Walker Smith
Vancouver
Marketing Ops Lead at Iterative.is, Fixer @ lululemon athletica's GEC. Raconteur. Need some ideas? I have them.
Articles by Walker Smith
Waldo hosts 2nd annual Sweet Potato Festival
The second annual Sweet Potato Festival took place in Waldo on Sept. 12. The community event hosted more than a dozen local vendors, including Braze Ranch Local Meats, J’s Fish Fry and Tay’s Shaved Ice. The Waldo Museum was also open for tours, featuring archival photos, historical memorabilia and a sweet potato recipe book. Locally grown sweet potatoes were sold at the entrance to the Waldo Community Center.
Why Brands Must Give Consumers More Control
There is a general feeling nowadays that things are out of control. An understatement, perhaps, but not a misstatement. People feel a loss of agency. This is the panic over AI. The alarm being sounded right now is that AI is advancing so fast that we will soon be at its mercy unless we rein it in immediately. The worst-case scenario is said to be human extinction as AI seizes control of our future.
Marketing Has A Problem: Consumers Want Less
We want to stop. To quiet the noise in our heads. To resist the urge and fight the impulse. To walk away without regret and longing. We are in a cultural moment when quieting cravings is the emerging through-line of life. This is a profound pivot from the past. Craving and indulgence have been our commercial and cultural touchstone for decades. Stoking cravings is at the heart of marketing.
Weekly ritual: Women keep bingo tradition alive at VFW Post 2811
Participants compete during a Sunday afternoon bingo game at VFW Post 2811 in Gainesville. Players raise their hands when they believe they have completed a winning pattern on their cards. Photo by Walker Smith Every Sunday afternoon, rain or shine, a group of women gathers to play bingo at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2811 off Waldo Road. Players arrive early to purchase bingo cards starting at $25, make small talk and eventually settle into the same seats they’ve occupied for decades.
AREY’S ANGLE: ST. LAWRENCE RIVER TO BE A SLUGFEST
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships There are, indeed, places in bass fishing where you can make a wrong turn and still catch a few fish. The St. Lawrence River isn’t necessarily one of them. When the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to New York for its upcoming event, anglers will have an almost overwhelming number of decisions to make. Do they stay in the river? Do they run toward Lake Ontario? Do they fish shallow? Do they hunt offshore?
Smith: Port of Harlingen to develop a 600-acre rail site
Transportation Posted Saturday, August 22, 2026 11:31 am We're constantly asked by potential tenants about rail, which has made it very clear it is something we need to take us to the next level.” MCALLEN, Texas - Walker Smith, port director of the Port of Harlingen, gave brief remarks at a South Texas Manufacturers Association luncheon held at the Double Tree by Hilton in McAllen on Aug. 21. The port is a member of the association.
Time Is The New Battleground For Brands
The one thing we marketers want more than anything else is people’s time. We have all kinds of metrics to track it. Indeed, it’s the thing we track most, more so than spending and usage. We want people to like, follow, share and comment. We want people to notice, remember, recommend and come back. We want people to browse, linger, engage and research. We want to be top-of-mind, in the consideration set and one of the recommendations from AI. We want attention. We want love. We want fans.
AREY’S ANGLE: NO FFS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING AT CHAMPLAIN
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS, Pro Tips By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships Lake Champlain is always one of the most fascinating fisheries on the Bassmaster Elite Series schedule, but this tournament could have an entirely different feel than what anglers have become accustomed to seeing on the sprawling New York-Vermont fishery. The biggest reason? Forward-facing sonar will be off-limits.
Gainesville residents protest tree clear-cutting for new Fire Station 9
Riceland residents protest outside the construction site for Gainesville Fire Station 9 along Archer Road in Gainesville on Wednesday. Neighbors gathered to oppose the clear-cutting of the wooded property, saying the loss of the trees has changed the character of their neighborhood. Photo by Walker Smith Gainesville removed 521 regulated trees overnight for Fire Station 9 construction and will plant 124 native trees, paying a $959,582.87 mitigation fee.
FOTHERGILL WANTS HIS NEXT WIN TO BE THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships At a very young age, Toyota Bonus Bucks pro Easton Fothergill has already accomplished what most professional anglers spend an entire career chasing. The Minnesota native burst onto the national scene with a dominant collegiate career before capturing the coveted 2025 Bassmaster Classic title.
