The AI Marketing Companion

America turns 250 this year. Every brand on the planet is reaching for the moment. And most of them are about to miss it completely. Michael Quinn has spent years studying why, and what to do instead. He is a 3x LinkedIn Top Voice with a following above 360,000, a Forbes Coaches Council member, and the founder of Tenova LLC, with a monthly social reach that exceeds two million people. He knows wha...

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a marketing leader who summed up the challenge facing most teams in a single sentence: "We need to create three times more content with the same number of people." I suspect that sounds familiar. Every platform wants more. LinkedIn wants consistency. Short-form video is consuming marketing calendars. Leadership wants greater visibility. Customers expect faster r...

Anthropic's Claude has officially surpassed ChatGPT in enterprise adoption—but that's not the biggest story. The real shift is happening beneath the surface. In this episode of AI Marketing Companion,  Sandy Carter  sits down with Shawn Reddy of Team Nebula to explore why businesses are moving beyond prompts and chatbots toward dynamic AI workflows that can execute real work. From content creation...

AI has solved one of marketing's oldest problems: creating content at scale. Now it may be creating a new one. In this episode of  The AI Marketing Companion ,  Sandy Carter  welcomes  Simon Davis , Co-Founder and CEO of wearemighty, to discuss the growing challenge of maintaining originality in an era of unlimited AI-generated content. Simon shares how a request for  25 million branded assets  le...

Will AI take your marketing job? That's exactly what this conversation explores. In this mother-daughter discussion, we talk about how AI is changing marketing, creativity, and the future of work. Instead of fear, we focus on understanding how AI can actually help marketers think better, move faster, and create smarter. We discuss: • How AI is transforming marketing jobs   • Why AI should be used...

Described AI is changing marketing faster than any technology shift we've seen before. The question is no longer whether marketers should use AI. The question is who will use it well enough to win. In just 30 minutes, you'll learn the five AI First lessons every marketer needs right now to stay relevant, drive measurable business outcomes, and lead in a world where agents, automation, and intellig...

Everyone is talking about agentic commerce. DaVinci and OpenAI just shipped it. Sandy Carter sits down with Diaz Nesamoney to unpack what the news means for marketers who are still chasing clicks while the storefront moves into ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude. Diaz breaks down the brand control crisis, the content architecture overhaul every CMO needs this quarter, and the zero-party intent data hidin...

Dan Nestle, founder of Lilypath, joins  Sandy Carter  on The Marketing Companion to unpack a shift most professionals have not noticed yet. AI systems are now interpreting, ranking, and recommending people before any human ever clicks a profile. Dan calls this Authority Intelligence, a new category he built Lilypath to define. Inside the episode, Dan and  Sandy  cover the Gemini Deep Research mome...

If your ads are being skipped, your emails are going unread, and your campaigns are blending into the noise, this episode is your wake-up call. What do Disney, a pool full of sprinkles, the United Nations, and the world's first AI film at Tribeca Film Festival have in common? Michaela Ternasky-Holland. And every single one of those experiences holds a lesson for how you market your brand. Michaela...

What happens when marketing moves beyond campaigns and becomes  experience, emotion, and intelligence (AI) combined ? In this episode, I sit down with Kenny Lauer, one of the most dynamic leaders in modern marketing. From early roles at Apple and KPMG to leading global digital experiences at George P. Johnson, serving as VP of Marketing for the Golden State Warriors during their championship era,...

She built a 75,000+ member community. Then she shut it down. What she did next reveals the 5 secrets every community builder needs to know. Dana Malstaff turned Boss Mom from a book into one of the most recognized community brands online, growing a massive movement of entrepreneurs and mothers who refuse to choose between ambition and family. In this episode, Dana shares 5 community building secre...

Should you be first or a fast follower? Digital pioneer Mark Schaefer breaks down 3 critical rules for marketers navigating AI and discusses why the 85% solution isn't good enough.      

OpenClaw is the hottest open source AI agent in marketing and in this episode Shawn Reddy from Cliqk pulls back the curtain. He walks us through the OpenClaw dashboard live, demonstrates social media scraping in action and shows the complete setup process so you can see exactly what it takes to get started. This isn't another episode about AI theory. Shawn shows us the real marketing use cases wor...

One of the Top Marketing Trends in 2026.  AI search is about to overtake traditional search by 2028, and the implications for marketers are massive. In this episode, Sandy Carter sits down with content strategy expert Andy Crestodina to unpack the rise of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and why it is radically different from the SEO we all know. You'll hear why AI-generated recommendations co...

Marketing is scaling faster than humans can adapt—and most leaders are underestimating the shift. In this conversation with Sandy Carter, Ray Wang, CEO and founder of Constellation Research, and Liz Miller, former leader of the CMO council, and analyst at Constellation Research, reveal what's changed in just two years: AI agents embedded in org charts, accountability rising as decisions digitize,...

In his final episode as host of The Marketing Companion, Mark Schaefer reflects on the story of a show that beat the odds. This episode has the ups, the downs, and funniest moments from 13 years of the world's most entertaining podcast. 

Sure, we want our marketing to connect with customers in a human and emotional way. But maybe a bigger short-term win is a humane approach that provides people with the help they need as quickly and effortlessly as possible. And that might be the perfect role for AI. Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey talk about this important role and the emphasis on humane versus human.

Jay Acunzo and Mark Schaefer discuss their success in sustaining their personal content production for years, even decades. They discuss their mindset and strategies of incorporating a content lifestyle and beating the odds.   Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," "Belonging to the Brand," and "Audacious: How Human...

Mark Schaefer begins the show with a significant announcement about the future of The Marketing Companion. Co-host Sandy Carter kicks off a discussion about how Deep Fakes are overwhelming even the most famous brands and company leaders. Mark and Sandy also cover the impact of AI speed on marketing, the rise of the humanoids and more.   Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, ke...

Let's put AI on the corner of a moment and remind ourselves of the OG marketing ideas that still make sense. In this episode, Mark Schaefer and Andy Crestodina talk about the enduring need for strong branding, live events, and sex (you'll just have to hear the whole story!).    Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN,"...

Special guest Ethan Pierse argues that AI isn't just for developers or technical founders. Instead, non-technical but entrepreneurial folks can now build tech products without deep coding skills. AI is breaking down traditional barriers and letting more people "create their own future."   This is the age of the AI Solopreneur and in this episode, Ethan spells out his vision, as well discussing the...

Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss how they are utilizing AI in distinct ways to attract new customers. Mark built an expert-trained model called MarkBot that is informed by his life's work. This is available to all through his website.   Dana has created custom bots that encourage top-of-funnel engagement for her business while blending human connection that builds trust.    This episode is...

A new research report shows how AI is re-wiring our customers — literally changing their psychology and buying habits. In this episode, Mark Schaefer previews a new book and explores what happens when humans offload their thinking to a machine.

One of the most urgent and interesting questions in business today: How does AI affect the sales process? From product discovery to referrals and recommendations, AI is making its way into customers' hearts and minds. Whether B2B or B2C, the implications are enormous.   Marketing legend Sandy Carter joins the Marketing Companion to explore these new commercial realities. What is the new role of br...

Mark Schaefer has a new grandchild. Amanda Russell has a toddler. Both of them wonder what an AI-dominant world has in store for them.    In this personal and introspective episode, Mark and Amanda reflect on what college meant to their careers, the advice they would give to kids about college today, and how education will need to change for Gen Alpha.    This is an essential episode for everyone...