Keynote speech, Romania

I am a very weird marketing professional.

Instead of going deep and becoming the “SEO guy” or the “Facebook ads guy,” I’ve followed my curiosity and explored the edges of marketing and strategy for decades. My curiosity set the path for my career.

For example, I saw how influence was shifting from agencies, TV networks, and editors to creators. Influence was being democratized. Curiosity led me to write the first book on influence marketing in 2012 before anybody was even calling it that.

Then I wondered, if anybody can create content and have influence, what’s the strategy when there is too much content? That became a book called The Content Code and, of course, a new speech to go with it.

My curiosity led me to the next logical question: “Is there a way to harness the power of content to help individuals build their personal brand?” That led to a two-year research project (the answer is YES), and a new book KNOWN, the bestselling book on personal branding.

And so on. I’ve written seminal books on brand communities, new marketing realities, and how humans win in an AI marketing world … just because I wanted to learn about these things and help others navigate this new world.

The end result is that I can probably speak deeply about more aspects of marketing than any person alive, not because I’m particularly smart, but because I’ve spent so many years going down marketing rabbit holes to write these books and determine what’s coming next.

Sometimes it’s difficult to explain to a client how all this fits together. What is the best way to pick the right speech topic for an audience? I have so many ways to go.

So, I developed a cool way to visualize my most current keynote speaking topics, and I thought I would share it with you:

Each circle represents a speech based on a popular, forward-looking book:

• KNOWN (personal branding)
• Belonging to the Brand (brand community)
• Marketing Rebellion (New marketing realities)
• Audacious and How AI Changes Your Customers (AI marketing strategy)

This gives the meeting planner the option to also bulk purchase books related to the speech for an attendee gift.

These four speeches can stand alone or be combined to address specific customer priorities, such as:

• Brand Marketing
• Modern Leadership
• Future of Marketing
• Marketing Success in the AI World

Every speech reflects my emphasis on the unified idea that the most human company wins.

The breadth of my work opens many possibilities. I recently gave a two-hour speech in the Philippines combining all four of these ideas! I spent a day at McKinsey in New York City giving in-depth talks on five different subjects. I’ve even been the opening and closing keynote speaker at the same event!

I’ve never seen anybody visualize speeches quite this way … it’s rare to have four different keynote speeches ready to go, right? I think the next step is to make this an interactive graphic on my website.

So I thought I would share this visualization idea with you … and hope that it might spark an inspiration to hire me for your next event. Let’s not waste my marketing geekiness. I can put it to work for you and craft a memorable, sizzling speech that fits perfectly at your next event.

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

The post A technique to visualize your keynote speeches appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been the fly in the LinkedIn ointment.

You’ve probably seen the bold projections from AI leaders like Mustafa Suleyman and Matt Shumer predicting cataclysmic AI impacts on our work, employment, and artistic endeavors.

There’s a defensive argument surfacing on LinkedIn: “If you care about artistry, you must resist AI.” Many marketers and creators hold on to a hope that the AI Era will have a place for the slow, the steady, the artisanally-crafted tradition of human content. I’ve responded with comments of “probably not.” Which has not been a popular view.

In a webinar last week, I explained how I was using AI as an editor and video producer to make my content exponentially better, faster, and cheaper. I was brutally scalded by one of the webinar participants. “How can you turn video editing over to AI?” one man bristled. “That’s where the craftsmanship happens. That is the artistry. Why aren’t you fighting against AI?”

Good question. Is it time to battle AI and protect human artistry?

I am not anti-human or anti-artistry. But this storyline seems familiar. Before we put on the AI armor, let’s face the music:

A familiar tune

In 1982, the British Musicians’ Union made a remarkable move. They called an emergency meeting and voted to ban music synthesizers from the U.K.

The trigger was Barry Manilow, of all people. On his U.K. tour, Barry had replaced his orchestra with synthesizers. String musicians, horn players, and percussionists lost their work. Traditional artists were furious and responded the way humans almost always do to disruptive change: they tried to make it illegal.

And it was futile.

The following year, the MIDI software standard was codified, and digital music synthesizers became widely available. Overnight, a person sitting alone in a room could produce music that previously required a full band and technical team.

Within a year of the MIDI revolution, thousands of studio musicians and technicians working on commercials, TV shows, and movies lost their jobs. The market for musicians collapsed.

By the mid-1980s, electronic music had created entirely new industries, careers, and genres. Survival in the music business meant adopting, adapting, and embracing the new technology.

Do we still have musicians? Of course. Do we still have orchestras? Absolutely. But the industry that once supported competent session workers evaporated and never came back.

The number of songs produced each year has exploded. The number of people making a living as full-time musicians has not.

The argument against AI today is exactly the same one made in 1982 against digital music. And the result will be the same.

We need to get ready, and I have an idea about that.

But first, let’s look ahead to our probable future. What do we know to be true? Can we think through the implications? How real is the threat?

What we know to be true:

1. The economic value of intelligence is near zero

Since the beginning of time, humans have prospered and advanced by acquiring knowledge. Every institution is built on the organization of scarce human intelligence. Universities exist because they have been the gatekeepers of knowledge.

These dynamics are irrelevant today because we can’t out-smart AI.

Even the most complex code is being written by bots. AI is developing PhD-level research studies and solving problems in physics and genetics that have stumped humans. Will it be able to create intelligent marketing strategies and insightful content? Of course.

If your career is based on intelligence, you’re vulnerable. Intelligence is abundant and nearly free.

2. Skills don’t matter so much

A primary argument for the worth of humans is that we’ve spent years developing our talents. Surely AI cannot match the experience we’ve honed over decades?

If you believe that AI can’t write as well as you, for example, consider this quote from Mike Kaput, a long-time PR pro and co-host of the (excellent) Artificial Intelligence podcast:

“I’ve been a professional writer for a very long time. I would argue that I’m just shy of being a world-class writer. It is my superpower. And I don’t mean to be arrogant about it, but I have some receipts to prove it.

