The Marketing Companion

Other than AI, is there any word about marketing more prevalent than "authenticity?" And yet, it might be one of the most misunderstood and abused words out there.    In this deeply personal show, Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss how authenticity can help you, how it can destroy you, and how it might be more of a strategy than a default setting for a personal brand. 

New research from Microsoft provides a glimpse of the near-term future of marketing agency life, including AI bosses, agentic employees, and new organizational charts. And, if you're a small agency, this might be your time to shine! Mark Schaefer and Andy Crestodina riff on the implications of te AI-first agency in this new episode of The Marketing Companion.

As AI marches forward with speed and power, new questions emerge about how humans thrive in a world of super intelligence. We already see AI creeping into workflows, organizational charts and even our personal relationships. Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer look at a few of these topics as they help us navigate an AI-First World. 

In this highly intimate and vulnerable show, Mark Schaefer and Dana Malstaff discuss the times in their lives when they've had to keep a business running through illness, loss, and betrayal. To be human is to suffer and the world doesn't stop for us when the suffering comes. Mark and Dana share how they have kept going even through the hardest moments in their lives. A Marketing Companion episode you won't soon forget.

How do we break through the noise in industries that have normalized dull? You're about to embark on a crazy journey of misfit Barbies, back alley tee shirts, and criminal wine as Mark Schaefer and Carla Johnson explore the crisis of imagination in marketing. We all want to do better work ... what is holding us back? Plenty, as it turns out! 

It's harder than ever to keep up with the world and you can't do it alone. Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo share their favorite strategies for tapping into expert advice and staying relevant in a fast-changing world. 

Are you working on your personal brand? I hope so! It's like an insurance policy for your career. But what happens when you out-grow your brand and it's time to climb a new mountain? Moving on can be difficult and emotional. Amanda Russell discusses the next step in her journey and why it was time to take a risk.

New co-host Andy Crestodina unwraps the hottest topic on the web these days — the impact of AI on SEO. Most websites are starting to get hits from AI sites, and Mark Schaefer reports that he's gained new customers. But what is the secret to success? Mark and Andy also debate LinkedIn newsletters — is it too late to find success? Is it robbing readers from your website?

In this special episode, the legendary host of the Marketing Book podcast, Douglas Burdett, comes out of retirement to interview Mark Schaefer about his new book "Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World." From now on, "competent" doesn't cut it. The bots are coming but we still own crazy. This is a time to ignite the human fireworks of creativity if marketing professionals are to transcend the threat from artificial intelligence.

As we hurtle into the AI Era, there will be many unintended consequences, and one of them might be a cognitive decline. Early research shows that as we increasingly depend on AI for our thinking and decisions, our brains become lazy. What are the implications for education? Are we re-defining humanity or returning to a simpler time before information overload?   Paul Roetzer and Mark Schaefer also discuss the DeepSeek outfall, Ai marketing fails, and more

In an AI world, the need for human connection will be more profound than ever. Dana Malstaff and Mark Schaefer talk about new ideas to integrate a human connection into AI prompts, communities, and content strategies. Here are some truly unique ideas that will make you re-think how you connect with customers and audiences. 

Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey pluck out a few big trends that have them excited for the new year. From the executive implications of AI to a focus on premium experiences, this is a fascinating exploration of what's coming next.   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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

In this fun and thought-provoking show, Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo challenge each other with the best questions they could ask each other — and then dissect the beauty of the question. Amp up you content game by listening to this extraordinary debate!   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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Jay Acunzo consults experts and entrepreneurs to differentiate their messages and content. He hosts the podcast How Stories Happen, where guests dissect signature stories piece by piece, and runs the Creator Kitchen, where experts learn to become stronger storytellers. Learn more at jayacunzo.com

In this mind-bending episode, Mark Schaefer demonstrates why NotebookLM has taken the AI world by storm. 

