New Book by Patrick Gilbert
Never Always,
Never Never.
Strategic Marketing in an AI World
The playbook that built most digital marketing careers is falling apart. This book is about what comes next — and why strategy, not tactics, is what separates the marketers who thrive from those who get left behind.
The old playbook is broken.
The platform tricks, targeting hacks, and optimization shortcuts that once drove easy returns have been commoditized. AI is accelerating the gap between marketers who have real strategy and those who've been getting by without it. Most of what the industry believes about loyalty, targeting, and funnel optimization is either incomplete or flat-out wrong.
Never Always, Never Never puts strategy back at the center — and shows you how AI changes who gets to be effective at it.
Praise for Never Always, Never Never
“Perfectly timed for the AI era, Patrick Gilbert offers a breath of reason while challenging us to shed outdated assumptions about how we reach our customers. It is a deeply researched dive into the fundamentals that still matter and a guide to using AI for long-term strategic growth. A vital read for any marketer who refuses to rest on yesterday's wins.”
— Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Product Liaison
“Tactics change…constantly. Channels are always in flux. Consumer motivation is as fickle as the consumers themselves. Culture never sits still. And now AI. The one constant is strategy…..because it's never static…..evolves as the market does and is limited by nothing except your imagination. My good friend and colleague Patrick makes the case….teaches the lesson…..provides the roadmap and thrown in an AI tutor to boot. This book is a must!”
— David Sable, Vice Chairman, Stagwell; Former Senior Advisor, WPP; Former Global CEO, Young & Rubicam
“We talk about moats in the age of AI; the protective scaffolding businesses must build to thrive. Refined human intuition is one such moat. So is sophisticated taste, expert judgment, and deep consumer empathy. Patrick's content isn't just AI training — he teaches you how to build your personal and professional moat with the accessibility few authors can match. It's time to fortify your moat, and it starts with this book.”
— Isaac Rudansky, CEO, AdVenture Media
“I hope my direct competition never finds this book — because I don't want them to discover the same value I did. This is one of those truly paradigm-shifting reads: exceptional at tying the past to the future of digital marketing. Patrick doesn't leave the reader in the theoretical; he dives into the practical with specific things to implement and real-life case studies. This book will help shape the future of our industry.”
— Kirk Williams, Owner, ZATO Marketing; World's 3rd Most Influential PPC Expert
Amazon #1
Bestseller — Join or Die
Top 5
Most Influential PPC Expert — PPC Hero
Training material citations
Included with the Book
An AI companion that reads with you.
Every chapter includes a QR code that opens a conversation with an AI agent trained on the book's ideas. Ask follow-up questions, explore frameworks, challenge the arguments, or apply concepts to your own business.
This isn't a generic chatbot. It knows the book chapter by chapter and is designed to extend the reading experience, not replace it.
Try the CompanionLiving Portfolio
What we're building right now.
AI Strategist
An AI agent grounded in the book's frameworks that lets readers explore and apply the ideas.
Automated ROAS Bridge Analysis
Decomposes performance changes into CPC, CVR, and AOV contributions automatically.
Creative Intelligence System
AI-powered analysis of ad creative performance with winner/loser breakdowns and recommendations.
About the Author
Patrick Gilbert
Patrick has spent over a decade at the intersection of marketing strategy and emerging technology. His first book, Join or Die, became an Amazon bestseller and is cited in Google's own training materials. He's delivered keynotes across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and serves as CEO of AdVenture Media, a digital marketing agency based in New York.
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Available in paperback, hardcover, and ebook.