<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[MarketAPeel]]></title><description><![CDATA[We help brands define their stories and tell them to the marketplace by creating everything from a tweet to a book. ]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:33:40 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.marketapeel.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Brand Sovereignty: The Brand Assets Canada Keeps Losing but Does it Matter?]]></title><description><![CDATA[ An investigative series examining Canadian brands shaped by foreign acquisition, private equity extraction, policy failure, and strategic mismanagement. From HBC to Crown Royal to MEC, here is what brand sovereignty means, and what it costs when we lose it.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/brand-sovereignty-the-brand-assets-canada-keeps-losing-but-does-it-matter</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3476194ee6c699ede683e4</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Storytelling ]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:29:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_d6c13455f49e452998e04e2204447c19~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is SEO Dead? What Brands Need to Know About Traffic in the Age of AI GEO]]></title><description><![CDATA[Did AI kill SEO, are all the websites dead. Are they all going to be modern day ghost towns? let's look at AI and if it will steal content without giving back or will be a partnership.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/is-seo-dead-what-businesses-need-to-know-about-getting-traffic-in-the-age-of-ai</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a03f01a68a3e7adcb144dde</guid><category><![CDATA[Search Marketing]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 05:25:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_3e94fc38f9a84b09b97db04c02a5f0a9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How Small Business Teams Can Craft Better Pitches and Marketing That Win]]></title><description><![CDATA[Small business teams often juggle sales calls, social posts, and referrals, making consistent messaging a challenge. The 6‑Part Message Builder provides a clear framework: define the audience snapshot, sharpen the value proposition, tell a three‑beat story, match objections with social proof, repurpose content formats, and run a quick clarity check. Paired with stronger business skills and a simple test‑and‑improve loop, teams can refine pitches, lock in what works, and update templates.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/how-small-business-teams-can-craft-better-pitches-and-marketing-that-win</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4d8b6200be0c70495601c0</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Storytelling ]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 07 Jul 2026 23:39:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1e9354_1f0e6aac7e31496d8d24d5a33722afda~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_853,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>hbauer34</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why User Experience Matters More Than Ever in Digital Marketing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Digital marketing has evolved dramatically over the last decade. Businesses are no longer competing solely on price, products, or advertising budgets. Today, user experience (UX) plays a critical role in determining whether a brand succeeds online or loses potential customers to competitors. Consumers expect fast, seamless, and personalized experiences across websites, mobile apps, social media platforms, and online stores. If a website is slow, confusing, or difficult to navigate, users are...]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/why-user-experience-matters-more-than-ever-in-digital-marketing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3e10d743356881844ad459</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 05:43:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0fb07a_adb6527926c4478bb7c303de0a4e4778~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Bangs Alvarez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hockey Night in Canada: What Happens When the Platform Outgrows the Brand It Built]]></title><description><![CDATA[CBC and Rogers Sportsnet issued a joint statement, NHL is off CBC and living behind a paywall. But does that mean Hockey Night in Canada is Over?]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/hockey-night-in-canada-what-happens-when-the-platform-outgrows-the-brand-it-built</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a399c04bc774dc6e46ef672</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:35:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_4414717336884f31a82bb68c4cb699d8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Edmonton Oilers and the Price of Brand Sovereignty ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Oilers were never a brand Edmonton adopted. The fans made them and they believed they owned them not the owner.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/the-edmonton-oilers-and-the-price-of-brand-sovereignty</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a36f30091a8121cb984d35e</guid><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 21:02:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_72866bd952b44b5d8f371d0f836336a8~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The RONA Story: "Truly Canadian" Again. Will the Contractors Walk Back In?]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Shannon Peel | Brand Narrative Builder This is the story of RONA, a brand born out of defiance, built through decades of trust, stripped of its identity by a US giant, and is now trying to remember what made it matter to Canadian shoppers in the first place. Pull up a chair. It Started as a Fight The year was 1939. A group of roughly 30 independent hardware store owners in Quebec were being squeezed by a monopoly that controlled their access to supplies. They had two choices: compete alone...]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/the-rona-story-truly-canadian-no-longer-true-nor-canadian</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a274881750b8b39abbec043</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 04:52:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_a41554c2b6064e46aa5e2ae1ffa34ddd~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[WestJet Changed the Brand Promise, They Forgot to tell their Customers]]></title><description><![CDATA[Western Canadians loved WestJet. but then WestJet changed the brand promise and customers noticed. This is the story of how WestJet became just another airline after it had been a spectacular one.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/westjet-changed-the-brand-promise-they-forgot-to-tell-their-customers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3461844ee6c699ede64146</guid><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 22:03:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_7a5c6c4c1d014cdca02ecfb308208430~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Slack: When You Grow So Big the Sharks Come for You]]></title><description><![CDATA[The trouble with building something people love is that larger, better-resourced companies notice. And Microsoft noticed.