Keith Jennings talks about how Mark Schaefer's new book became a catalyst for his career reinvention. Mark and Keith discuss their history of personal reinvention and the three questions they use to judge whether they are stagnating on the job. This is Keith's final episode on the show and Mark announces two new co-hosts for the podcast's 14th season.   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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact. He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/. 

Mark Schaefer and Paul Roetzer dissect several evolving AI-related developments, including the emerging emotional bond between children and AI bots, a humanoid fine artist, how AI is transforming education, and more.

Mark Schaefer brings LinkedIn expert Richard Bliss onto the show. Richard covers basic LinkedIn strategy, the role of AI and bots, collaborative content, emerging role of video and more. This episode contains bonus Q&A content about LinkedIn newsletters, streaming video, and LinkedIn for newbies.   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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.

Marketing visionary Dana Malstaff built one of the most successful communities on the planet. With 80,000 members, it was a revenue engine and an inspiration to her enthusiastic followers. Here why Dana decided to start over. This will be one of the most moving and inspiring stories of leadership and courage you'll hear. 

Every keynote speaker and content creator knows the value of that signature story – a tale that drives home a point with passion, insight, and a little drama. But how do you come up with these stories, and how do you craft them to serve you well in your marketing?   Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo explore this topic in this new episode. You'll learn how each identifies, nurtures, and delivers their best stories. And you'll get to hear two of their favorite tales.    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 of Mark's insights every week, subscribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Jay Acunzo consults experts and entrepreneurs to differentiate their messages and content. He hosts the podcast How Stories Happen, where guests dissect signature stories piece by piece, and runs the Creator Kitchen, where experts learn to become stronger storytellers. Learn more at jayacunzo.com

Ed Sheeran launched a new hot sauce in cooperation with Heinz. It makes so much sense. Ed doesn't have to harvest the tomatoes and make anything! Why aren't more bands launching products with influencers?   While celebrity endorsements have been around for ages, giving stars a stake in an actual product has been rarer. Meanwhile, influencers are launching their own products – with or without the brands. Why don't brands get ahead of this? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss this trend on the new episode of The Marketing Companion.   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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Amanda Russell is a marketing leader, entrepreneur, and scholar. By age 32, she built and sold two successful businesses: an online fitness subscription community for women and a digital marketing and production company. She served as Chief Marketing Officer at a NYC-based portfolio fund and developed the world's first accredited MBA & EMBA Influencer Marketing programs at Northwestern University. She also founded the Global Center for Influence at the University of Texas. Amanda has taught at renowned institutions such as Bocconi University, London Business School, Harvard, Wharton, HEC Paris, NYU, and the University of Stockholm. Her book, "The Influencer Code," explores influence, consumer behavior, and the future of marketing. Amanda advises major companies, including Lamborghini, Cedars-Sinai, Lionsgate, and Silk-FAW.

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 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact. He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/.   

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 alive, regulation, new marketing applications, and much more. 

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 Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Sara Wilson is a journalist-turned-social-marketer (former Facebook & Instagram) who works with brands, publications, and platforms like YouTube, Nike, Bumble, the New York Times and many others find, engage and grow obsessive communities across digital channels through her consultancy SW Projects. Sara also writes frequently on the subject of digital marketing trends; she coined the term "digital campfires" in the Harvard Business Review to describe the types of spaces where young audiences are gathering online today, and often speaks and leads workshops on this and other topics related to social innovation, web3, and Gen Z consumption trends to companies around the world such as Microsoft and McKinsey.  

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 psychedelics, and more.    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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

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 who trusted their intuition, not the best practices, and all the unconventional, refreshing things they did to build their brands and leave their legacies. Learn more and find a Starter Pack of episodes at https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast     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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.

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 a new take on a very old and ubiquitous problem.   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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Amanda Russell is the founder of the Global Center for Influence (C4In), launching (2023) at the University of Texas at Austin with a mission to help brands & people learn how to position themselves and their companies for success, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Amanda's mission is to enhance how we do 'higher education.  Former Olympic-level athlete, Founder-to-sale Entrepreneur and Marketing Consultant who still loves the brain gymnastics of helping people and companies become more influential among their desired audience. Professor, Author "The Influencer Code", Speaker, Board Member and Director of C4In

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 the author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising.   For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact.He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/. 