“By the end of 2025, my use of AI as a writing companion has become very, very different. I can safely say that AI is a better writer than me in every way that counts. That doesn’t mean writing and writers are obsolete. It just means that when it comes to taking my ideas and putting them into really good words, putting them into logical and emotive constructions, AI is just as good as I am — and it’s way faster. It will be even better soon.

“Three years ago, you could see this day coming. It’s not coming, it is here.”

The same thing is happening in video and every other creative field. Responding to a realistic clip of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise engaging in hand-to-hand combat, Deadpool screenwriter Rhett Reese lamented on X that “I hate to say it, but it’s likely over for us.”

My critic in the webinar said, “Editing work must remain human because that’s where the artistry lives.” The musicians said this in 1982. The monastic scribes said it about the printing press. The darkroom operators said it when digital cameras arrived.

Each time, the argument was emotionally true and economically irrelevant.

The art survived. The skilled infrastructure around the making of art did not.

3. The economics favor the bots

In my book How AI Changes Your Customers, I describe AI’s biggest lie.

Every AI company creates PR spin about how AI will “enable” humans. While this is somewhat true, for these companies to recover the trillions being spent on data centers, research, and energy, they must replace human jobs on a massive scale.

Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI and one of the most trusted voices in the field, recently said that most white-collar work will be fully automated within 12 to 18 months. Lawyers. Accountants. Project managers. Marketing teams. Anyone, as he put it, “sitting down at a computer.”

I am humble enough to accept that these insiders see a technological future that I can’t access. Is massive job loss certain? No. But I’m paying attention to these leaders.

Thinking it through

Let’s think through the implications of these realities:

• The economic value of intelligence is near zero
• AI creative skills will meet or exceed human output
• ROI for AI investment requires massive job replacement

I am not an alarmist. I am not a pessimist. I try to see the world as it is, not what I would wish for. But I think there is a probability that my fellow creatives and I are facing a “MIDI moment.”

What can we learn from the musicians who survived that cataclysmic crash?

1. Resistance is futile

The musicians who thrived after 1983 were not railing against synthesizers.

They adapted to the new tools, found the intersection between technology and human creativity, and built careers doing the work that a machine fundamentally cannot replicate.

Adopt AI, don’t fight it. Use it, master it, twist it into exciting new opportunities.

Get over the depression and shock of the AI event horizon and figure out how it can make you bigger, bolder, more creative, and more impactful in this world.

I believe the future still belongs to extraordinary human creativity. But I also believe it is irresponsible to tell young creatives that the economics of the past might protect them. Technology adoption does not honor tradition and artistry. It follows cost curves.

When something becomes:

• 90x cheaper
• 90x faster
• 90% as good

… It wins.

That is not cruelty. That is capitalism.

Acknowledging that reality is not anti-artist.

2. Become a true artist

The MIDI moment separated the great from the competent. Here’s where I need to be concrete, because the conversation tends to get muddled.

I am NOT arguing that AI will replace the editor whose instincts transform raw footage into something that makes you cry. The visionary creative director who tells a story the world needs to hear isn’t vulnerable. The beloved YouTuber or podcaster who creates compelling, entertaining content every day is safe.

I am addressing the layer of technically demanding, repetitive, formulaic work that makes up the majority of billable hours in creative businesses.

If your value is defined by:

• Repetitive technical execution
• Tool mastery alone
• Process efficiency
• Pattern recognition

You’re standing in automation’s path.

If your value is defined by:

• Taste
• Judgment
• Emotional intelligence
• Cultural fluency
• Emotional connection to an audience
• Unmatched talent

You’ll probably become more valuable, not less.

In my book Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World, I explore this in depth. If you’re among those who refuse to be ignored, read this book.

If AI content is indistinguishable from human work, nobody cares. Your job is to transcend AI and MAKE. THEM. CARE.

Your blog, podcast, or video series must rise above common, competent AI slop and approach the level of art (more on that here.)

Art will persist. Many jobs won’t. Both things are true.

3. Become known

So here we are. We’ve embraced the technology. We’re expressing our human experience and rising above the slop. That’s not enough. You could be great and still buried in this noisy world.

It doesn’t help to be a star if nobody knows you are a star. You must work on your personal brand.

You don’t have to become famous by dancing on TikTok. But you must have the authority, presence, and reputation to break through the AI pandemic of dull.

Your personal brand is your only long-term defense against AI.

A final word

Many people point to past technological innovations, like the internet or the industrial revolution, to dismiss gloomy forecasts of job loss. They say that over time, technology creates MORE jobs and opportunities.

Sometimes that is true. And honestly, the jury is still out on AI adoption.

But this feels different. In the past six months, I’ve had three relatives lose their jobs to AI. Their entire departments were permanently wiped out by AI.

If you’re replaced by AI, what new job could you create in your field that won’t also be replaced by AI?

And I’m worried about the gap between the tech elites and the vast majority of people who have no idea what AI can really do and what is coming.

Economist Dr. Noah Smith wrote:

If it helps you feel unique and special to sit there and tell yourself, “AI can’t think!”, then go ahead. And sure, AI doesn’t think exactly the way you do. It probably never will, in the same sense that a submarine will never paddle its fins and an airplane will never flap its wings. But a submarine can go faster than any fish, and an airplane can fly higher and faster than any bird, so it doesn’t matter. You can value your own unique human way of thinking all you like — and I agree, it’s pretty special and cool — but that doesn’t make it more effective than AI.

To my passionate LinkedIn pals who want to stay in the slow lane and battle AI, I understand the emotion. I’ve built my career on creativity. I celebrate it. I teach it. I depend on it. I love it.

But believing in artistry does not require denying economic gravity.

And economic gravity always wins.

My friends, we should not “battle AI.”

We should battle mediocrity. Rise above the noise.

Need an inspiring keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post Do we begin to battle AI for human artistry? appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

Most AI initiatives don’t fail because of bad models or weak vendors. They fail because people quietly opt out — by ignoring the tools, undermining the effort, or waiting it out. This post teaches you how to prevent that.

