Is your marketing stuck in “competent” mode?
In a world where AI can generate endless content, being good isn’t good enough anymore.
In this episode, Tim Soulo sits down with best-selling author and marketing futurist Mark Schaefer to unpack why most marketing feels flat — and how to fix it. Drawing from his book Audacious, Mark makes the case for out-humaning the machines: creating content that’s emotional, unexpected, and deeply memorable.
You’ll learn:
Why the real threat to your brand isn’t AI — it’s being boring
How concepts like the handicap principle and pratfall effect make content feel more real
What a $1,500 pig can teach you about word-of-mouth marketing
Why Liquid Death isn’t selling water — they’re selling marketing
How to measure the ROI of audacity in a spreadsheet-driven world
If your brand is playing it safe, this conversation will push you to think bigger, bolder, and more human.
Chapters:
(00:00) Intro
(03:06) The Concept of Audacious Marketing
(08:52) How to Out-Human the Machines
(11:39) Join Ahrefs Evolve
(12:18) Using AI in Marketing
(21:12) How a $1500 Pig Became a Marketing Sensation
(30:47) Breaking Bad Rules for Good Reasons
(37:12) Creating Awe to Break the Pandemic of Dull
(48:31) Using Controversy and Stunts to Create Awareness
(55:28) How Liquid Death Disrupted a Boring Industry Through Marketing
(01:05:15) Buying a Product vs Buying a Brand
(01:13:27) Measuring the Impact of Audacious Marketing
(01:21:01) Outro
Where to find Mark:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisclickup/
Website: https://clickup.com/
Where to find Tim:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/
X: https://twitter.com/timsoulo
Website: https://www.timsoulo.com/
Referenced in this episode:
👤 People
Michael Krivica — https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelkrivica/
Dacher Keltner — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dacherkeltner/
Peter Drucker — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker
Philip Kotler — https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkotler/
Patrick Campbell — https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell/
Jonah Berger — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahberger/
Bill Gates — https://www.linkedin.com/in/billgates/
Mike Cessario (Liquid Death Founder) — https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikecessario/
Stix Nielsen (ex-Liquid Death CMO) — https://www.linkedin.com/in/stixnielsen/
🏢 Companies & Brands
Ahrefs — https://ahrefs.com/
Coca-Cola — https://www.coca-colacompany.com/
Netflix — https://www.netflix.com/
Liquid Death — https://liquiddeath.com/
Pepsi — https://www.pepsico.com/
Powerade — https://www.powerade.com/
Gatorade — https://www.gatorade.com/
Elf Cosmetics — https://www.elfcosmetics.com/
Roblox — https://www.roblox.com/
monday.com — https://monday.com/
ClickUp — https://clickup.com/
Asana — https://asana.com/
BMW — https://www.bmw.com/
Audi — https://www.audi.com/
Mercedes — https://www.mercedes-benz.com/
ProfitWell — https://www.profitwell.com/
Mischief Agency — https://www.mischiefusa.com/
Taboo — https://www.taboo.com.au/
📚 Books
Audacious by Mark Schaefer — https://www.amazon.com/Audacious-Marketing-Humans-Machines-Dominate/dp/1119904791
Contagious: Why Things Catch On by Jonah Berger — https://www.amazon.com/Contagious-Things-Catch-Jonah-Berger/dp/1451686579
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner — https://www.amazon.com/Awe-Science-Everyday-Wonder-Transform/dp/1982172820
📚 Concepts & Frameworks
Handicap Principle — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handicap_principle
Pratfall Effect — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratfall_effect
Social Objects — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_object
Collective Effervescence — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_effervescence
Four P’s of Marketing — https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/four-ps-of-marketing.asp
🎬 Events
South by Southwest (SXSW) — https://www.sxsw.com/
Ahrefs Evolve Conference — https://ahrefs.com/evolve