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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.

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 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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking.   Sara Wilson is a journalist-turned-social-marketer (former Facebook & Instagram) who works with brands, publications, and platforms like YouTube, Nike, Bumble, the New York Times and many others find, engage and grow obsessive communities across digital channels through her consultancy SW Projects. Sara also writes frequently on the subject of digital marketing trends; she coined the term "digital campfires" in the Harvard Business Review to describe the types of spaces where young audiences are gathering online today, and often speaks and leads workshops on this and other topics related to social innovation, web3, and Gen Z consumption trends to companies around the world such as Microsoft and McKinsey.

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 Web3 farming.    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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking   Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

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 retreat here. 

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 Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and host of the podcast Unthinkable -- the show about marketers who trusted their intuition, not the best practices, and all the unconventional, refreshing things they did to build their brands and leave their legacies. Learn more and find a Starter Pack of episodes at https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

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 author of 10 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Amanda Russell is the founder of the Global Center for Influence (C4In), launching (2023) at the University of Texas at Austin with a mission to help brands & people learn how to position themselves and their companies for success, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Amanda's mission is to enhance how we do 'higher education.  Former Olympic-level athlete, Founder-to-sale Entrepreneur and Marketing Consultant who still loves the brain gymnastics of helping people and companies become more influential among their desired audience. Professor, Author "The Influencer Code", Speaker, Board Member and Director of C4In

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 including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact.He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/. 

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 campfire platforms and the collapse of traditional media channels. These brands all know how to garner the most valuable commodity in the world: attention. 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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Sara Wilson is a journalist-turned-social-marketer (former Facebook & Instagram) who works with brands, publications, and platforms like YouTube, Nike, Bumble, the New York Times and many others find, engage and grow obsessive communities across digital channels through her consultancy SW Projects. Sara also writes frequently on the subject of digital marketing trends; she coined the term "digital campfires" in the Harvard Business Review to describe the types of spaces where young audiences are gathering online today, and often speaks and leads workshops on this and other topics related to social innovation, web3, and Gen Z consumption trends to companies around the world such as Microsoft and McKinsey.

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 Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

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 annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and host of the podcast Unthinkable -- the show about marketers who trusted their intuition, not the best practices, and all the unconventional, refreshing things they did to build their brands and leave their legacies. Learn more and find a Starter Pack of episodes at https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

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 "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Amanda Russell is the founder of the Global Center for Influence (C4In), launching (2023) at the University of Texas at Austin with a mission to help brands & people learn how to position themselves and their companies for success, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Amanda's mission is to enhance how we do 'higher education.  Former Olympic-level athlete, Founder-to-sale Entrepreneur and Marketing Consultant who still loves the brain gymnastics of helping people and companies become more influential among their desired audience. Professor, Author "The Influencer Code", Speaker, Board Member and Director of C4In

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 books including "KNOWN," “Belonging to the Brand,” and "Marketing Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact.He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/. 

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 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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Sara Wilson is a journalist-turned-social-marketer (former Facebook & Instagram) who works with brands, publications, and platforms like YouTube, Nike, Bumble, the New York Times and many others find, engage and grow obsessive communities across digital channels through her consultancy SW Projects. Sara also writes frequently on the subject of digital marketing trends; she coined the term "digital campfires" in the Harvard Business Review to describe the types of spaces where young audiences are gathering online today, and often speaks and leads workshops on this and other topics related to social innovation, web3, and Gen Z consumption trends to companies around the world such as Microsoft and McKinsey.