Almost every company makes the mistake of thinking that AI adoption is about investing in technology. That’s the easy part. You can make technology do whatever you want. But you can’t make people do whatever you want. In fact, most humans resist change. The focus must be on people, first and foremost.

I have a master’s degree in organizational development and led technology change efforts at a Fortune 100 company for nearly a decade. Here are lessons I learned from the (many) bumps I’ve had along the way.

The big assumption

This post is not about creating a business case for AI. This post is to help you AFTER your leadership team is onboard, the strategy is in place, and the money and resources are approved.

A Wharton study concluded that three-quarters of the businesses were getting a positive return on their AI investments. Businesses typically take decades to successfully deploy new technologies. Progress after just three years is striking. As AI continues to improve and workers become more adept at collaborating with machines, the gains will compound. Over a billion people use generative AI models every month. Not all uses are productive, but many will be.

The key is getting people to use it.

Let’s get those people moving …

1. There’s no such thing as a grassroots AI adoption effort

If you’re trying to enable a profound technological change in your company, it won’t happen just because you want it to. This project must be understood and actively supported by the senior executive who owns the AI adoption strategy and budget.

This is non-negotiable.

Every technology adoption effort comes with frustrations, delays, and problems. You must be able to turn to a high-ranking person for support when the sh*t hits the fan. This is your “air cover.”

In a small company, this sponsor/protector may be the owner. Or, it could be a department head in a large company. But the person at the top must buy in because this is not simply an investment — it’s a cultural change. And only the leader at the top can influence culture.

2. Show active sponsorship

Once your leadership is onboard, they need to show up and let people know this is a critical business effort in three ways:

1. Make AI adoption part of annual goals tied to bonuses and compensation.
2. Ask questions about progress and adoption in every staff meeting. One business owner asks anyone who comes to him with a problem whether they’ve tried using AI to solve it first. Using AI as a default has now become part of the company culture.
3. Repeatedly emphasize why this is important to the business. In my corporate days, we used to have a saying that an executive had to hear something seven times before it sank in.

3. Don’t name it

Don’t make AI adoption a “project” with a name.

If your effort has a name like “AI Future,” it becomes a target for derision. A project with a name makes people think it is a short-term management fantasy that will eventually go away.

When manufacturing locations first introduced electricity to the workplace, they didn’t call it “Operation Lights On.” They just did it because it moved them into the future.

4. Assign an SPA

AI adoption is a team sport.

And like any team sport, progress breaks down when everyone’s chasing the ball, but no one knows their position. But when positions are clear, people stop guessing, and they know how AI fits into their work and how their work fits into the larger system.

Coordination is what turns AI from a collection of half-used, misused, or abandoned projects into something that actually works and makes a difference.

And that requires a manager. Every change management effort must have a single point of accountability (SPA). This is the person who lives and breathes this effort every day. Their career depends on success.

Back when social media was taking off, a common mistake was assigning “Jimmy from the mailroom” to lead the effort because he was the only person on Facebook. Of course, that was a recipe for disaster.

The ideal SPA is somebody who deserves more responsibility, is trusted, and is ready for a new role. They will be motivated to succeed because they know a promotion is likely next.

I find that 90% of the time, a change effort fails because there was no SPA.

5. Acknowledge the fear

Bringing AI into an organization might cause real fear among employees. It could represent

• Job displacement anxiety
• Fear of looking incompetent
• Loss of control or expertise
• Ethical unease that they don’t know how to articulate

Before you label someone as “anti-AI,” ask what they’re protecting. In my experience, resistance is almost always about fear of irrelevance, exposure, or loss of identity.

Don’t try to erase the fear — legitimize it. Be firm about the direction and acknowledge the unknowns: “Some of you are right to be concerned. AI will change roles. Some tasks will disappear. Some skills will matter less.”

This signals honesty, builds trust, and removes the taboo around saying the quiet part out loud.

Once fear is spoken, it loses some of its power.

6. Middle managers are your make-or-break layer

If you’re in a larger company, the middle managers are your key to success. Middle managers:

• Control day-to-day workflows
• Translate strategy into behavior
• Set the emotional tone toward a change effort
• Can quietly kill adoption by deprioritizing it

These are your internal influencers who can either propel or torpedo AI adoption. To keep them on board,

• Train them first
• Give them scripts, not slogans
• Explicitly remove old KPIs that conflict with AI experimentation
• Reward their advocacy and progress

7. Start with the willing

Chances are, there will be people on the team excited about AI and ready to lead. Give them an opportunity to shine.

• Identify early adopters who are already curious/enthusiastic
• Let them pilot and become your internal champions
• Use their success stories to build momentum before expanding to skeptics
• Don’t waste early energy trying to convert the resistant — let peer proof do that work for you

Of course, some people will not get on board, so you must …

8. Address obstinacy immediately

There will be resistance. That’s natural. But when a person is a flat-out obstacle to progress, address it immediately. Actively working against a change effort can become an organizational cancer.

If the resistance isn’t something you can address yourself, defer to the power of your sponsor with something like, “I’m sorry you are anti-AI and against this effort. This is a priority to our boss, who is sponsoring this, so let’s bring it up with her.” (Refer to point one of this post!)

The most effective change effort I’ve ever been part of accelerated to light speed when the CEO fired a vice president who was blocking the change. It was a thunderbolt that said, “Failure is not an option. Get on board.”

9. Create rational metrics

Here is a piece of advice that might seem controversial.

At least for the first year or two, measure adoption instead of ROI. My thinking goes like this:

AI is transformational, like lightbulbs or air conditioning. Is anybody in Dubai trying to measure the ROI of air conditioning? No, because it enables just about every success in that desert country.

If no one adopts AI, you’ll never see an ROI, right?

Potential metrics might include:

• % of employees who used AI weekly

• % of workflows with AI touchpoints

• Self-reported confidence scores over time

• Number of AI-assisted decisions vs. manual

10. Build in quick wins

In the early days of a change effort, it’s important to create momentum and positive vibes. And nothing does that better than a positive story.