]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/slack-when-you-grow-so-big-the-sharks-come-for-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a264c2d21d97bda36222010</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 04:03:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_773def814573429aa036bb0ec2d8eaef~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The MEC Story: What Happens When a Brand gets a Second Chance]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every brand has a story. The best ones start with a problem, a purpose, and people who care deeply about both. Mountain Equipment Co-op had all three. What happened next is a masterclass in what goes wrong when a brand drifts from its identity, and what it takes to find its way back.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/the-mec-story-what-happens-when-a-brand-gets-a-second-chance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a263b782a2229e8e5a9a25d</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 03:49:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_ed4202f9e74747fd86ff29088fe20395~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Future Shop had No Future once Best Buy Bought it]]></title><description><![CDATA[The story of Future Shop is a story about a scrappy Canadian brand built from scratch by an Iranian immigrant, sold to its biggest incoming competitor at what looked like a moment of strength, and then slowly absorbed until it ceased to exist. The central question this article examines: Was selling to a U.S. competitor the act that killed the Canadian brand? And if so, could Canadian law have stopped it, and should it have?]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/why-future-shop-had-no-future-once-best-buy-bought-it</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a25ce89bcf454bfefd94a34</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 07 Jun 2026 22:40:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_698b40446ff6438dad2ce87ed2fe9576~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is Tim Hortons Still a Canadian Icon?]]></title><description><![CDATA[When Wendy's International acquired Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons never claimed to be Canada's coffee brand of choice.  Then Wendy's changed the Brand story and created Brand Sovereignty]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/is-tim-hortons-still-a-canadian-icon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a21177a800e2e1c2bb673e2</guid><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:46:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_700fc9c87e2b4b6ea55a3ef8750ab988~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How an American Bankrupted the Hudson Bay Company ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Bay covered everything. Hatch, match, dispatch. Then it's brand sovereignty was destroyed when an american funnelled off its wealth]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/how-an-american-bankrupted-the-hudson-bay-company</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a378c6bbfacb36e35442736</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_1ab67eb92dd4464d9514cee79b56b9a1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Crown Royal: Crafted for a King, Abandoned by a Corporation, and the Trade War That Gave Them Cover]]></title><description><![CDATA[The trade war did not cause Diageo to abandon Crown Royal's Canadian manufacturing. The internal decisions were made two years before the first tariff. Here is the full story — from Samuel Bronfman's 600 blends to the empty field in Lambton County.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/crown-royal-crafted-for-a-king-abandoned-by-a-corporation-and-the-trade-war-that-gave-them-cover</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1c9670b1e07a04572f92e7</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 21:52:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_a2522fce58764180bf84cb83eb8365e1~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bick's Pickles: A Canadian Brand Story Killed Before Tariffs]]></title><description><![CDATA[Since June 2025, Bick's Pickles have been disappearing from Canadian retailers. At Safeway stores in Edmonton, a sign on the shelf reads: "Bick's pickles are currently unavailable as an unfortunate impact of tariffs." Sobeys has delisted the brand entirely. The CEO of Treehouse Foods — the American company that now owns the Bick's brand, confirmed that retailers told him the 25% Canadian counter-tariff makes them "just too expensive, frankly" to stock.