Field Notes

Notes from the field

Co-op money, platform economics and the consolidation, written plainly for the people who run the programs.

The math · Aug 5, 2026

Rent vs own: the math of marketing platform ownership

A worked example, the honest cases where renting wins, and the number to run before any renewal.

Field guide · Aug 5, 2026

The five questions to ask at your next platform QBR

Bring these. Watch which ones get a slide and which get a follow-up email.

Buying guide · Aug 5, 2026

MDF management software: what to actually require in 2027

The RFP templates floating around this category were written for 2015. Here is the bar now.

Migration · Aug 5, 2026

SproutLoud customers: your platform changed owners. Now what?

SproutLoud was acquired by Ansira in July 2024 and is being folded into a unified platform. A checklist for program owners watching it happen.

Migration · Aug 5, 2026

BrandMuscle is becoming Ansira: what customers should know

The acquisition closed in July 2024 and the platforms are being unified. If you run a program on BrandMuscle, the next replatforming decision is already on your calendar.

Pricing · Aug 5, 2026

Ansira pricing, explained

There is no public price list. Here is how licensing in this category generally works, and the questions that surface the real number.

Explainer · Aug 5, 2026

Co-op marketing software, explained

What the platforms actually do, who licenses them, and the ownership question nobody asks in the demo.

Co-op funds · Aug 5, 2026

The co-op billions nobody spends

Somewhere between $14 billion and $35 billion in co-op funds goes unclaimed every year. It is not a mystery. It is a workflow problem.

Field notes, by email

One useful piece at a time. No drip sequence.