If employees are talking about their AI victories and breakthroughs, quickly record a video and share it with the leadership team. Set modest adoption goals that will spark positive conversations when exceeded.

And most important, when you reach milestones and achievements, don’t sit on them. Communicate, communicate, communicate.

It’s also important to protect early experiments and failures and share “this didn’t work, here’s why” stories. I have a friend at Dell who meets with each sales leader quarterly to report on AI experiments, even if they didn’t work. This builds psychological safety, which is essential for behavior change.

AI adoption isn’t a technology rollout. It’s a leadership test. The companies that win won’t be the ones with the smartest models but the ones that helped their people cross the bridge from fear to fluency. I hope this post helps you think through your success factors.

Need an inspiring keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

The post A step-by-step approach to AI adoption for your company appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

In my job, I am honored to interact with leaders from around the world, and the general view of the business world right now is somewhere between “uncertain” and “chaos.”

How does marketing change in uncertain times?

Here are three marketing truths to hold on to when stormy seas are rocking your boat.

1. Never jeopardize trust.

Like most business leaders, I’ve faced rocky times. I’ve had the opportunity to cut corners, but I’ve always operated on one principle: Always do the right thing, even when it hurts.

Pain is temporary. Trust is forever.

Sometimes the role of marketing is to protect the brand. Never let your business make a move that jeopardizes trust.

Build strong brands as a steady anchor in turbulence.

2. Focus on the immediate business priorities.

There have been many times when I’ve had to abandon bold marketing plans amid cost-cutting and business crises.

When turbulence strikes, there is no time to cower or press for pet projects. Be a team player. Go all-in with the power of your experience to drive rapid customer acquisition and cash flow.

With ongoing economic pressure, proving impact is essential. A business crisis is an opportunity to build credibility and trust that will serve you well in the long term.

Last year, I discussed the tension between performance marketing and brand marketing with a creative director at a major New York agency. She said, “It’s all performance marketing.” So true.

Marketing creates customers. Let that be your guide when times are tough.

3. Conquer fear to grow.

One theme I explored in my book Audacious is how fear is the major obstacle to breakthrough creativity.

We’re afraid of disrupting a routine, being turned down by the legal department, or jeopardizing our reputation. And yet, the only path to growth is change, especially when we are under the threat of replacement by AI.

Crisis is a time for renewal and reinvention, an opportunity to distance yourself from the competition.

One time, the company I worked for was in crisis and initiated bold moves to change the business. One colleague told me he was going “to hide” until the changes passed over. I embraced the changes (scary!) and led the effort. You can guess who was rewarded in the end and who was pushed aside.

Is this the time to push for Gen AI and agentic AI as critical levers for competitiveness? Lead the change, experiment at the frontier, and scale before global peers widen the gap.

History shows that the greatest brands — and individuals — distinguish themselves and grow in times of crisis.

Need an inspiring keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post Three marketing truths for turbulent times appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

I’ve been blogging for 16 years, giving away all my best ideas and advice. I spent time thinking about monetizing my writing by moving to a subscription model on Substack. What I concluded might surprise you and perhaps guide your own monetization strategy.

Today I’ll cover:

• My current content monetization strategy
• A high-level view of Medium versus Substack
• My in-depth analysis of the risks and opportunities with Substack
• A final conclusion

Allow me to share a little story about how blogging drives my business.

The inbound marketing model

A few years ago, I received this email:

“Hi Mark. I’ve been reading your blog for three years and have become a real fan. I purchased your latest book and wanted to let you know it is one of the best business books I’ve read in the last 10 years. Just thought it was time to tell you how much I appreciate your work.”

It was signed by the CMO of a Fortune 100 company.

Two years later, he hired me to help organize a new content marketing department. I didn’t bid on the job. He just hired me because he grew to know me and trust me through my content.

Let’s break this down and reveal the classic “inbound” marketing strategy:

1. This person discovered my content and subscribed. I didn’t pay anything for this connection. It was organic, driven by the helpful content I freely put into the world.
2. After reading my content for several years, a trusting relationship developed. It was one-way, of course, but he grew to trust me entirely through the blog content.
3. Three years into this relationship, he bought a book, his first purchase from me.
4. Five years after he subscribed to the blog, he hired me for my most profitable assignment of the year.

And this is the way the world has worked for me, over and over again.

I’ve never made any money directly from my blog content — no ads, paid links, or sponsored posts. But when people trust my content, they hire me for speeches, workshops, and consulting. They’ll buy my books, purchase a consulting hour, or come to my Uprising retreat.

I’ve had a successful, profitable career by giving away content for free.

But many people are earning significant income on Substack. As I move to a slower pace of life, is it time for me to monetize my content directly and charge for it?

Substack versus Medium

There are many ways to monetize content directly, but the two big ones are Medium and Substack.

So far, my strategy has been to publish content on my website and then publish for free on both of these sites. Since both platforms have millions of subscribers, this allows my content to reach new audiences. For example, I have more than 45,000 followers on Medium. Medium articles also tend to rank well on Google.

Medium has another advantage — you’re paid by the number of people who read your content. By simply re-publishing a blog post on Medium, I average a modest $250/month, which is better than the imaginary benefit of Likes and retweets. And, there was an unforgettable month I made $10,000 on Medium. It’s like hitting that one great golf shot. It could happen again, right?

High-earning posts result from a Medium “boost” that floats your article beyond your audience so many more people read it. When does Medium boost? Who knows. It’s unpredictable and frustrating.

Substack has a smaller user base compared to Medium, but offers a business model with a more reliable income stream. People pay for your content through a subscription, and as long as you provide value, the income flows. You’re in charge of your revenue potential by growing your paid audience rather than relying on an algorithmic  Medium boost.

I currently publish for free on Substack — why not? I’ve attracted far fewer followers there compared to Medium … less than 1,000. And I’ve never made a dime there because to succeed, you must commit to a subscription model and refrain from publishing anywhere else. Many people are making a healthy living on Substack. Is it time for me to finally have a reliable income stream directly from my content?