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/bick-s-pickles-a-canadian-brand-story-killed-before-tariffs</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a178b72a7aaf20e8c53a742</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Stories]]></category><category><![CDATA[Economic Trends]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:47:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_352438ae4d4b4f9ea19a1024c3c7c263~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_600,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[AI Content Marketing Without a System is a FAIL]]></title><description><![CDATA[by Shannon Peel | Narrative Strategist | Founder, MarketAPeel I have been building content with AI tools for over a year now. Blog posts, LinkedIn articles, economic analysis, brand narratives, video transcripts turned into fully researched pieces. I have used Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and a rotating cast of supporting tools to produce more content in the past twelve months than I produced in the previous five years combined. So when I see AI-generated articles about AI content marketing,...]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/ai-content-marketing-without-a-system-is-a-fail</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a18889534554029974fd1fa</guid><category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category><category><![CDATA[Brand Storytelling ]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 18:39:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9abd6dedb6ab4bfc91ab9034d9538ec2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Canada's Investment Crisis: Five Governments Over Thirty Years Watched the Money Leave]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shannon Peel | Narrative Strategist | Founder, MarketAPeel* Canada is technically in a recession. Two consecutive quarters of negative annualized GDP growth, minus one percent in Q4 2025 and minus 0.1 percent in Q1 2026. Politicians are arguing about who caused it. Economists are arguing about whether it even qualifies as a real recession. The problem is Canadians Investing outside of Canada The GDP number is a lagging indicator. It tells you what already happened. The number that tells you...]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/canada-s-investment-crisis-five-governments-over-thirty-years-watched-the-money-leave</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1fa3ebae0d73d1087fbef4</guid><category><![CDATA[Economic Trends]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 04:20:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_dafbafcdc84a421c89a36df6b902b695~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Website Traffic in the Age of AI: What Works, What Is Dead, and What to Do]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every business owner and marketing team is sitting with creeping anxiety about website traffic in the age of ai. If people are getting their answers from ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity instead of clicking through Google results, what exactly is the point of online marketing anymore?



The uncomfortable answer is: the point has changed. Not disappeared. The businesses that understand the new rules are quietly building an enormous advantage over those still playing the old game.]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/website-traffic-in-the-age-of-ai-what-works-what-is-dead-and-what-to-do</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a08aee0b5a26725fc91658d</guid><category><![CDATA[Search Marketing]]></category><pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 05:22:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/4675d03a382547e09fef2f23abecb65f.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why Enterprise AI Needs Better Storytelling]]></title><description><![CDATA[Enterprise AI buyers are not afraid of the technology. They are afraid of being the person who approved something that failed publicly, cost millions, or created a compliance nightmare. Why? Because a bad decision will affect their reputation within the organization resulting in their career advancement becoming limited. 

]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/why-enterprise-ai-needs-better-storytelling</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ff929eecab90113754b4cb</guid><category><![CDATA[Brand Storytelling ]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 20:20:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_72f0aa7517804cc191f63542da280081~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What If There Is No Canada-US Trade Deal? The CUSMA Reality Every Canadian Business Needs to Understand]]></title><description><![CDATA[CUSMA, the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, is now heading into its mandatory July 2026 review. This is the question on every Canadian business leader's mind:What happens if talks fall apart? Does CUSMA end? Can Trump pull the plug unilaterally? And what does that mean for Canadian businesses?]]></description><link>https://www.marketapeel.com/post/what-if-there-is-no-canada-us-trade-deal-the-cusma-reality</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0a2e64df43effc8ce2e145</guid><category><![CDATA[Economic Trends]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 22:00:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f33fba_b5a6446c294548749496c822e5a213cd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_934,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Shannon Peel</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>