Spectacular Communications Requires Audacious Communicators - with Mark Schaefer

All of us know we're in an age of disruption. If you want to thrive and grow as a communicator or marketer, it's not AI you have to worry about. What should keep you up at night is the prospect of succumbing to the Dull. AI can do dull better than you can. You have to flee the dull and be bold. You have to be audacious. In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle finally, after countless name drops, references, and bold claims to be friends with a particular marketing legend, puts his money where his mouth is and welcomes to the show his mentor, confidant, friend, and arguably his man crush, the one and only Mark Schaefer. After Dan perpetrates some gushing, he and Mark go straight into the chaotic "Now" and the need for a clear vision of the future. They talk about the impact of AI on communications and marketing, and Mark offers his sobering perspective: yes, AI can be terrifying for anyone creating content because it's "good enough" to generate boring, compliant corporate messaging. He says that AI will "unleash a pandemic of dull" - and if we want to succeed in the future, we'll need to be bold, crazy, and audacious. He goes on to say that the result could be spectacular work by those of us who can rise above the dull. They also get into the significance of personal branding, both internally within companies and externally. Mark reinforces the idea that being Known and trusted, especially in an era where deepfakes and misinformation are rampant, is critical to future success. Throughout the episode, Dan and Mark explore the challenges and opportunities presented by technological advancements, urging communicators to embrace bold, audacious strategies to stay relevant. The conversation concludes with remarks about Mark's upcoming book, tentatively titled "Audacious: A Rebel's Guide to Disruptive Marketing," set to release in January. Listen in and hear about... Mark's new book! How marketing and communications are merging in today's chaotic landscape. AI's transformative role in marketing and communication strategies. The importance of authenticity and grit in content creation. AI's impact on entry-level jobs and the future of onboarding new talent. Why building a personal brand within organizations is crucial for career growth. Challenges that large companies face in adapting to rapid cultural and technological changes. The necessity of community and collaboration to stay updated with fast-paced industry trends.   Notable Quotes   On the Role of Marketing in Companies: - "I think in this day and age, almost everybody's in marketing, everybody in your company that influences your conversation with your customer, your reputation with your customer." — Mark Schaefer [00:04:37 → 00:04:47] On the Intersection of Marketing and Communications: - " We're talking about reaching out to audiences and creating that market, creating a market either for your goods or for your ideas or for your message and all the above." — Dan Nestle [00:05:53 → 00:06:09] On the Impact of AI on Jobs: - "I think it will eliminate a lot of lower level jobs and it'll eliminate, you know, some entry level jobs." — Mark Schaefer [00:11:19 → 00:11:27] On the Future of Content Creation: - "In the next twelve months, you'll be able to make a full length motion picture on your laptop computer, including the script and the, you know, the dialogue and the score and the art and everything you would want." — Mark Schaefer [00:14:55 → 00:15:11] On Authenticity in Marketing: - "The key to creating a video that connects on an emotional level is to leave mistakes in. Maybe some of the video is a little blurry, maybe a little of the audio is a little scratchy, but it makes you feel like you're right there." — Mark Schaefer [00:17:28 → 00:17:40] On the Pandemic of Dull: - "AI is going to be very capable. That's also going to unleash this pandemic of dull. And every communicator out there is going to be fighting against this pandemic of dull." — Mark Schaefer [00:26:14 → 00:26:27] On the Future of Corporate Content: - "If you're writing content that's easily approved by legal, you're going to be gone. You've got to start reaching into more communications that can't be ignored, that cannot be commoditized." — Mark Schaefer [00:26:14 → 00:26:27] On the Role of Personal Branding: - "Anybody, any employee, any person anywhere should be building their own personal brand. And I think people are confused. They think, oh, that means I want to be solo and be on my own. Not necessarily, but if somebody is in a company and doesn't have the influence, they don't have a personal brand." — Dan Nestle [00:47:37 → 00:47:55] On the Role of Community in Staying Relevant: - "I cannot be relevant without a community behind me in our rise community. We have people from all around the world helping each other, nurturing each other, talking about, this works. This doesn't, I tried this, use this." — Mark Schaefer [01:04:41 → 01:05:00] On the Importance of Grit and Authenticity: - "Grit, a little crazy and a lot of audacity." — Mark Schaefer [01:06:51 → 01:06:54] On the Importance of Community: - "I can with 1000% certainty say that my understanding of AI and my joy of it is absolutely due to my involvement with the rise community and just that whole process of helping to build that community and being part of it." — Dan Nestle [01:05:00 → 01:05:15]   Resources and Links Dan Nestle The Trending Communicator | Website Daniel Nestle | LinkedIn Dan Nestle | Twitter/X Mark Schaefer Mark Schaefer's Website Mark Schaefer's {grow} Blog The Marketing Companion Podcast (on Apple Podcasts) Mark Schaefer's Books on Amazon Mark Schaefer | LinkedIn   Timestamped key moments from this episode (as generated by Fireflies.ai) 🎙️ Introduction and Personal Brand (00:00 - 15:00) Daniel Nestle introduces Mark Schaefer as a marketing expert and communicator Mark emphasizes the importance of personal brand in the age of AI Discussion on the blurring lines between marketing and communications Mark highlights the need for authenticity and 'grit' in content creation 🤖 AI and Content Creation (15:00 - 30:00) Exploration of AI's impact on lower-level jobs in marketing and communications Mark discusses the need for human creativity and 'crazy' ideas to stand out Emphasis on the importance of authenticity in a world of AI-generated content Discussion on the future of corporate communication in the age of AI 🏢 Corporate Culture and Innovation (30:00 - 45:00) Mark talks about the challenges of innovation in large corporations Discussion on the importance of internal personal branding Emphasis on the need for quick experimentation and 'pilots' in companies Mark introduces his upcoming book 'Audacious' on disruptive marketing 🌐 Future of Marketing and Communications (45:00 - 60:00) Discussion on the importance of community in staying relevant Mark emphasizes the need for human touch in marketing strategies Talk about the rise of AI tools and their impact on content verification Mark's prediction: 'The most human company wins' 🎬 Wrap-up and Resources (60:00 - 01:07:06) Daniel provides information on Mark's blog and podcast Discussion on the RISE community and its benefits Mark's final thoughts on the importance of humanity in business (Notes co-created by Human Dan and a variety of AI helpers, including Fireflies.ai and Flowsend.ai)