Welcome to the world’s most entertaining marketing podcast.

Note: Beginning in 2026, The Marketing Companion has a new owner and host, Sandy Carter. The podcast will continue to offer the brightest ideas in marketing today and will remain on the same site where you enjoy podcasts today. New episodes of the podcast are available on Sandy’s website.

The archive of past shows hosted by Mark Schaefer over nearly 13 years will remain here.

Mark Schaefer is a globally-recognized marketing author, futurist, college educator, consultant, and keynote speaker. Every other week, Mark brings one of his “marketing companions” alongside him to do a deep dive into the trends of today that forge the marketing innovations of tomorrow.

The Marketing Companion –among the top 1 percent of all podcasts on iTunes — is always fun, always interesting, and always on-target with insights and ideas that will turn up your marketing intellect to an “11.” Find a topic in the guide below or push one of the subscribe buttons to get episodes delivered free to your email account every other week.

Master Class

Join the most effective personal branding training class in the world.

Reviews

Could not be better, two intriguing and thought-provoking minds who possess the perfect balance of intellect and entertainment – Rany Bowden

The marketing podcast equivalent of a Snicker’s bar wrapped in bacon. Satisfying, intreating, and leaves you wanting more. – Rosemary O’Neil

Mark & Tom live up to the podcasting holy trinity: educate/inform/entertain – Jamie Wallace

What’s a pod cast? – Mark’s mother?

A content dominance strategy drives new media economy

Subscription-based revenue now far exceeds advertising revenue amonf media consumers. A content dominance strategy is driving the new media economy

What marketing skills do you need for career success today?

Debates rages over need for college education, marketing skills versus tech, and the future of marketing. What skills do you need for career success?

The true goal of influence: Persuasion

Persuasion has a number of elements, and you can't truly persuade without understanding your audience, the information they need to achieve their own goals.

Content marketing FOMO and the future of marketing budgets

In this latest episode of The Marketing Companion podcast, Mark Schaefer and Tom Webster discuss content marketing FOMO, and courage in marketing

How to create a winning strategy with crappy content

The conventional wisdom is that quality beats quantity in content marketing but that is not always the case. Sometimes cheap and crappy content can win

A thought exercise on social media and critical thinking

Research shows that being immersed in web activities might reduce our ability process information. The enigma of social media and critical thinking.

The reality of online influence and the only thing that matters

In the online realm, title doesn't matter, achievement doesn't matter, wealth doesn't matter. The key to building online influence is being known.

Should Facebook be regulated?

Facebook sets its own standards for content and community apart from other government guidelines for violence and obscenity. Should Facebook be regulated?