Gainesville back-to-school rally keeps dual role after 27 years
Families packed the Santa Fe College gymnasium Saturday morning for the 27th annual Stop the Violence Back-to-School Rally, an event that has become a fixture for many Alachua County families preparing for the start of a new school year. Children weaved through rows of tables grabbing pencils, candy and other school supplies. Amid a frenzy of free bouncy balls and spinning prize wheels, parents spoke with representatives of local nonprofits and community organizations.
How Brands Can Escape AI-Driven Sameness
Bear with me as I wax philosophical. It’s a circuitous path, but it will loop us to AI. So here goes. In his sweeping, turn-of-the-century account of Western culture and ideas since the Enlightenment, From Dawn to Decadence, historian Jacques Barzun used the term decadence to characterize the modern world. He defined it as a “falling off” or the incapacity to do anything more with culture and ideas than recycle the past.
FISCHER FOUND SOMETHING BIGGER THAN TOURNAMENT SUCCESS
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships Success can be a funny thing. For many anglers, reaching the top of a particular discipline would be enough. They’d settle into the comfort of familiarity, continue doing what they’ve proven they can do at an elite level and enjoy the fruits of years of hard work. That, however, has never really been how Team Toyota pro Kristine Fischer is wired.
AI Is A Platform Shift, Not A Brand Advantage
The buzzword in marketing right now is AI. Well, acronym, that is. But either way, AI is all the rage. Every firm of every sort is working hard to incorporate AI into every process, every output and every pitch. It’s AI or bust. It’s not clear if it’s tulips or not, but interest in AI is unprecedented and shows no signs of abating anytime soon. There is no 21st-century business trend that looks like it.
AI Is Not A New Marketing Problem. It Is A New Brand Interface.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about AI is that it is new yet nothing new. AI is certainly new to marketing, and bringing all sorts of new challenges with it, although it may not be as big as headlines would have us believe. Last year, the CMO Survey of the American Marketing Association, conducted in partnership with Duke and Deloitte, found a mere 17.2% of marketers reporting the use of AI to optimize or automate marketing.
NOISE: KEVIN VANDAM ON FISHING’S BRIGHT FUTURE
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships If you spend enough time on social media these days, it’s easy to think bass fishing is caught in a constant debate. Between forward-facing sonar, new lure trends, tournament formats, electronics and rule changes, it can seem overwhelming and even disappointing at times. The conversations can get loud and opinions turn into arguments.
Visual Strategy Is Sales Strategy
Visual communication is now one of the primary ways buyers judge credibility, understand value, compare options, and decide whether a brand deserves attention. In a market crowded with claims, strong visual assets make value tangible. They reduce uncertainty. They show how a product works, how a service performs, how a brand behaves, and whether the promise feels believable. Today, the central question for brands is whether their visual assets are helping buyers move closer to a decision.
Visual Strategy Is Sales Strategy
Visual communication is now one of the primary ways buyers judge credibility, understand value, compare options, and decide whether a brand deserves attention. In a market crowded with claims, strong visual assets make value tangible. They reduce uncertainty. They show how a product works, how a service performs, how a brand behaves, and whether the promise feels believable. Today, the central question for brands is whether their visual assets are helping buyers move closer to a decision.
Brands Must Take The Risk Out Of Buying
The recessionary mindset we see in society and the marketplace is a significant reset of aspirations and expectations, but it is not the explanation for everything. It is, however, a big shift in how consumers are engaging with brands. Consumers have become more vigilant and scrutinizing. Hypervigilance is now the characteristic style of shopping and buying. AI is being used increasingly as a tool for fact-finding, comparisons, evaluations, and recommendations.
AI Has Not Replaced Brand Emotion. It Has Moved It.
AI has put an end to emotions in marketing, we are told. Just look at what LLMs rely on in making brand recommendations. It’s all about facts. Not about emotions. An analysis by Digital Bloom found that comparative listicles are far and away the most-cited content format by LLMs. How-to guides and FAQs were frequently cited as well. Omniscient found that for branded prompts the bulk of LLM citations come from editorial sites, online forums, review sites and directories.