The Substack life

Focusing on Substack as an income stream would require major changes:

• I’d have to create at least one in-depth post per week, and maybe more (I can do that).
• I would stop publishing original blog content on my own website.
• I’d have to develop and grow a Substack community with bonus events and content to add value.
• I would have to move my current blog/Medium audience to a paid subscription on Substack.

While I can commit to creating great content every week, the other changes represent significant risks. Let’s look at each one.

1. The end of the content on my site

As I researched this opportunity, I looked at the websites of Substack stars. If you click “blog,” you’ll find a link to Substack. There is no web-based blog any more.

There is a serious functional implication to this. Without regular, fresh content on my site, my SEO/AI signals dry up. My website isn’t just a blog; it’s a legacy media asset. It’s a lead generation machine.

If the site goes dormant, I lose:

• Authority signals

• Fresh content triggers

• Long-tail organic reach

• Visibility when AI search dominance arrives

That is just too much to lose. The sensible option would be to create two different posts for my site and for Substack. Double the work? No thanks.

2. Moving my audience to Substack

How many of my free blog readers will pay for Substack content? The research shows it will be 5% or less.

But those “free” readers have fueled my entire business model.

• Book sales

• Speaking leads

• Personal branding classes

• Media invitations

• Uprising retreat attendees

• Word-of-mouth leads

The average annual subscription price on Substack is $96. Assuming that 5% of my subscribers move, it’s probably not worth the financial risk.

And there’s another consideration. What if Substack goes out of business?

3. Building a community

The most successful Substack pros fully leverage the platform’s ability to create community through commenting, special events, and exclusive livestreams.

This would be a major benefit of Substack. But I already have a community called RISE. I’ve poured my heart and soul into that community, and I love the people there. I don’t have the need or bandwidth to duplicate that effort.

So a Substack community has no appeal or financial benefit.

The overarching goal

In summary, I certainly have an opportunity to monetize through Substack, but the risk of losing my SEO value and large audience overwhelms the benefits.

In the end, it comes down to my goals at this stage in my life. Money is less important than it was ten years ago. I want my ideas to spread. I want to help and teach. I want to find interesting projects that challenge me and connect me to cool people. I want to maintain a healthy and profitable speaking career.

A regular Substack income jeopardizes:

• SEO discovery for my website
• Serendipity (that random CMO, journalist, or CEO finding me)
• Long-tail inbound traffic
• A large, loyal audience

Monetizing content directly could actually shrink my economic surface area.

At this point in my life, a wide audience and the highest level of discoverability outweigh the potential of a steady income. I’ll stay the course and monetize through the indirect method.

Drop me a line and let me know if you’ve come up with a different strategy for your content.

Need an inspiring keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post Is it time to monetize your audience through Substack? appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

What happens when everyone reaches for the AI Easy Button?

I have a lesson today about an emerging danger of AI and marketing. But to get to the lesson, you’ll have to hear my story. It’s an old story, but it matters a lot. Here we go.

I was the CMO for a large business unit of a Fortune 100 company.

Each year, we sent teams out to visit customers to learn how they were using our products and how we could improve. These three-person teams were well-trained for this activity, and the lessons we learned would inform my marketing and R&D strategy for at least the next 12 months.

This was a long and expensive process — our customers were scattered around the world. We were wrapping up our final trip of the year and saying goodbye to our hosts when one of the customer scientists said offhandedly, “By the way, did you happen to see this preliminary research report on coating ingredients from the U.S. government?”

We had not. When we looked into it, we found the new research could potentially ban a key ingredient that my industry had used in its products for decades. It was still early, but if the research found a problem with these chemicals, my company and its customers would be imperiled.

Changing a fundamental ingredient in an industrial product used worldwide is no easy matter. It would take millions of dollars and years of testing to make a change. But with this early alarm and the potential risk, we proceeded on an R&D path to find a replacement ingredient.

Three years later, the government changed the regulations on this chemical. Our competitors were panicked. We were safe because we had listened, learned, and acted responsibly, thanks to our deep and unique understanding of the market.

And that brings me to AI.

The AI Easy Button

I have a number of friends working in market research. Their workload is drying up because companies are turning to AI as an inexpensive shortcut.

Not only can AI scan the universe for the information you need, but synthetic AI audience panels can simulate what your customers might say in real interviews.

The general feedback is that using AI is about an 85% solution, and that is good enough to justify the cost savings over human effort.

Except when it isn’t.

Let’s go back to the story I told to begin this post.

There is no way we would have found that critical information through an AI scan or synthetic customer panels.

If I used AI for my customer research, I would probably have the same information our competitors had. What good is that?

The real marketing insight and innovation doesn’t come in the 85%. It comes inside the 15% that you get by doing the hard work and digging into unique customer insights.

Challenge and opportunity

The use of synthetic data for research poses both challenges and opportunities for traditional researhers.

Ray Wang, founder and chairman of Constellation Research, agrees there is a danger in relying too much on synthetic research. “At some point, the regurgitation of insights will lead to a brain rot like we’ve never seen,” he said. “Folks are going to be craving for authenticity and insight, and that only comes with years of human experience.”

Liz Miller, VP and Principal Analyst at Constellation Research, told me, “Market research got itself into a bad hole because because 80% of their answers come from the same 20% of the population that answers questions. They then keep renewing the panel with the same people and give them a Starbucks gift card, hoping they will answer the same questions differently.

‘We’re in a disappointing space when it comes to market research, if we’re being really honest with it. So there is a place for AI research, but it also gives traditional researchers the chance to be brave and ask the hard questions, the questions they’ve never been able to have answered before.”

Pause before using AI

I know there are always budget pressures. I’ve been there. I know you have to make responsible decisions abotu your research. But before you hit the AI Easy Button, think hard about what you’re giving up.

Information that transforms your company?

A unique competitive advantage over everyone else opting for shortcuts?

An insight that secures your future?

Maybe your future lies in that 15% that only human experience can pick up on.

