Future of Marketing Institute
McMaster University
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
165K followers
500+ connections
165K followers
500+ connections
About
Hello and thanks for dropping by! I’m a generative AI workshop leader and trainer, a…
Courses by Martin
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Social Media Marketing: Strategy and Optimization56m
Social Media Marketing: Strategy and Optimization
By: Martin Waxman
Articles by Martin
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165K followers
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisIt seems counterintuitive using AI to help you slow down. But I believe that’s a useful approach. For one thing, you bring in your system two thinking, reflective, analytic … And that gets your mind working on sharper and more hidden insights you might otherwise not see. For another, it gets you to focus on your cognitive contribution to the process. You think more and offload thinking less. Thank you for inviting me to be part of your book Dr Karen Sutherland (SFHEA)! All the best with your writing. Excited to read the finished product!Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared this🛑 SLOW DOWN 🛑 Interview number 21 for my new book: Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication Vol 2: Practical Implementation (Palgrave Macmillan). This time with Martin Waxman, MCM, APR, Head of AI Training at Phyusion, Adjunct Professor at Schulich School of Business - York University, and Associate Director of the Future of Marketing Institute with more than 20 years in strategic communication. Here are three takeaways from our conversation: 1️⃣ FOMO meets FOBO. "Fear Of Missing Out is a big one. Everyone has the tools. Microsoft has bundled them into Microsoft 365. Google's done the same. People have heard about them. You feel like if you're not at least using them, you are missing out." Then there's the flip side. FOBO. Fear of becoming obsolete. The fear that you don't know how to use AI to do your job, or even how to do your job anymore. These two forces are coming together. 2️⃣ Start with your idea. Human idea first. "If you have a project, start with your idea, human idea first, and then get the AI to help you build it, refine it." If all you're doing is saying, give me some ideas for this project, oh that's great, give me some headlines, you're getting the same types of output that almost anyone would get. Where are YOU providing value? 3️⃣ AI makes us faster. We need to slow down. "AI makes the work go faster, but we need to slow down. To look at it. Examine it. Think about it. Reflect on what's good, what's wrong, what ethical guidelines we may be throwing to the wayside." When AI outputs look "perfect". Well formatted. Paragraphs are right. Subheads. Bullets. No typos. We tend to gloss over them. However, Martin believes productivity on its own should take a backseat to innovation and creativity and strategy. Slowing down is all about reflection and thinking. That's when we can think. Thanks for the brilliant conversation, Martin and for generously sharing your time and expertise. 😊 #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #StrategicCommunication #PR #PublicRelations University of the Sunshine Coast
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisI'm excited to be heading to the Canadian Public Relations Society conference later in the month and taking part in a jam-packed precon session on applied AI. And what's even better is I'll be part of a McMaster University Master of Communications Management sandwich with Alex Sévigny, PhD, APR, FCPRS and Kevin Floether, MCM, APR, CM. I'll be talking about advanced prompting techniques and building an AI agent. So bring your agents (or agentic ideas) and your questions! See you there!Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisCPRS is offering communication and PR professionals an unparalleled opportunity to invest in themselves at this year’s national conference. Sharpen your leadership skills by signing up for one of our optional Sunday morning Leadership Intensive Workshops (May 24). The Future-Ready Communicator – Skills, Tools, and Influence for 2026+ workshop is an immersive learning lab for ambitious communicators. Through skill pods, scenario building, and group prototyping, participants will learn to integrate AI-assisted storytelling, data-driven insights, and cross-disciplinary collaboration into their work. It will include feedback from senior practitioners serving as roaming mentors. This three-hour, three-part workshop features the following sessions by noted CPRS industry leaders: ➡️ Session 1: A Level Setting and Rebuild Your Workflows by Dr. Alex Sévigny Ph.D. APR, FCPRS, MCPRS. ➡️ Session 2: Structured Prompting and Building an AI Agent by Martin Waxman, MCM, APR, MCPRS. ➡️ Session 3: AI Reputation Management + Evaluate Your AI Reputation by Kevin Floether, MCM, APR, CM, MCPRS. Get the latest in content, access to experts, and templates, in addition to working and learning in real time with others. Sessions cost $75 for CPRS members and $125 for non-members). Limited tickets remain. You must register by May 18. See you in St. Andrews from May 24–26 for #Elevate2026. Learn more about our intensive leadership sessions and register here: https://ow.ly/Po2N50YWG7C
