Marketing is something that is going to be a part of business for a long time. But the situation is changing in 2025, with new concepts and technologies adjusting how businesses do it. While it is still all about driving conversions and making sales, the methodology and channels are different.
So, what is likely to happen in 2025? What can we expect?
An AI Revolution
It is likely we will begin by seeing the culmination of the AI revolution. The underlying technology is now sufficiently sophisticated to perform the sorts of tasks businesses want, it is just a matter of putting it into usable apps and interfaces.
The first application this year will be the personalization-at-scale approach some companies are already using. This promises to message content to specific users based on their characteristics or any information brands have about them.
Generative content is also likely to play a role, as it is already. AI platforms, like ChatGPT and image-generation tools, are coming to the fore, creating dynamic and cost-effective options for smaller businesses that don’t have massive marketing budgets.
Then there is the role of AI is simply predicting market trends. In 2025, businesses will be using it to estimate what might happen next and make decisions accordingly.
New Consumer Engagement Methods
Another trend in 2025 will likely be changes in the way brands engage with consumers. Instead of simply presenting ads to them on a screen, they will provide other types of experiences that will draw them in.
For example, 2025 is likely to be the year of live streams, interactive quizzes, and polls. These provide the opportunity for deeper connections with audiences and make any marketing spending more impactful. Consumers often want to be a part of these events and see what the rest of the community thinks.
You could also try so-called “conversational commerce,” which is finally coming of age. This option involves adding chatbots and other assistants to your customer touchpoints and using them to have conversations and gather information from your audience. Using these is highly effective because it means you can talk to customers at any time and funnel them in the direction of your conversion pages. You can also give customers more assistance during the conversion process, helping them get answers about products.
Lastly, you might consider immersive experiences. Yes, these are annoying because they rely on customers having the right hardware and wanting to use it to watch ads, but they can also be highly effective, reshaping how your brand operates.
For example, you could opt for gamified experiences. These make interacting with your company more fun and encourage people to keep coming back. You could also offer digital showrooms for VR and AR users. Again, these can help them better imagine how they could benefit from your products and services.
Sustainability And Purpose-Driven Marketing
2025 will also likely see the rise of sustainability and so-called “purpose-driven” marketing. These approaches tap into consumers’ desire for more ethical practices in the commercial sector, pushing brands to behave better.
Of course, you already behave well. But marketing the fact that you do can drive sales even higher and get more customers interested in what you do.
Don’t get sucked into the trap of greenwashing your products. Instead, focus on the facts. Talk about the real initiatives your brand is using to clean up its act and protect the planet. Be transparent with how you use natural resources, how much CO2 you emit, and so on, to build an audience. If you are working on more sustainable products and services, talk about that in your outreach. Prove you are putting in the work to make your business more sustainable.
At the same time, you want to engage in what is being called “ethical storytelling.” Instead of just feeding customers a narrative that you think will sell more products, you provide evidence and accountability for your statements. This kind of carefulness can improve the overall reputation and build trust quickly. In many situations, it is highly effective, especially if you are a relatively new business.
Adherence To Consumer Preferences
Previously, marketing was all about getting eyeballs on screens, regardless of how it might affect consumers. However, that’s changing in the modern market. Many audiences are becoming increasingly sophisticated when it comes to corporate advertising strategies, and we may be reaching the peak of this trend in 2025.
What does it mean in practice? Simple. Most customers want privacy-centric marketing. They don’t want companies tracking them as they make their way around the internet, watching everything they do. Audiences want brands to respect them and stop collecting all their information (which they haven’t paid for).
For this reason, brands are having to focus more on first-party data collection. The idea here is to approximate the characteristics of the customer without transferring any details about them personally. It also means using AI to judge personal characteristics from revealed behavior, like comments or search entries, instead of using background information databases.
However, customer preferences aren’t just evolving along the lines of privacy. The type of content they want to consume is also changing (more than many people thought was possible). The desire for Instagram Reels and TikTok video shorts is different from just a few years ago when it wasn’t unusual for someone to sit down and read a 2000-word blog.
For this reason, brands are having to rethink how they use platforms in 2025. Instead of focusing on creating detailed content with long-form information, they’re having to do both in an attempt to attract all kinds of audiences.
Globalizing Culture
It used to be that brands had to personalize ad experiences to local audiences. And this is, to some extent, still the case. However, 2025 is witnessing an acceleration of globalizing culture, meaning that populations in one part of the world are more similar to those in another.
The forces behind this effect are well-known. But marketers are still mostly living in the old world where messages required specific tailoring. That’s less of the case today.
With that said, cultural values do still matter. While the world moves in a liberal direction, the differences between countries can be significant, meaning that some campaigns risk flopping unless they have the proper research and understanding backing them.
Economic pressures, like economic uncertainty, are also driving the conversation. Many people need affordable products and services at more affordable price points, which is something marketers will need to consider.
Hybrid Marketing Teams
Of course, hybrid marketing teams are also a part of the story in 2025. These involve partnering with AI to generate even better content than a human could produce alone.
For example, AI can be useful for all sorts of tasks, including developing ideas, and creating a brand strategy. It can also be used to check website and blog content, create video backgrounds, or suggest ideas for a new marketing direction. While it isn’t great at developing original, game-changing concepts, it goes a long way in that direction.
Hybrid marketing teams will also be spread between the office and remote locations, something digital marketing agencies have been doing since 2010 (when the cloud became a widespread reality). Core staff will remain at the head office while they work with experts and individuals across the globe.
Remote team working with naturally changing office structures. Organizations will need to adapt to the shifting reality. But taking these people on can boost marketing output while improving costs.
Digital Oversaturation
In the context of all this, brands will be dealing with the issue of digital oversaturation, of the idea that people see too many ads every day. Companies in 2025 will need to get even better at cutting through the noise and getting their message across.
Innovation and creating meaningful content is essential. Brands need to think about what they can do to appeal to their audiences on an emotional level, beyond the usual benefits and features of their products. Viewers should be willing to choose to consume the marketing content.
Algorithmic Dependency
Algorithmic dependency will likely get worse in 2025, putting even more pressure on marketers. Platforms will determine which audience members see what, taking power and sovereignty away from brands.
This dependency is particularly evident on social media. Some platforms will outright ban some brands and conversations on their platforms if they don’t agree with them.
For this reason, 2025 will be a year of constant adaptation. Companies will need to adjust to the reality continually to be in with a shot of making it long-term.
Decentralized Platforms
Finally, decentralized platforms will affect how marketers use customer data. Web3 and blockchain will give users more power over who can collect and use their information.
Because of this, marketers will continue to adapt and become more transparent in 2025. They will use trust-based campaigns with NFTs to drive loyalty and provide exclusive promotions. Many may also adapt to using platforms with smaller, more engaged communities to reach specific people who could be their most promising leads.
Last Updated on by Icy Tales Team