Need an inspiring keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Illustration courtesy MidJourney

The post The AI Easy Button imperils the future of marketing research appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

More than a decade ago, I predicted that the surge in digital content would trigger a content arms race. I called this Content Shock. To stand out amid this tsunami of posts, podcasts, and Reels, it would require higher levels of investment in creative resources or promotions, and likely both. I forecast that as content niches became saturated, it would be impossible for many businesses to compete.

While this sounds like common sense, at the time, this was probably the most controversial marketing blog post ever written. The idea sent a chill down the spines of content marketing service providers, and I became a target of derision.

Of course I was right. Today, Content Shock isn’t a theory. It’s a daily reality made worse by this relentless barrage of AI content.

Is there a strategy to overcome Content Shock today?

Yes, but we are about to take an unexpected turn.

I want to be very direct about your future and your content, whether you are creating for a company, a customer, or a personal brand.

There have been many posts about AI taking over our marketing jobs. I won’t sugarcoat things. I think that is probably true. Follow the money. Companies have to make an ROI from AI investments, and the unfortunate first place they’ll look is headcount.

The hopeful marketers out there opine that truly “authentic” content will save our jobs. That is not enough. Bots can be pretty convincing.

I believe there is a permanent place for human content, but success requires a radical new mindset. Let’s get into it.

Reaching toward Springsteen

I recently listened to AI-generated songs that mimicked Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. In fact, the sound was indistinguishable.

But would  I ever pay money to see a computer in concert? No. I want to see the man. The Boss.

Why? Isn’t music just music?

The difference is, Bruce means something to me because he’s an artist. He communicates in a very raw, intimate way, interpreting our human experience.

I’ve loved Brice since I was a kid, and I will always love him, no matter what happens with AI. Likewise, there will be poets, painters, and even podcasters I will always love, even if AI overwhelms us with fantastic content tailored to us (which is already happening).

So this is the key idea. If you are competent, you’re a commodity. You’re ignorable. Your content must approach the level of Bruce, or at least what would be considered star-quality in your industry. Your content must approach the emotional level of art.

I’ve never heard a content marketing strategy explained this way before, but it is a new day, and this demands new rules.

If you’re chunking out blog posts and podcasts because you’re afraid not to, your time is up. Even “human” storytelling can be effectively mimicked by bots. But there is one place we will always own — our human vulnerability.

The advantage in vulnerability

Here’s an example of what I mean.

Not long ago, I wrote a blog post about accomplishing a great lifetime achievement and then feeling completely empty … even depressed.

I told the people in my RISE community that I was afraid to write a blog post about this — wouldn’t I come across as a jerk? Here is a dude who is so successful he’s depressed. Sheesh.

But I have this internal signal. Whenever I am afraid of something, I do it. That’s how I grow.

So I wrote the post and received a massive outpouring of positive comments. Why? I’m convinced it was the unexpected vulnerability. In other words, I was providing an interpretation of my human experience. That is art.

I had a human point of view. AI does not have a point of view. If you prompt three AI platforms to create a movie script, you will get three of the same movies based on successful formulas from the past. If you put this same prompt in the hands of three directors, you’ll get three entirely different movies based on their human experience.

As we move forward with our “human content,” vulnerability is usually the missing factor. We can’t just slap a stock photo of people in an office on our content and call it “human.” Where is the human experience? Where is the point of view?

The only way we’ll be different from the bots is by digging deep and having the courage to share our human experience. That small difference elevates content beyond the bots.

Turning vulnerability into business benefits

Roxana Hurducas is an acclaimed B2B branding expert and co-founder of Drivion. She recently told me an extraordinary story of how sharing her life experience on a Facebook page laid the foundation for her business success:

Roxana Hurducas

“Ten years ago, building a personal brand wasn’t on my radar. Yet, looking back, I realize I was laying its foundation brick by brick, without even knowing it.

“At the time, I worked as a marketing and PR manager for a courier company. It was my name and face, not a faceless corporate logo, that responded to client issues and concerns on Facebook. I answered from my personal account, treating every message with empathy and honesty. People really loved that human touch, though sometimes, I’ll admit, it was overwhelming.

“Later, after a very public life event—a brain surgery I openly shared about—I stepped into a new level of vulnerability with my audience. Sharing my life reality, not just my business wins, built even more trust and a genuine connection.

“As my personal life evolved, I realized I wanted to separate my family’s stories from my professional updates. I started a new account, “The Untraditional Family,” where I was radically honest about topics like raising my kids, navigating divorce, and even my third marriage. At first, I thought these stories would interest a different audience, but something surprising happened.

“Whether they first ‘met’ me through business or family stories, my audiences began to merge. People who knew me as the marketing manager followed my personal account. And those who followed my family journey became interested in my professional activities. The reason? Vulnerability, authenticity, and honesty. By sharing both the challenges and the joys of my human experience — the parts of life most people hide — I became not just a brand or a professional, but a fully relatable person.

“Now, when I meet people at events, they already know me. They trust me, not only as a communications professional, but as a woman, a mother, a partner, and a human being who owns her story. That trust, hard-earned and real, extends to every business relationship I have.

“If there’s a lesson here, it’s this: people need stories, especially stories they can relate to. And allowing your audience to see the real, unfiltered you — beyond your résumé — can become your strongest professional asset.”

How is Roxana’s storytelling different from that of any great artist? Like our favorite artists, painters, and poets, she is bravely connecting to an audience through her interpretation of life and its meaning.

And AI can’t touch that.

Art from anybody

I recognize that Roxana’s level of personal sharing is unique and may be uncomfortable for many people. But just showing any humanity at all can give you an edge in a boring, buttoned-up field.

I recently had a coaching call with a well-known gastrointestinal surgeon. He was building a new business and recognized an opportunity to create content on his website.

“I don’t have a human story, he said. “I’m a scientist. I talk about facts. I talk about fiber in your diet. How is this anything that approaches art?”

