DECODE - July 17, 2025
READ
What Nextdoor’s Redesign Says About the Publishing Landscape (Adweek)
Nextdoor’s major redesign transforms the app into a local-first utility with real-time alerts, curated news and AI-powered recommendations, focusing less on features in favor of overall functionality. The move aligns with how users want to engage: with purpose. Jessica Giles, Managing Director of Code and Theory’s Media Experience Practice, says Nextdoor’s transformation reflects a few major trends in the marketplace. “It all ladders up to something bigger — people are craving tools that feel useful, personal and real.” Read the article.
From The Beach Boys to Charlie XCX: The 10 Best Summer Album Covers (MUSE BY CLIOS)
Summer has a sound and a look. From Surfin’ Safari to Brat, these 10 album covers defined both. Code and Theory Chief Communications Officer Kenneth Hein unpacks the visual language of summer hits across decades, revealing how Sublime's posthumous success, the Eagles’ sinister hotel shoot and even a censored cherub defined decades of warm-weather memories. Read the article.
Developers: Here’s the Key to AI Integration (For Breakfast)
“LLMs may generate responses — but only developers can shape, integrate and scale them into business-critical systems,” says Yann Caloghiris, Executive Director, Creative, Strategy and Innovation at Left Field Labs. From partnering with myCOI to build illumend, an AI-first product transforming certificate verification that cuts compliance review times, to live stage demos with Qualcomm at Snapdragon Summit, Caloghiris shares why developers aren’t just implementers, but the bridge between possibility and product. “The companies that understand this will build an AI advantage.” Read the article.
Why OpenAI, Google and Meta Are Racing to Control the Next Browser (The Drum)
The AI browser wars are here. As OpenAI, Google and Meta race to own the next generation of online navigation, AI agents are quickly becoming the interface, not the assistant. Code and Theory Chief Creative Officer Craig Elimeliah shares why brands must rethink discoverability, credibility and content designed for machines. “When AI becomes the interface, traditional marketing tactics don’t matter, if the model skips past them. What matters is how clearly, consistently and credibly your brand shows up in the data the model learns from.”Read the article.
FAKE FACTS
Severance’s 27 Emmy nominations remind us that the real suspense is hitting “reply all” by mistake.
Marketers say back-to-school ads are designed to remind parents they have zero control over time.
WATCH
On the Road Again: How to Create a Global Brand (Sport Beach)
Dan joined former NBA star Carmelo Anthony and Marriott International CEO Tony Capuano to discuss what going global really means. From Melo’s take that basketball beats tennis in terms of athleticism (sorry, Andy Roddick) to robot-hosted wine tastings, the panel mixed humor with hard truths. The takeaway: AI isn’t just a tool — it’s reshaping how we move, connect and feel seen worldwide. Watch the video.