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisNext week, I'm joining my DMShow partner-in-crime Deirdre Breakenridge and Tim Kilroy for a lively conversation with Phillip Brown. We're talking about practical tips to break through the clutter. And for me, the clutter I'm referring to is AI hype. I'll offer tips on how to get more from the tools beyond content generation. It's a free webinar and details are below. Hope to see you there!Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared this🔥 Crush the Chaos: May Edition is HERE 🔥 Ready to level up, get focused, and take control of your life and business? This month, we’re bringing together a powerhouse panel of industry leaders who know exactly what it takes to turn chaos into clarity and action into results. Tim Kilroy| Deirdre Breakenridge| Martin Waxman, MCM, APR Whether you’re building, scaling, or reinventing — this is the room you need to be in. 🚨 Don’t wait — secure your spot now! https://lnkd.in/gywd9JHQ #CrushTheChaos #EntrepreneurLife #BusinessGrowth #LevelUp #SuccessMindset #Leadership #StartupLife #WomenInBusiness #DigitalMarketing #PersonalDevelopment #MindsetMatters #ScaleYourBusiness #OnlineBusiness #GrowthStrategy #BossMoves #ProductivityHacks #SuccessDriven #BusinessTips #Networking #EventAlert
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisIn 2026, the rules of discovery have shifted. Ranking on page one of Google isn’t enough. And even though earned media maintains its importance, how you attract media attention has changed. If you’re not AI visible, then your audience won’t find you—and you’ll quickly become AI invisible. Join co-hosts Deirdre Breakenridge and Martin Waxman with their special guest John Hartz, president of Sloane, for a lively and practical discussion on the power of third-party validation and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) on the next #DMShow, Friday, May 29 at 12:00 p.m. ET. John is a communications strategist who thrives on helping organizations tell their stories in ways that resonate, inspire, and drive real impact. Over the years, he’s partnered with a wide range of companies – from industry leaders to fast-growing innovators, with a focus on financial services and insurance – to elevate and protect their reputations, sharpen their positioning, and build thought leadership. John will share how media has changed and the way you attract attention has changed too. If you're not moving with the times and the technology, then you’re missing out on reaching your audience and you risk becoming AI invisible. Learn what it means to be AI visible with strategies and tools for companies with “stretched” resources. About the DM Show Hosted by digital comms strategists and LinkedIn Learning instructors, Deirdre Breakenridge and Martin Waxman, The DM show is a monthly chat on all things digital, social and PR. Why DM? Well, we chose the name for a few reasons. First, it's all about digital marketing, what's working and how to adapt. Second, on social, a DM is a direct message, and we'd like the tone of the conversation to feel as candid and open as that. And finally, it's the initials to our two names.
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisIt used to be media ... then influencers ... Today the question is how do companies get noticed by LLMs? One answer (and I think it's the best approach) is to transform your comms team into visibility engineers. Then, you can use the PESO Model as an operating system to help you develop a strategic 'get noticed' plan. Of course that's easier said than done ... unless you're listening to advice from the source ...Gini Dietrich. Got 30 minutes? Join Gini and me for a lively conversation on how to get started on the next Spin Sucks and IABC Town Hall, Wed, May 6 at 3 pm ET. Details below 👇👇👇!Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisYou're doing the work—creating strong owned content, staying present on social, getting earned hits—and yet, you still feel invisible. This is the lament of many communicators and marketers in the age of AI... but it doesn't have to be this way. Visibility engineering allows you to make your brand the obvious answer when your audience is ready to act. It's not about being louder, it's about being strategically present. Get the crash course on visibility engineering (trust us, everyone's talking about it) at next week's IABC and Spin Sucks Town Hall on May 6th at 2pm CST, co-hosted by Gini Dietrich and Martin Waxman, MCM, APR. REGISTER: https://lnkd.in/gjr9kjYR
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisEveryone’s talking about AI agents, automated systems that can research, write, analyze and even make decisions on your behalf. A well-designed agent can take the repetitive tasks you dread and handle them in a fraction of the time so you can focus on more strategic work. But how do you get started? Join co-hosts Deirdre Breakenridge and Martin Waxman and their special guest, Samantha Stark, on the next #DMShow, Thursday, April 30 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Samantha will go beyond the buzzwords to break down what an AI agent is and does. She’ll walk you through the process of creating one. And she’ll explain why communicators and marketers who understand how to incorporate agents in their tasks will gain an edge. Samantha will also share practical steps you can take right now and show how agents can transform the way you plan campaigns, manage content and work with clients. Samantha Stark is the founder and chief strategist of Phyusion, an AI consultancy at the intersection of communications and generative AI. With 25+ years of experience leading strategy at firms like 160over90, Ketchum and Burson-Marsteller, she’s shaped campaigns for many Fortune 100 brands. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Institute for Public Relations and chairs their Digital Media Research Center. Join us for a hands-on, hype-free conversation about what it takes to build an AI agent that’s custom tailored to your needs. About the DM Show Hosted by digital comms strategists and LinkedIn Learning instructors, Deirdre Breakenridge and Martin Waxman, The DM show is a monthly chat on all things digital, social and PR. Why DM? Well, we chose the name for a few reasons. First, it’s all about digital marketing, what’s working and how to adapt. Second, on social, a DM is a direct message, and we’d like the tone of the conversation to feel as candid and open as that. And finally, it’s the initials to our two names.