My suggested content:

“I was sitting at my kitchen table with the sun streaming through the window on a beautiful day. My wife came to the table with a plate of hot, homemade cinnamon bread. Yes, this was a wonderful treat. But it was also a gift of life. My wife knows how important fiber is in our diet, and she makes a special point of preparing meals high in fiber. She plans our meal around fiber. You might be wondering exactly how much fiber you need, so let’s talk about that today …”

“OK,” the physician said, “I get it!”

My point is, whether you are in B2B, B2C, or a doctor writing about fiber, everyone has a human story for human readers.

The creator versus the Content Artist

Some of the following ideas were inspired by the work of Scott Belsky.

Here’s a comparison of the content creator who AI will replace versus the Content Artist who will persist.

The Creators of today …

Creators trade quality for speed. They’re only trying to get a good-enough video cut, or they’re flooding the zone with TikTok posts to meet a schedule and hit an engagement goal.

Creators must conform to algorithms, which makes their content ephemeral.

The entry barriers to being a Creator are low. Prompt-driven, generative AI tools lower the floor so that anyone can be a Creator of some kind.

For Creators, the content is the means, not an end.

The Content Artists … 

Content Artists are never willing to trade beauty for speed. Sure, artists do quick sketches and explorations, but these exercises serve to explore the full range of possibilities.

They require creative control, and giving it up to a prompt-based generative tool is like a sculptor working without their hands.

Only Content Artists craft the meaning-infused stories that thrill and break us. While their work may not be fast or optimized for clicks, their stories teach us about ourselves and advance our understanding of the world.

Content Artists make units of culture.

That’s why we will always love the artists. And that’s what it takes for an audience to love you, too.

People conflate what enables creators with what might replace artists. People see the “AI slop” capabilities of new generative models and then declare the “end of fine art” and “RIP Hollywood,” as if the founding of McDonald’s would kill our desire for fine cuisine.

You still matter. But you must become an artist.

Overcoming Content Shock in an AI World

Here’s the great enigma of this reality.

Content Artists need time, freedom, and space. They need patience and reward for the risks they take. They need control of their workflow and pace.

This list of needs would be laughed out of most boardrooms eager to harvest human capital from AI investments.

So this is an opportunity, isn’t it? Great marketing is about non-conformity, not conformity. If everyone is zigging toward AI slop, maybe the most audacious move is zagging away from it.

Content Shock is nothing new. Let’s be honest. Does it really matter if we have a hundred competitors or a million of them? We’re not going to win by creating more AI slop that just adds to the problem.

As content creators use AI to flood the zone and grab our attention as cheaply and efficiently as possible, consumers will still crave more crafted, deeply human stories. As creating content becomes easier, the bar for what makes an extraordinary and unforgettable story will rise to the level of art.

Will you rise with it?

Need an inspiring keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

Follow Mark on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram

Image courtesy Mid Journey

The post How to overcome Content Shock in a world of AI slop appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

I’ve recorded my last episode of The Marketing Companion. Beginning in January 2026, the legendary Sandy Carter will take over as the show’s owner and host.

You can hear my last, surprise-filled episode here:

Listen to Episode 331 of The Marketing Companion

Throughout the podcast’s 13-year history, I’ve always looked forward. I love talking about what’s next!

But for this episode, I broke the pattern and reflected on the story of the show. It’s had many ups and a few downs, and I thought this might be an interesting lesson in tenacity and what it took to build and sustain a podcast that beat the odds.

These promotional photos for The Marketing Companion reflected the zany chemistry of the early shows, which included promoting fake products like Google Pants and the “Get a Roon” app. The brilliant Tom Webster co-hosted the podcast for the first six years.

This last episode covers:

• Why I created the show
• Why the peculiar format of the podcast is a key to its success
• How and why I chose the co-hosts for the show
• Some of the funniest moments in the history of the podcast
• How the show was in constant creative reinvention
• What happened when the downloads began a precipitous decline and I almost lost the show
• How an innovative new format saved the podcast

Brooke Sellas was the co-host of The Marketing Companion from 2019 to 2021. Brooke’s playfulness brought out a fun new side of me!

A driving force of the Marketing Companion’s success was pushing the creative envelope. The world doesn’t need two more talking heads. There had to be entertainment value in the show that earned my audience week after week.

I’ve always looked for ways to innovate, and I was proud to debut the first-ever podcast episode recorded with a synthetic voice.

In 2021, I embarked on a new experiment — six rotating co-hosts. This allowed me to expand the show’s content to cover new marketing ideas. The line-up changed over the years, and fan favorites included Dennis Yu, Amanda Russell, Keith Jennings, Dana Malstaff, and Andy Crestodina.

Scott Monty

One of the most fun innovations was the zany intro created by the talented Scott Monty. I had known Scott for many years and respected him as one of the leading voices in corporate communications. But the first 60 seconds of the show became his creative playground as he “introduced” the show from outer space, a dude ranch, the White House, and a hundred other places. I suspected that the show grew as people just tuned in for Scott’s intros!

Another creative innovation was the addition of a “studio audience” beginning in 2022. Members of my RISE community could watch the live Zoom recording of the show and then ask questions after the recording ended. Seeing emotional reactions in real time added an exciting energy to every episode!

It’s remarkable that over nearly 13 years, I never repeated a show topic twice. And I suppose I kept that record intact by creating an episode that looked back. I hope you’ll enjoy this sprint down memory lane.

When I announced that I was leaving the show, I received many kind notes of thanks, encouragement, and, of course, sadness that this era had come to an end. But this is the right decision at the right time. While I am moving away from a show that was a big part of my life, I am re-acquiring time for new ideas.

This final episode is also my tribute to you, the fans.

Every time I prepared an episode, there was only one idea pounding in my mind: I will never let you down.

I never published a perfect episode, but I kept publishing work I was proud of. It was a show that was always relevant, interesting, timely, and entertaining. 331 times.

And this tradition of excellence will continue with the new host, Sandy Carter. Sandy is probably the most connected, wise, and generous marketing pro that I know. She is absolutely the right person at the right time to take the reins of the show.