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 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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Amanda Russell is the founder of the Global Center for Influence (C4In), launching (2023) at the University of Texas at Austin with a mission to help brands & people learn how to position themselves and their companies for success, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Amanda's mission is to enhance how we do 'higher education.  Former Olympic-level athlete, Founder-to-sale Entrepreneur and Marketing Consultant who still loves the brain gymnastics of helping people and companies become more influential among their desired audience. Professor, Author "The Influencer Code", Speaker, Board Member and Director of C4In

Can you base a marketing strategy on generosity? It's complex, exciting, and perhaps a key part of our future in business. Keith Jennings has studied the psychology and sociology of generosity and is convinced it should be a core strategy. Mark and Keith explore this idea and a multitude of angles when kindness counts most of all in this unusual 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 Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Keith Jennings is an executive and writer who equips professionals to serve with values, generosity, and social impact. He serves as vice president of community impact with Jackson Healthcare. Connect with him at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithjennings/. 

As marketers sort through the new bag of AI magic tricks, it's important to stay centered on real value and the human connection at the center of marketing. In this episode, Mark Schaefer and Dennis Yu take a fresh look at the Human-Centered Marketing Manifesto and debate its relevance in the new digital landscape 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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Dennis Yu is on a mission to create a million jobs by training up international workers to serve American companies. Former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on ads. Best-selling author and speaker.

Sara Wilson and Mark Schaefer attended Z Con, the first conference fully dedicated to Gen Z -- up on by Gen Z leaders. It provided a fascinating glimpse into the minds and memes of a generation that punched above its weight when it comes to cultural influence. In this show you'll get an eye-popping look at what it takes to achieve business and brand success when it comes to this new generation of consumers.  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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Sara Wilson is a journalist-turned-social-marketer (former Facebook & Instagram) who works with brands, publications, and platforms like YouTube, Nike, Bumble, the New York Times and many others find, engage and grow obsessive communities across digital channels through her consultancy SW Projects. Sara also writes frequently on the subject of digital marketing trends; she coined the term "digital campfires" in the Harvard Business Review to describe the types of spaces where young audiences are gathering online today, and often speaks and leads workshops on this and other topics related to social innovation, web3, and Gen Z consumption trends to companies around the world such as Microsoft and McKinsey.

Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey discuss how the AI revolution is impacting them as business leaders, entrepreneurs, and simply individuals trying to make their way in the world. Mark and Mathew discuss their current AI priorities, hacks, and the aspects of this development keeping them up at night. Where do they see the pitfalls and opportunities? Find out in this fascinating 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 Rebellion." His annual marketing retreat is The Uprising. For more of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking Mathew Sweezey is the Co-Founder of Salesforces Web3 Studio where he helped Salesforce and their top customers transition into Web3. Mathew an independent consultant, a best selling author, and avid adventurer. 

There are plenty of frameworks for successful content creation, but can ANYBODY breakthrough with a successful blog, podcast, or video series these days ... or does it take some "special sauce?" Mark Schaefer and Jay Acunzo debate the issue and don't always agree in this fascinating episode.   Mark and Jay cover what it takes to create a defensible content property, the importance of being pissed off, why marketers create the worst content, and the importance of "awe" in the content world. 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 of Mark's insights every week, subcribe to his award-winning blog. Mark also offers classes in personal branding and professional speaking. Jay Acunzo is an author, speaker, and host of the podcast Unthinkable -- the show about marketers who trusted their intuition, not the best practices, and all the unconventional, refreshing things they did to build their brands and leave their legacies. Learn more and find a Starter Pack of episodes at https://jayacunzo.com/unthinkable-podcast

AI is moving quickly into every crevice of the marketing world but the impact on content has been immediate and profound. Where does AI matter, and where will humans persist and thrive? Mark Schaefer and Amanda Russell discuss a hierarchy of content in the AI world and the impact on the personal brand. 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. Amanda Russell is the founder of the Global Center for Influence (C4In), launching (2023) at the University of Texas at Austin with a mission to help brands & people learn how to position themselves and their companies for success, bridging the gap between academia and practice. Amanda's mission is to enhance how we do higher education.