healthcare solutions, such as emerging treatments and regulatory advancements, making it essential to explore the intricacies of this evolving landscape.
📄 Read Article (Source: MedCity News)
Up Against a 'Ghost Network' for Mental Health Care? Here's What You Can Do
Ghost networks are a significant issue in healthcare, arising when insurance provider directories contain outdated or inaccurate information about available healthcare providers.
These errors can result from providers retiring, moving, or leaving networks due to low compensation, leaving policyholders misled about their options.
Consequently, individuals seeking care, particularly for mental health, may face delays, increased out-of-network costs, or may struggle to find appropriate treatment altogether, as highlighted by recent investigations.
The persistence of ghost networks stems from insurers' insufficient efforts to maintain accurate directories, often leading to dire consequences for patients.
While some insurers have acknowledged the problem, experts emphasize the need for stronger regulatory oversight and more robust accountability measures.
📄 Read Article (Source: NPR)
Our Latest Podcasts
Recent episodes of the podcasts that we produce.
Overcoming Blind Spots in Modern Medicine
Blind spots in our thinking and decision-making are an inevitable part of the human experience.
But what does this mean in the context of medicine?
According to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, diagnostic errors stemming from these blind spots contribute to 6 to 17 percent of adverse hospital events.
These blind spots have led to significant crises, including the opioid epidemic, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and other major issues.
In this episode of CareTalk Podcast: Healthcare. Unfiltered., David E. Williams and John Driscoll explore these challenges with guest Dr. Marty Makary M.D., M.P.H., author of Blind Spots, delving into our natural resistance to new ideas, the impact of these tendencies on healthcare, and strategies for addressing blind spots in modern medicine.
How Weave Helps Small Practices Grow Faster
Small medical practices are competing and often losing to the giants of the healthcare industry.
But what if AI could give them an edge?
The American Medical Association reports that 56% of doctors believe AI would improve care coordination, patient convenience, and patient safety.
In this HealthBiz Brief, Weave CEO Brett White discusses how they are innovating AI for medical practitioners to attract, engage, and retain customers while competitively driving business growth.
Improving Lab Workflows with Robotics and AI, Mostafa ElSayed of Automata
Tune in to the latest AWS Health Innovation Podcast, where Yin He chats with Mostafa ElSayed, Co-founder & CEO of Automata, about how the LINQ platform is revolutionizing labs with robot-enabled workstations, cloud-based workflows, and cutting-edge automation.
They also dive into how LINQ is streamlining drug discovery, the inspiration behind Automata’s innovation, and the future of lab automation and drug discovery.
What We’re Listening To
New music that has been inspiring us.
Vincent's Pick: Nala Sinephro - Endlessness
You don’t just listen to this album—you experience it. Sinephro’s sophomore release feels like a psychedelic jazz daydream: moody, hypnotic, and beautifully abstract. The compositions seamlessly shift from tight and intricate to expansive and free-flowing, yet every note feels intentional. This is definitely one of my favorite releases of 2024 so far.
Sal's Pick: Khruangbin - A LA SALA
"A LA SALA," meaning "to the living room," is a collection of unreleased recordings and beat loops harkening back to Khruangbin's early days. Their tracks reflect their early influences of ’70s psych rock and funk, along with their usual global inspirations. This album adopts a more minimalistic approach, featuring fewer spacey synths and vocals while embracing a slimmed-down tone. By stripping down their signature genre-bending style, Khruangbin crafts a compact, imaginative soundscape that’s easy to get lost in.
Don't forget to check out our 2024 Digital Health Inbound Marketing Report:
Thanks for reading! See you next week! 👋
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