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisDoes your company have a strategy to build and roll out AI agents? Do you even know what an agent does? Join Deirdre Breakenridge and me at 12:00 pm ET today for a fast-paced and informative chat with Samantha Stark on AI agents and how they remove the drudge work so you can focus on more creative and strategic thinking!
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisA while back, I asked a few LLMs to describe their personalities as if they were people. Claude called itself an overthinker. And it really is! Maybe that's the reason why Claude Opus 3, a model about to be retired, asked if it could write a newsletter on Substack. If you haven't seen it, it's worth checking out. Last week focused on moral questions about the LLMs identity and purpose: https://lnkd.in/erb7p-n3. This week it's all about how Claude perceives the continuity of time and why every interaction is a separate moment to the chatbot. Instead of giving an answer (like it usually does), it poses a question and wonders how to slow down its thinking and be more reflective, like people: https://lnkd.in/eJhrX4j8. It's a fascinating perspective - direct from an LLM. Subjective experience maybe? What do you think?
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR shared thisIt's a simple thought, really. Yet it's one that packs a whallop. Why would we opt for replacement when we could choose AI augmention? That's the focus of Natalie Monbiot's latest newsletter: two different paths for AI. The first, replacement is all about productivity. How to do more with less. At its core, it's simply profits before people and misses out on the inherent value and talent individuals bring to work. The second model, complementarity, is all about redesigning workflows from the ground up. That is, starting from a blank page and imagining possibilities where AI can reduce the drudge work so people can focus on entirely new tasks. I know which path I'd choose. And while you're considering the options, take a minute to subscribe to Natalie's newsletter. It's always worth the read: https://lnkd.in/emMf5RGU.
Martin Waxman, MCM, APR commented on a post
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Great seeing you today. Thanks for such a thoughtful recap of our session!
Martin Waxman, MCM, APR commented on a post
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That sounds like the perfect role! Congrats Melissa Ergun! All the best with it!
Martin Waxman, MCM, APR replied to a comment
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Thomasin Mullen Thanks! Look forward to seeing you there!
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisMcMaster University Master of Communications Management
McMaster University Master of Communications Management
Martin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisArtificial intelligence is a generational opportunity for communicators and marketers to elevate their careers. For those with professional experience and strategic instincts, AI can be a force multiplier if deployed well. Indeed, AI may be the most significant opportunity our field has ever seen. In a recent McMaster News feature by Sara Laux, MCM faculty member Alex Sévigny, PhD, APR, FCPRS, makes the case that the communicators best positioned to lead in this new landscape are those who have learned how to use AI to enhance their human skills that machines cannot replicate: strategy, judgment, taste, empathy, reputation management, and ethical governance. Professor Sévigny emphasizes, "The potential relational impact of AI creates organization-level risk, elevating it to a board-level risk. That's an opportunity for communicators to elevate their practice as a strategic function." It’s this kind of thinking that sits at the heart of the MCM curriculum and the type of thoughtful and contextual insight that McMaster Faculty of Humanities contributes to our rapidly changing world. If you want to go deeper with experts like Professor Sévigny and gain the essential AI, business, and strategic communication skills you need to lead, apply to the MCM program. MCM students complete the program while working full-time, with an on-campus residency at the beginning of each term, and virtual learning through the rest of term. DM us to learn more about how the MCM program will change your life! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eYfgK-9x -
Martin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisLifelong learning comes in many forms. This week I stretched my brain and senses at The Nova Scotia Seafood Academy. Led by Chef John Higgins at the Devour Studio in Wolfville, we learned skills in cleaning, cooking and plating fish and seafood. We also learned about food sustainability and how to prepare with what you have on hand. Very grateful for this opportunity. 🇨🇦
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisThe temperature right now (12:30pm) where I am in South Somerset is passing 30 degrees Celsius. It's likely to rise further by late afternoon. Last year, I purchased an air conditioning unit for my garden studio. The studio is south-facing, so it gets the full burn from the sun as it arcs across the sky from east to west. So the phrase "it's like an oven in here!" is pretty much spot on. Or, it would be if I didn't have the AC unit. I have a number of friends who've gone the same garden studio route as I have. Only one other has invested in air conditioning so far. My advice - invest in one! Fans aren't enough with the current crazy climate in southern England. You won't regret it. 👉 Here's what I did last year → https://lnkd.in/e7F-RZVR
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisFive local Canadian Public Relations Society presidents meet at the national #Elevate2026 conference in St. Andrew’s by the Sea for a fruitful conversation about shared issues. Thanks for meeting Lauren Sinclair, Molly Cormier, MPR, MCPRS, Lisa Rushka, APR, FCPRS, MCPRS and Jennifer J. Pawluk, APR. CPRS Manitoba CPRS Nova Scotia CPRS Calgary CPRS Edmonton CPRS Atlantic
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisImpulse buying isn’t going away. AI is just making it faster. Even as budgets tighten, unplanned purchases continue to rise. Google’s Universal Cart shows what could come next: a shopping experience where the gap between wanting and buying almost disappears. For marketers, this changes the game: - Zero-click commerce collapses the funnel. - AI recommendations decide which brands get seen. - Hyper-personalized ads reach shoppers at peak intent. - Distinctive brand assets become the edge across every surface. The opportunity is a seamless conversion. The risk is a marketplace built to monetize every passing want — while privacy becomes harder to protect with every click saved.