When Brands Market To Algorithms, Not People
When it comes to AI and jobs, Boston University law professor James Bessen defined the terms of the debate in a 2015 paper published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Bessen declared that technologies don’t kill jobs and cited the experience of ATMs and bank tellers as proof that technologies change jobs or evolve jobs, not eliminate them.
CHAOS ON TABLE ROCK: MARK DANIELS JR. BRACES FOR A MOVING TARGET AT REDCREST
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships Mark Daniels Jr. walked off the water after his final practice session with more questions than answers and at Table Rock Lake, that might be the most honest read anyone can give right now. The 2026 Major League Fishing REDCREST is shaping up to be a grinder, not a shootout.
FROM CUT LINE TO CONTENTION: JUSTIN LUCAS TURNS SURVIVAL INTO $4,000 BONUS
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photos: MLF There are some skills related to being a top-level tournament fisherman that only reveal themselves when things go wrong first. For Justin Lucas, that played out in full at the Bass Pro Tour’s Suzuki Marine Stage 4 on O.H. Ivie and Lake Brownwood.
PALANIUK’S BACK-TO-BASICS BATTLE ON THE TENNESSEE-TOMBIGBEE WATERWAY
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photos: Bassmaster There’s a romance to river tournaments you just don’t find anywhere else in professional bass fishing. Current, color changes, backwaters and spawning pockets are all there, layered together in a way that rewards instinct just as much as execution.
How Established FMCG Brands Can Counter Insurgent Brand Threats
Bain publishes a good analysis every year of so-called insurgent brands in the U.S. FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) market. For the past few years, these small brands have captured a disproportionate share of annual growth. This year’s analysis reports that in 2025 insurgent brands accounted for 36% of aggregate growth across all FMCG categories, which seems pretty impressive given that they comprise an aggregate share of less than 2%.
GIANTS BENEATH: MDJ BRACES FOR BREAKOUT AT O.H. IVEY
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorship The Bass Pro Tour doesn’t hand out easy ones and Stage 4 on O.H. Ivey might be one of the most unpredictable events yet. Big-fish factories carry an air of mystery and when you combine fluctuating water levels, spawning transitions and relentless fishing pressure, you get the kind of tournament that rewards instinct over history.
From College Champion to the Classic: Tripp Berlinsky Embraces a Dream Week
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships At just 20-years-young, Tripp Berlinsky is stepping onto bass fishing’s biggest stage with equal parts excitement, disbelief and nerves. The reigning Bassmaster College Series Classic Bracket champion earned his spot in this week’s Bassmaster Classic the hard way, battling through a field of the best collegiate anglers in the country.
FOTHERGILL ISN’T SATISFIED: DEFENDING CHAMP EYES ANOTHER CLASSIC TITLE
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships The spotlight of professional bass fishing once again burns bright now that the Bassmaster Classic returns to Knoxville, Tennessee. With the Tennessee River system serving as the playing field and thousands of passionate fans expected to pack the weigh-ins, the sport’s biggest stage is set for another unforgettable showdown that is the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
How AI Is Reshaping The Consumer–Brand Relationship
Consumers are using AI as a brand hack. Which says as much about consumers as AI. None of which is good for brands absent significant innovation. In the past, there has been an inherent — and exhaustively studied — asymmetry of information, access, and accountability in every sort of exchange, especially the consumer marketplace. One party to an exchange has always known or controlled more than the other party, giving rise to opportunities and risks.
Furman Men’s Basketball Southern Conference Tournament Preview
On Feb. 25, Furman won big against The Citadel (6-11 SoCon) on Senior Night, 72-51. Following a close first half where Furman led 33-31, the Paladins pulled away in the second half with a strong offensive performance, outscoring The Citadel 39-20. The driving factor behind many of Furman’s wins in conference play, rebounding, led them to the decisive win over The Citadel too.
Tennessee Basketball Dominates South Carolina on the Road Without Nate Ament — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
2: Role Players Filled Ament’s Void Without Nate Ament, it was a question of where Tennessee’s offense would come from. The answer? Everywhere. The Vols got scoring contributions from eight different Vols, two of which had 20 or more. On the perimeter, senior Ja’Kobi Gillespie, sophomore Bishop Boswell, and freshman Amari Evans all had five or more points, as well as a season high 8 points from freshman Ethan Burg off the bench.
