The rise of artificial mediocrity, and how to avoid becoming part of it.

In a time of holding company “mergers,” there’s a lot to be said about how unattainably expensive these companies have made decent marketing talent, as well as the day-to-day financial incentives of these conglomerates. (Brands, are you really being served?) But, that’s for another and more pugnacious day.

Let’s skip the fanboy arguments and get straight to it: Webflow and WordPress are both great tools. Each has its strengths. Each has its place. And at Nephew, we don’t pick favorites, we pick what works. This isn’t about platform loyalty. It’s about building the right solution for the right client. So here’s how we think about it.

There’s a moment every small business hits. It’s when the logo your cousin made in Photoshop stops feeling cute.
When your Instagram feed starts to blend into the noise.
When Canva isn’t saving you time, it’s costing you credibility. That’s the line between DIY and done-right.

Small businesses don’t have Fortune 500 budgets. But the good news? You don’t need them. Looking polished, professional and downright bigger than you are comes down to smart choices, not blank checks. Here’s how to stretch a dollar without looking stretched thin:

Let’s get one thing straight: AI isn’t coming for your job. But it might be gunning for your inbox. That’s because tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and a thousand others can now whip up headlines, draft emails, generate images, and even plan your content calendar. It’s fast. It’s cheap. And sometimes, it’s scarily good. But here’s the thing: AI is your intern, not your strategist.

The sky did not fall. It just got cloudy. Safari and Firefox have blocked cross‑site tracking for years. In April 2025, Chrome chose to keep third‑party cookies as a user choice inside Settings instead of forcing a new prompt. Privacy Sandbox tech still exists, but its role is shifting. Translation; stop planning for a dramatic switch‑off and start planning for uneven reality across browsers.

There’s a moment every small business hits. It’s when the logo your cousin made in Photoshop stops feeling cute.
When your Instagram feed starts to blend into the noise.
When Canva isn’t saving you time, it’s costing you credibility. That’s the line between DIY and done-right.

A brand isn’t just your logo. Or your color palette. Or the moodboard you pinned during that one chaotic Canva binge. Those are assets, tools. Your brand is the story people tell about your business when you’re not in the room. It’s how your customers feel when they walk through your door, click on your site, or see your name pop up in their feed. It’s the difference between “a salon” and my salon. Between “a dispensary” and my go-to spot. Between existing and being remembered.