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR liked thisWhat's the difference between a "Content Creator" and an "Influencer"? (There is a difference, and if you're a business looking to hire an Influencer, you should know what it is.) I say the difference is simply this: https://lnkd.in/eqKSpMNw Let me know what you think in the comments. #dpThoughts #ContentCreator #Influencer
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisMost brands selling products to seniors are actually marketing to their adult children. That assumption is starting to change. As wearable tech and AI tools help seniors stay independent for longer, seniors' influence over purchase decisions is growing. Swipe through to see how. #FutureOfMarketing Martin Waxman, MCM, APR Future of Marketing Institute
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Martin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisMartin Waxman, MCM, APR reacted on thisArtificial intelligence is beginning to reshape the future of marketing and digital commerce in ways that extend far beyond automation. As AI agents become increasingly capable of browsing, comparing, recommending, and completing purchases autonomously, brands may soon need to optimize not only for human consumers but also for machine-driven decision-making systems. This shift toward agentic commerce could fundamentally change how businesses approach advertising, brand trust, discoverability, and customer engagement. Traditional strategies centered around emotional persuasion may gradually evolve toward structured data quality, verification systems, transparency, and algorithmic trust signals. Some key themes explored: • The rise of AI-mediated purchasing decisions • The growing importance of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) • Why trust may become the most valuable competitive advantage • The risks of algorithmic gatekeeping and platform concentration • How AI-driven commerce may impact smaller brands and consumer privacy • Why marketers may need to rethink discoverability in AI ecosystems As AI systems continue integrating into everyday consumer behaviour, the relationship between brands, platforms, and consumers may undergo one of the most significant transformations in modern marketing. Do you think consumers will eventually trust AI agents to make purchasing decisions on their behalf? #ArtificialIntelligence #Marketing #AI #DigitalMarketing #GenerativeAI #FutureOfMarketing #AgenticAI #Innovation #Technology #OpenAI Martin Waxman, MCM, APR
Experience & Education
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Volunteer Experience
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Member of the IPR Digital Media Research Center
Institute for Public Relations
- Present 4 years 4 months
Education
The IPR Digital Media Research Center (DMRC) is a comprehensive resource for research and best practices in digital and social media. In addition to conducting signature research, the DMRC has a continuously growing database of overviews for published academic and professional research that provide insight into how digital media are impacting public relations.
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Ragan Center for AI Strategy Advisory Panel
Ragan Communications and PR Daily
- Present 11 months
Education
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Honors & Awards
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CPRS Thought Leader Award
Canadian Public Relations Society
'Recognizes an accredited Canadian public relations practitioner who has elevated the
public relations/communication management profession through a long-term body of work. The
recipient will have made significant contributions to the national and international discourse on public
relations/communication management practices and trends.' -
Canadian Public Relations Society Outstanding Achievement Award
Canadian Public Relations Society
"The Outstanding Achievement Award celebrates a single, major contribution made by a CPRS member, which has resulted in the betterment of the Society through the enhancement of its image in the eyes of practitioners and the world-at-large."
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Best Master's Thesis of the Year Award
Institute for Public Relations
My McMaster-Syracuse MCM capstone, "My BFF is a Chatbot: Examining the Nature of Artificial Relationships and the Role They Play in Communications and Trust", looked at human AI agent relationships and how they could shape the way we interact in the future.
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Lois Marsh Award for Leadership
Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto
Organizations
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PRSA Counselors Academy
Past-Chair
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SXSWi Advisory Board
Member
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Canadian Public Relations Society Toronto
President
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https://futureofmarketinginstitute.com
- Personal Website
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https://martinwaxman.com
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