The Marketing Companion
Entertaining takes on marketing trends and business innovation from industry veterans.
AI Slop Or Original Thinking?
In this episode of the AI Marketing Companion, host Sandy Carter talks with Simon Davis, co‑founder and CEO of Wear Mighty, about how his team built "Secret Sauce," an AI platform that learns a brand’s visual and tonal guidelines and generates on‑brand assets at massive scale. Simon explains the origin story: a 2022 brief for 25 million on‑brand 3D assets exposed the limits of early AI tools, prompting the creation of a system that prevents brand drift through a "brand brain" and continuous guardrails. He describes the "triple bind" marketers face—rising content expectations, the risk of off‑brand AI output, and the race to deploy scalable, brand‑safe AI—highlighting how Wear Mighty helps businesses of any size avoid the ROI trap of cheap, low‑quality content. The conversation underscores the importance of brand integrity as AI agents become more autonomous in content creation.
Customer Experiences and AI - The Next Competitive Moat
In this SXSW‑recorded episode, host Sandy Carter talks with marketing veteran Kenny Lahr about the power of experience‑driven branding and how AI is reshaping customer interactions. Lahr argues that true competitive advantage now lies in creating emotionally resonant experiences that...
Humane versus Human Marketing
Mark Schaefer and Mathew Sweezey explore the distinction between "human" marketing—aimed at emotional connection—and "humane" marketing, which prioritizes delivering fast, effortless help to customers, often via AI. They argue that while heartfelt storytelling remains valuable, the immediate impact of AI-driven,...
Sustaining a Personal Brand in Trying Times
Jay Acunzo and Mark Schaefer explore how they’ve maintained prolific personal content creation over years by treating content creation as a lifestyle rather than a task, emphasizing mindset shifts, disciplined routines, and strategic focus on authenticity. They share practical tactics...
Truth Is Now a Luxury
In this episode Mark Schaefer announces a major shift for The Marketing Companion while co‑host Sandy Carter discusses how deep‑fake technology is flooding even top brands and leaders, eroding trust. They explore how the accelerating pace of AI is reshaping...
The OG Marketing Ideas We Need Today
Mark Schaefer and Andy Crestodina revisit timeless marketing fundamentals—strong branding, live events, and even the provocative power of sex—while framing them against today’s AI‑driven landscape. They argue that despite new tools, the core human drivers of connection and experience remain...