Is AI the superglue that can repair our fractured media universe? Or is it just another tool that could further splinter our audiences?
In this episode of The Trending Communicator, host Dan Nestle sits down with digital marketing expert, leading AI researcher, and prolific LinkedIn Learning course creator Martin Waxman. A professor at McMaster University, associate director of the Future of Marketing Institute, and member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Center, Martin has been leading the AI charge for the Communications profession through his Digital Marketing Trends newsletter and the LinkedIn Live DM Show (with recent TTC guest, Deirdre Breakenridge). In other words, he's just the guy Dan needs to speak with to unpack the complexities of generative AI in the world of marketing and PR.
This episode tackles the pressing questions facing communicators in 2025: How can we effectively use AI to reach fragmented audiences? What are the risks of over-relying on AI for content creation? And how can we maintain our creativity and critical thinking skills in an AI-driven world?
Dan and Martin discuss the parallels between the early days of social media adoption and the current AI revolution, highlighting the importance of developing AI policies and guidelines within organizations. They also address the fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO) that many professionals are experiencing in the face of rapid technological change.
The conversation takes a practical turn as Martin shares his favorite AI tools for various tasks, from content generation to image creation. Listeners will gain insights into how to integrate these tools into their workflow without sacrificing creativity or quality.
Whether you're an AI enthusiast or a skeptic, this episode offers a balanced perspective on the role of generative AI in shaping the future of communications. Martin's call to action for professionals to be proactive, entrepreneurial, and initiative-taking with AI tools serves as a rallying cry for the industry.
Don't miss this thought-provoking discussion that will challenge you to rethink your approach to AI in communications and marketing. Tune in to discover how you can harness the power of AI while maintaining the human touch that sets great communicators apart.
Listen in and hear about...
Navigating the fractured landscape of modern communications AI's potential to revolutionize content creation and distribution Balancing efficiency gains with maintaining creative integrity Strategies for avoiding "AI slop" and enhancing originality Essential AI tools for marketers and communicators in 2025 Cultivating critical thinking skills in the age of generative AI Future trends in AI-driven marketing and public relations Notable Quotes
On the Fractured Landscape:
"Sometimes I think the word of the year for 2024 should be fractured. As in the fractured. Fill in the blank landscape, the fractured media landscape, the social media landscape, the fractured political landscape, the fractured audience landscape." - Dan Nestle [00:00 - 00:17]
AI's Role in Communication:
"Instead of writing 15 versions of an article for 15 channels, we can write and easily use AI to repurpose it 15 ways." - Dan Nestle [00:45 - 00:52]
On AI Adoption:
"It feels like to me, with all the announcements that were packed into the last two weeks of December, plus all the hype we've heard for the entire year, it just. It reminds me of a Jenga game that the tech companies. Or Jenga game. How about that? The tech companies are playing with each, and they keep going higher and higher and higher as it gets a little bit shakier." - Martin Waxman [08:24 - 08:46]
Fear of Becoming Obsolete:
"There's actually a term for this. It's called FOBO, the fear of becoming obsolete. And it's really real. There's been studies around this." - Martin Waxman [09:18 - 09:25]
On AI Slop:
"I just want next year to be the year where we get rid of AI slop. And there's certain words I never want to see again. I never want to see the word leverage anymore. Unless you're talking about actually, you know, using something or moving something with a lever." - Martin Waxman [44:36 - 44:50]
The Learning Curve with AI:
"We have to factor in and. And you touched on this. The learning curve that we have, learning how to talk to machines. Yeah, we can talk to people, but we need to learn how to talk to machines better." - Martin Waxman [43:54 - 44:05]
On Being Proactive with AI:
"We are all newbies, we're all neophytes in this. I mean, it may feel like it's been around forever. It hasn't. So we all have an opportunity to figure out how the tools work, how we can use them more effectively. But we need to be proactive, we need to be entrepreneurial, and we need to take some initiative with them" - Martin Waxman [1:03:57 - 1:04:18]
Resources and Links
Dan Nestle
Inquisitive Communications...