What happens when European structure meets American speed in the age of AI?

Mark de Grasse sits down with Axel Simon of AS Digital Marketing Solutions to dissect the cultural and operational divides between how businesses in the U.S. and Europe approach branding, automation, and leadership.

They dig into why AI alone won’t save broken brands, how content clutter is killing credibility, and why most companies are ignoring their best marketing asset—the founder’s voice.

This episode exposes the real-world pitfalls of over-delegation, reveals the power of referral-driven growth, and maps out how AI can finally align brand, voice, and values at scale. If you’re building a smarter business, this is the playbook.

TOPICS

• Differences in AI adoption and business culture between Europe and the U.S.
• How GDPR shapes content, trust, and marketing expectations in the EU
• Why brand leadership should come from the top—not outsourced agencies
• The Third Path: Using AI to scale brand consistency and clarity
• How to turn CEOs into brand ambassadors using podcasting and content frameworks
• What goes wrong when AI is fed junk—plus how to train it with meaningful data
• Why referrals, not ad spend, still dominate in successful B2B relationships

GUEST LINKS

AS Digital Marketing Solutions: https://www.simonsdigitalmarketing.de/
Axel Simon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-simon-energy

ADVERTISING LINKS

AI Challenge for Managers: https://aibranding.academy/28-day-ai-challenge-for-managers/