Mark Schaefer returns to Sales Lead Dog to explore how artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing customers, marketing, and human behavior—and what business leaders must do to adapt.
Drawing on insights from his latest book and a global research initiative involving more than 300 futurists, Mark shares a forward-looking view of how AI is expected to reshape business by 2035. While large technology companies are rapidly embedding AI into every layer of their strategy, Mark explains why small and mid-sized businesses face both greater risk and greater opportunity if they fail to understand how customer expectations are evolving.
The conversation takes a deeper look at how AI is transforming marketing strategy and customer engagement. Traditional metrics and surface-level personalization are giving way to data-driven insights that influence how customers discover, evaluate, and trust brands. While AI-generated content is becoming more common, Mark emphasizes that automation alone cannot replace relevance, creativity, or emotional connection. Human-centered storytelling, originality, and lived experience remain critical differentiators in an AI-saturated marketplace.
Mark also discusses the tension between algorithmic recommendations and personal preference. Even as AI becomes better at predicting behavior, customers still value intuition, trust, and authenticity. Businesses that rely solely on automation risk blending into the noise, while those that invest in distinct perspectives and meaningful human expression stand out.
The episode closes with a broader reflection on AI’s impact on human relationships, personal branding, and community building. As AI continues to streamline workflows and decision-making, Mark argues that empathy, vulnerability, and trust become even more valuable. Technology may shape interactions, but genuine human connection remains the foundation of strong brands, loyal audiences, and sustainable growth.
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally recognized author, futurist, keynote speaker, and business consultant. He writes the acclaimed {grow} blog, consistently ranked among the world’s top marketing blogs, and teaches graduate-level marketing courses at Rutgers University. Mark has authored 12 best-selling books, including his latest, Audacious: How Humans Win in an AI Marketing World, which outlines how businesses can rise above noise and automation through human creativity.
His client list includes organizations such as Pfizer, Cisco, Procter & Gamble, Dell, Adidas, and the U.S. Air Force. Mark has delivered keynote presentations around the world at events including South by Southwest, Marketing Summit Tokyo, and the Institute for International and European Affairs, and has appeared in major media outlets including CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and CBS News.