The AI Marketing Companion

Mark Schaefer and Keith Jennings explore the role of social objects in marketing. They are everywhere; they drive word-of-mouth marketing, and this is one of the least-explored ideas in the arsenal. Learn how to use social objects for your own business and why this idea is indispensable in the AI Era.   Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 1...

AI is suffering from low adoption, lousy press, fear of job loss, and frankly a confused public. Is it time for AI to embark on some marketing of its own? That's just one of the subjects Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer discuss in this new episode of The Marketing Companion. Mark and Paul also cover the future of the AI copyright problem, the new "robber barons" breaking the law to make AI come aliv...

Mark Schaefer and Sara Wilson dive into the red-hot world of brand communities. Who is doing it well and why? What are the challenges? What is the role of influencers and what's next? We'll explore that and more in this new episode.   Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," "Belonging to the Brand," and "Marketing Re...

On this episode, Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey talk about their search for personal peace within the corporate world and beyond. Both have been on a journey to live a life with less stress and more satisfaction, in sometimes divergent paths. They discuss financial freedom, impact of social media expectations, anxiety and depression, staying "centered," meditation, experimenting with psychedelic...

Jay Acunzo contends in this episode that you don't need to be brilliant to be an effective content creator. You need to up the ante on curiosity. Curiosity is one of the most important "soft skills" of marketing. But can it be learned? Improved? Spread to a team? You'll find out on this new episode.   Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and host of the podcast Unthinkable -- the show about marketers...

It seems like imposter syndrome is referenced everywhere these days. It's such a common obstacle to success but there doesn't seem to be any end in sight. Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell explore this provocative topic from their own life experiences. Amanda has had extensive "brain training" as an elite athlete while Mark explored a family of origin narrative to discover personal roadblocks. It's...

Mark Schaefer and Keith Jennings dive into one of the most complicated questions in the business world ... What business are you in? Deceptively simple, Devilishly complicated, this question has been an obsession for the greatest minds in marketing for decades. And this is a question that is more relevant than ever.    Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and...

Mark Schaefer and Paule Roetzer of the Marketing AI Institute get out of the trenches for a moment and look at big questions facing marketers as AI barrels forward.   Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," "Belonging to the Brand," and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is  The Uprising .   For more...

Most brands depend on social listening platforms to gauge brand sentiment, consumer feedback and competitor activities. But what happens in a world where most customers don't want to be seen and heard? Sara Wilson is working on this problem and in this new episode, we explore new ideas about community, conversations and the critical aspects of consumer insight in an AI World.    Mark Schaefer  is...

Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezy look at the foundational and enduring role of humans to create impact, loyalty, and relationships even as they are preoccupied with AI. Mark and Mathew explore the importance of events, communities, networking and loyalty. They also talk about the next big AI "unlock" for humans, the last human competitive advantage against AI, outcome-based content marketing, and W...

In this special bonus episode of The Marketing Companion, Mark Schaefer and Daniel Nestle review some of the key learnings and highlights from The Uprising marketing retreat. The event featured acclaimed thought leaders on AI, content marketing, word of mouth, branding, and more. The intimate setting and group conversations created many a-ha moments.    You can learn more about the Uprising  retre...

Mark Schaefer reveals his content anxiety – is he missing something by sticking with the same content formats for more than a decade? Jay Acunzo describes his strategy of starting and stopping shows and why it makes sense ... or not.  Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," "Belonging to the Brand," and "Marketing Re...

Amanda Russell has a front and center seat in one of the biggest controversies in the history of sports. Millions of young athletes are losing their health, and in some cases their lives, to radical training programs. In this new episode, we look at the marketing of disruptive ideas in a fascinating discussion. Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the aut...

Too many companies are claiming to be beacons of social good and then not delivering. The result is a backlash against purpose-filled marketing, especially with young people. Mark Schaefer and Keith Jennings explore the current state of marketing and its role in our businesses and lives. Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books includin...

The world of Ai overwhelming. How do grab ahold of something in this hurricane of daily developments and actually start something for your business? Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer cut through the overwhelm to offer practical steps. There is bonus content on this show that explores AGI, impact on marketing careers, and more. 

Marketing to Gen Z requires drops, collabs and customization as table stakes, nostalgic IP as a ticket to ubiquity, participatory game mechanics driving virality, content and commerce finally tying the knot, and billionaire influencers, to name a few. Mark Schaefer and Sara Wilson explore how the most successful brands navigate major shifts reshaping Gen Z lives, such as the rise of AI, digital ca...

Brand loyalty has been in decline for years. But Mathew Sweezy is heading up new technological innovations to build loyalty through experiences and games native to the digital lifestyle. Catch a glimpse of the future of innovation with Mat and Mark Schaefer. Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," "Belonging to the B...

We all make mistakes but rarely talk about them. That changes today as Jay Acunzo and Mark Schaefer reveal their biggest flops, miscues, and embarrassments. A lot of lessons, a lot of fun ... you won't want to miss it! Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," "Belonging to the Brand," and "Marketing Rebellion." His an...

If it seems like Shein and Temu have taken over the world overnight, you would not be wrong. These leading retail brands came out of nowhere by seemingly breaking all the rules of marketing. Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell break down the biggest revolution in retail since Amazon!  Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 books including "KNO...

Mark Schaefer explains a process that started 25 years ago to begin moving his business decisions from money to activities that brought joy. Keith Jennings compares this to a five-step career journey that starts with "don't mess up" to "meaningful work that brings joy." Where are you in the process? Mark Schaefer  is a strategy consultant, college educator, keynote speaker, and the author of 10 bo...

In this new episode of The Marketing Companion, Mark Schaefer was faced with a crisis and he asked AI to solve it for him. You'll just have to hear it to believe it.

Creators are building brands, businesses, and loyal communities faster than the largest brands in the world. This is undoubtedly one of the most important trends of our lifetime, with vast implications for the future of marketing. Mark Schaefer and Sara Wilson team up to dissect this development and dissect research with vast implications for our commercial strategies.  Mark Schaefer  is a strateg...

With OpenAi's revolutionary new offering, everyone has the ability to create custom applications -- just by typing commands in your own style. You can create whatever you can imagine! Everyone can be a coder now. Let's cut through the hype and explore the possibilities and constraints of this remarkable technology. Mark Schaefer hosts Paul Roetzer, founder of the Marketing AI Institute. 

In an unprecedented solo performance, Mark Schaefer discusses his thoughts on where our marketing priorities will be in the next few years. is the metaverse still alive and kicking? Tune it to find out! 

Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell explore the Pratfall Effect, a psychological model that says we gain trust and credibility through revealing our mistakes. In this fascinating episode, they look at case studies from Mark's dressing habits and a weird burger commercial, to cookies and Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie. Mistakes in marketing can work, but only within a certain context. Mark Schaefer  is a st...