Sandy Carter is the new owner and host of The Marketing Companion. Her connections, insights, and wisdom usher in a new era of innovation for the show.

Thanks to each of you for supporting my show. I will miss this important part of my life, but feel proud of what I accomplished and secure in knowing Sandy will continue The Marketing Companion legacy of excellence!

Please support our sponsors, who make this fantastic episode possible.

This episode is brought to you by Brevo (formerly Sendinblue). Brevo gives you the tools to attract, engage, and nurture customer relationships.

Now, any business can build automated customer experiences, email marketing workflows, and landing pages that guide your customers to your main message. We are here to support businesses successfully navigating their digital presence to strengthen their customer relationships.

Go to https://www.brevo.com/marketingcompanion to sign up for Brevo for free and use the code COMPANION to save 50% on your first three months of Brevo’s Starter & Business plan!

A recent Semrush study found that AI search traffic is projected to surpass traditional search by 2028. That makes now the time to prepare your brand for the future of search.

With Semrush AI Search tools, you will lead this transition.

• Track your AI visibility score: See a single, clear benchmark of your share of voice across AI search platforms.
• Identify AI mention opportunities: Uncover sources where your competitors are cited—but you’re not—including social media, forums, and more.
• Benchmark against competitors: Find the exact prompts, mentions, and sources where your competitors appear in AI responses and you don’t.
• Discover trending prompts: Spot the real questions your audience is asking AI platforms—and build content around them.
• Shape your brand narrative: Monitor the sentiment and context tied to your AI mentions, and make sure your brand is being represented the way you want.

The post My Fond Farewell to The Marketing Companion appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.

Guest Post by Sarah Neely

Your most engaged customers are doing you a favor by showing up. They’re giving you their time, their attention, and their willingness to believe in your brand.

Target had 100 of these people lined up at every store on Black Friday. People who arrived at midnight. Who waited in the cold for hours. Who chose Target over every other retailer.

And Target gave them a trial-size shampoo and a deck of Uno cards. Ten lucky people (out of 100) received gift cards.

Do you understand what just happened here? I am legitimately angry that Target whiffed so badly.

Target had 100 FANS lined up at EVERY SINGLE STORE across the country. People who cared enough to sacrifice sleep and comfort. People who showed up. People who chose Target over every other retailer on the biggest shopping day of the year.

And Target handed them … samples.

This Is Marketing Malpractice. I am fuming!

Here’s what Target threw away:

Target had advocates ready to tell stories. These weren’t paid influencers. These were real customers with real networks who made a genuine effort to be there first.

Target had content waiting to be created. Every person in that line had a phone. They were already posting about waiting, about the anticipation, about the excitement. Target could have given them something worth sharing.

Target had a sentiment recovery moment. Target is still fighting boycotts. Still working to rebuild positive brand associations. They had 100 opportunities per store to create genuine, authentic, “Target did something amazing” stories.

Instead, they created 100 disappointed customers per store. People who will absolutely tell their story – I’m sure you’re hearing it, like I am – just not the one Target wanted.

What Word-of-Mouth Marketing Actually Requires

I’ve spent my career building brand awareness through authentic engagement. I’ve seen what happens when you respect your advocates and what happens when you don’t.

Here’s what Target should have understood:

The people who show up early are your most valuable customers. They’re not just shopping – they’re participating. They’re the ones who will tell everyone about their experience. The return on investment of treating them exceptionally isn’t measured in the cost of gifts; it’s measured in the stories they tell for months afterward.

Word of mouth is designed, not left to chance. You don’t get authentic advocacy by accident. You earn it by recognizing the moments that matter and showing up accordingly.

The bag itself was great. That reusable tote? That’s a walking storytelling prompt. People would have carried it. But you have to give them a reason to want to carry it – to feel proud of what it represents.

What Should Have Been Inside

For probably the same budget (or less), Target could have included:

• A significant gift card ($50-100) for everyone, not just 10 people
• Exclusive early access to future sales? A limited-edition brand collab? Early access to a new product? ONE premium, full-size product that showed thought and care?
• A handwritten thank-you, acknowledging their dedication
• Something to share, give to a friend, or allow the early shoppers to bestow fun on Target’s behalf
• A remarkable moment… anything that made people say, “You won’t believe what Target did!”

Every single one of those 100 people would have posted. Their friends would have wished they’d gotten up early, too. The FOMO would have been real. The positive sentiment would have spread. Instead, people are posting about their disappointment. About feeling misled. About trial-size products that belong in hotel bathrooms.

The Bigger Miss

This wasn’t just about one promotion. This was about understanding that your most engaged customers are gifting you their time, attention, and future story-sharing. They’re giving you their willingness to believe in your brand.

When you waste that opportunity with something half-hearted, you’re not just failing at one marketing activation. You’re teaching your customers that showing up for Target isn’t worth it.

And that lesson spreads… When one person has a sub-par experience, it doesn’t get shared widely. It’s not fun to be a Debbie Downer. But when hundreds of people experience a public disappointment? That gets shared. The people who got up at midnight will tell their story. The people who arrived at 3am will tell their story. And those stories will reach far more people than Target’s paid advertising ever could.

Too bad it won’t be the stories Target wanted told. This is exactly the kind of missed opportunity that gets me fired up. Not because I expect perfection from every brand, but because the path to getting this right was so clear. Target had everything they needed: the audience, the moment, the attention. They just needed to match the experience to the effort their customers made.

To any brand reading this: your advocates are giving you gifts when they show up. Make sure your response is worthy of what they’re offering you.

Sarah Neely is a word-of-mouth marketing strategist who has spent more than two decades building authentic brand experiences and consumer engagement for companies including Red Bull, Chipotle, and Polaris.

She’s created real-world brand activations that drive conversation, awareness and customer advocacy. Sarah has recently been exploring how experiential marketing strategies can help to build meaningful digital footprints in an AI-driven discovery landscape.

The post Target’s $100 million Word-of-Mouth Marketing Fail appeared first on Schaefer Marketing Solutions: We Help Businesses {grow}.