Tennessee Football Player's Results At NFL Combine — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
CB Jermod McCoy Measurements: 6β1β, 188 lbs, 31 ΒΌβ arms, 9β hands Prospect Grade: 6.37 (Plus Starter) Combine Score: 75 (10th among CBs) Bench Press: 14 reps (6th) CB Colton Hood Measurements: 6β0β, 193 lbs, 31 β
β arms, 9β hands Prospect Grade: 6.38 (Plus Starter Grade) Combine Score: 82 (1st Among CBs) 40-Yard Dash: 4.44 seconds (10th) 10-Yard Dash: 1.58 seconds (12th) Vertical Jump: 40.5β (5th) Broad Jump: 10β 5β (12th)
Nate Ament Injury Leads to Tennessee Basketball Loss Against Alabama — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
1: Nate Ament’s Injury Vols fans felt their collective spirit leave their body with 7:42 left in the first half when Ament and Amari Allen hit the floor for a loose ball. Allen unintentionally rolled up on the back of Ament’s right leg, followed by the freshman writhing in pain on the floor before walking off under his own power. It was gruesome to watch, but he was able to walk off and tried his best to come back in the second half before being shut down for the game.
Tennessee Basketball Loses At Missouri — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
1: Not Capitalizing On Offensive Boards Tennessee is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country and has been on a historic pace all year. Against Mizzou, that trend continued. The Vols outrebounded the Tigers 42-30 with 18 offensive rebounds. That’s the kind of stat you look at, say, “how do you lose a game when you get 18 offensive boards?” You don’t put back on second chances, that’s how.
Tennessee Baseball's Good and Bad Through Two Weeks — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
So, while admittedly it may be too early for judgment, does Josh Elander have problems with this squad? Tennessee had a rough weekend in all three phases of the game. Offensively, they had a .304 on-base percentage during the series, including two games where the lineup hit under .250. Defensively, fielders committed a combined 5 errors in the two loses and pitchers hit 10 batters and had 2 wild pitches in the series. All that to say, very little went right.
The Closing Five: Tennessee Basketball beats Vanderbilt in Nashville — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
1: Winning Ugly There is no doubt that Tennessee did not play its best game at Memorial Gymnasium, but sometimes, when playing a good team, winning when not playing its best is more impressive than winning at its best. It’s the type of growth that fans were begging for just a month ago. “I don’t think we would have won it a month ago,” Barnes said. “When you talk about toughness, it’s not just the physicality part of it, it’s the mental toughness part.
Furman Falls to Top SoCon Seed ETSU, 78-69
Furman lost its second matchup this season against ETSU at home on Wednesday, Feb. 18, and Furman now sits with a 8-7 Southern Conference record. The first game against ETSU (12-3 SoCon) on Feb. 4 saw a dominant Paladin first-half performance. The Paladins held strong until a late ETSU comeback sent the game into overtime, with ETSU winning 75-71. Before this rematch, Furman hoped to build on the momentum from the recent win against Virginia Military Institute, or VMI, (1-14 SoCon) 90-72 on Feb. 14.
Joey Aguilar Gets Preliminary Injunction, Will Play for Tennessee Football in 2026 — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
Aguilar originally filed for a TRO and injunction on Feb. 2, with the hearing originally scheduled for Feb. 6 before both sides agreed to postpone to the following week. He had originally been a plaintiff in the Diego Pavia lawsuit before dropping out of that case and hiring his own lawyer, Cam Norris, who previously represented Tennessee against the NCAA in their 2024 lawsuit.
The Closing Five | Tennessee Basketball beats Oklahoma — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
1: Tennessee Won’t Put Away Teams Early In the Vols' last three games against Mississippi State, LSU, and Oklahoma, all of which aren’t in the top 50 KenPom teams, they’ve allowed teams to hang around much longer than the game dictates. Tennessee gave up a 16-0 at the Bulldogs, kept the Tigers in the game until late, and allowed the Sooners to cut an 18-point deficit to six after allowing a 16-5 run in the second half.
Clear Water, Dirty Secrets: Mark Daniels Jr. Eyes Largemouth Edge at Lake Hartwell
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photo: MLF The red clay banks of Lake Hartwell glow a little different in late winter, when the mornings break cold and gray and the promise of spring rides low across the water. This popular South Carolina reservoir can make a bass fisherman feel equal parts hopeful and humbled. Right now, Team Toyota pro Mark Daniels Jr. admits he’s feeling a touch of both.
