Mark Schaefer

Tennessee

Podcast Host at The Marketing Companion Podcast

TED keynote speaker, marketing strategist, university educator, author of 10 books including "KNOWN" "Marketing Rebellion" and "Belonging to the Brand."

Articles

300 Experts agree: AI will change your customers

4 days ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

A few months ago, I was asked to participate in a university-sponsored study on how AI will impact humanity by 2035. The resulting research paper is extraordinary, as 300 futurists weighed in on the subject — Being Human in 2035. This is a roadmap of how AI will change your customers in the next 10 years and a vital perspective for marketers. Sure, there is a lot of discussion about how AI will impact our content, our businesses, our careers, and our personal productivity.
How to be an AI Forward company

1 week ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

On the new episode of The Marketing Companion, AI guru Paul Roetzer and I explore some fantastic new ideas about AI and humanity. I really loved this “AI Forward” quote from Paul:“Everybody has leaned into this AI First term, and I made an intentional choice not to use it a couple years ago. I generally look at it as AI Forward. And the reason I made that distinction is that AI First implies AI over humans — that we are leaving humans behind.
The LinkedIn growth secrets nobody talks about

1 week ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

This headline isn’t clickbait. And I’m not selling you any LinkedIn consulting services! But I just had something really weird happen to me and it points to a few important LinkedIn growth secrets nobody talks about. The crazy thing that prompted this article was, last week I had a LinkedIn post receive 100,000 impressions (104,833 and counting). On the surface, it looks like I’m killing it. Obviously, there was some luck involved. Nobody can plan viral.
Finding Your Edge in a World of Automated Content

2 weeks ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

I recently participated in a Q&A on the future of AI and content hosted by my friend Mark Masters. I thought the quality of questions was so good that everyone might benefit from this content. Here are the questions and my answers covering automated content, strategy, humanity, and more:There’s a quote going around about people who aren’t using AI being replaced by people who are using AI. What’s your take on this and the broader impact of AI? I detest that quote. This framing misses the mark.
Finding Meaning in Suffering: Business Leadership When Your World Is Falling Apart

3 weeks ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

Each year, I read Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It is one of the greatest books ever written and a reminder of the best and worst of the human condition. The central premise of this famous book is that “to be human is to suffer,” and that how we handle our suffering defines us. This became an unexpected topic of conversation with my friend Dana Malstaff. We were speaking at the same event recently, and I took advantage of the opportunity to bring together some friends for dinner.
Why strategic imperfection is your essential strategy to beating the bots

1 month ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

This recent quote from tech analyst Shelly Palmer cuts to the heart of marketing’s existential crisis when it comes to our human role in the emerging AI World:The debate over AI and its role in creative industries often centers on one question: Can AI ever be as creative as humans?
Has the pressure of success made me less creative?

1 month ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

I’ve known Carla Johnson for many years and admire her book on creativity. I was lucky enough to have her sub-in as a co-host of The Marketing Companion to talk about the crisis of imagination in the marketing field when I had a revelation. She said that one of the things that derail our creativity is “living up to what we think is expected of us.” This hit me like a thunderbolt, and I think it unraveled a mystery for me. In the early days of my blogging, I was a nut.
When intelligence becomes worthless, marketing artists will survive

1 month ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

As AI approaches and exceeds human intelligence, I’ve been thinking a lot about where humans fit in the mix. I hope you’re thinking about this, too. Compared to any time in history, there are a few unique aspects about the technological change we’re facing. First, we’re not replacing a horse with a car, or a book with a Kindle. We are replacing intelligence. This has unparalleled consequences for the usefulness of human beings. Second, nobody knows what’s next.
The Thin Line Between Bold Marketing and Brand Suicide

1 month ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

Last week, I analyzed a fantastic promotional video from Apple through the lens of Audacious, a book that describes a framework for disruptive and bold marketing.
Six practical tips to stay ahead of the marketing learning curve

1 month ago | businessesgrow.com | Mark Schaefer

I have been going around the world giving two new speeches. One on “Harnessing AI for Your Business” and a new one based on my new book Audacious. In the AI speech I make an important point — The rate of change will impact us as individuals and businesses as much as the change itself. To thrive we need to adopt a new mindset, a mindset of continuous change at a scale that is unprecedented in the history of our planet. Think about it.