Tony Vitello Clarifies Comments Regarding Tennessee Baseball Exit — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
This caused Tennessee faithful to wonder whether someone from the Giants intentionally leaked the report to put unwanted pressure on Vitello, who said that he didn’t want to distract the coaches or players with the drama before he had even made the decision. “I did a really damn good job at keeping that away from our team, our recruiting, and it was not a distraction,” Vitello said.
Furman Men’s Basketball Losing Streak Threatens Postseason Standing
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Furman (7-6 SoCon, 16-10 overall) lost 75-71 in overtime while visiting ETSU (11-2 SoCon). The Paladins had a 12-point lead before entering halftime, but the Buccaneers closed the gap around the six-minute remaining mark in the second half. Furman had the ball with 15 seconds left after a timeout, but ETSU’s defense didn’t budge and forced overtime.
The Closing Five: Tennessee beats Mississippi on the road — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
While Ament played well when the team needed him most, it was a quieter night for him than fans have been used to seeing over the past couple of weeks. He finished with 16 points on 5-12 shooting with 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and was 6-6 at the free throw line, but only had 6 in the first half. “Coming down the stretch, he was banged up a little bit,” head coach Rick Barnes said.
Breaking Down Tennessee Baseball’s Opening Week Starters — FOX SPORTS KNOXVILLE
Friday - RP Tegan Kuhns Kuhns, 20, is a true sophomore, standing at 6’3, 190, and throwing from the right side. The Pennsylvanian being named the Friday starter was to be expected after showing flashes in his freshman season last year and posting some very impressive numbers in the Cape Cod League last Fall. He throws a fastball (94-96 mph) and an upper-70s curveball as his two primary pitches, an upper-80s cutter, a mid-80s changup, and a lower-80s slider.
The Most Insightful Economic Metric For Tracking Consumers
I am occasionally asked which metric I consider best for tracking consumers. There’s no hesitation with my answer. It’s new home starts. Let me explain why. First, what is it? The metric of new home starts is exactly what it sounds like—it’s the number of privately-owned homes that began construction in a given period of time. (I prefer monthly.) In broad strokes, there are two types: single-unit and multi-unit.
Arey Welcomes Old-School Test as Elite Series Opens on Lake Guntersville
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS, RESULTS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships Team Toyota pro Matt Arey pulled into Lake Guntersville with a familiar mix of confidence and urgency, the kind that comes from years of experience and the sting of narrowly missing a goal. As the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series season opens on one of the Tennessee River’s most storied fisheries, Arey believes this event could feel different from the very first cast.
Back to Balance: Palaniuk Recharges with Family, Eyes Guntersville to Open 2026
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships By any measure, Brandon Palaniuk’s offseason was anything but quiet. For the Team Toyota pro, the months between seasons were a blur of travel, content creation and preparation. All layered on top of the responsibilities that come with being one of the most recognizable anglers in professional bass fishing.
Furman Bounces Back with 89-66 Win Over UNCG
On Friday, Jan. 23, in a game moved up to avoid inclement weather, Furman pulled away to win 89-66 in a heated offensive battle against the University of North Carolina Greensboro, bouncing back after two losses in conference play. Previously, the Paladins held a 13 point lead at home against Wofford and a 19 point lead at The Citadel, both with 10 minutes remaining in the second half.
The Hydration of Trifluoroacetic Acid from 0 to 298 K
Introduction Click to copy section linkSection link copied! Cloud formation begins with cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), the atmospheric aerosols that act as nucleation sites for water droplet formation. The most recent IPCC report confirmed that CCN formation is still the largest uncertainty in climate models. (1) Aerosols enter the atmosphere in one of two ways.
Cold Resolve on Guntersville: Mark Daniels Jr. Ready to Open 2026 MLF Season
|In AC Insider, Featured, Industry News, NEWS By Walker Smith, Courtesy of Dynamic Sponsorships / Photos: MLF By the time the calendar flips to tournament season, Mark Daniels Jr. is ready for the road again. That doesn’t mean he rushes past the offseason. Quite the opposite, actually.
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