As we close out 2024, we’re facing a marketing industry that is changing faster than ever. To stay ahead, it’s crucial to evaluate shifts in consumer behaviour and media trends that are redefining advertising and marketing strategies.
With 2025 on the horizon, here are five significant trends I think will influence the industry and shape strategies, as well as the opportunities and areas for improvement they present with the impact of artificial intelligence.
1. Visual Content Will Remain A Dominant Force
Visual content—especially video—continues to remain king when it comes to consumer engagement. Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels are fuelling the popularity of short-form videos, which are highly effective in capturing and retaining user attention. About 62% of consumers have watched videos to learn more about brands, discover how their products or services work, and identify benefits they might not have learned about in the text-based description.
To capitalize on this demand, consider boosting your video production capabilities and focus on authentic, informative videos that align with consumer preferences. Video content that delivers quick, engaging and valuable insights will help your brand stay visible and relevant in crowded digital spaces.
With the assistance of AI-driven video editing, you can produce personalized content that caters to individual consumer preferences more efficiently and at a lower cost. On the other hand, relying solely on AI tools for video creation may reduce authenticity, which can affect brand trust, so make sure you find the right balance between AI and human effort.
2. UGC Will Enhance Brand Authenticity
User-generated content (UGC) has become a vital asset for building brand trust. Consumers increasingly look to peers for genuine product evaluations, with 99.9% of consumers reading reviews before making an online purchase. With this in mind, consider UGC not just as a tool for engagement but as an authentic storytelling engine that creates a deeper connection with your consumers and builds trust.
By featuring customer reviews and encouraging social media shares, you can strengthen connections with consumers and cultivate a loyal customer base by making users part of your brand’s story.
AI sentiment analysis can provide insights into consumer attitudes, allowing you to align with positive user tendencies and drive engagement. Depending on AI for UGC poses some risks, though. AI systems might misinterpret context, leading to the promotion of content that doesn’t align with your brand’s image and potentially causing concerns with brand alignment and customer perceptions.
3. AI-Powered Personalization Will Be A Driving Force
AI, specifically generative AI, will likely play a transformative role in delivering hyper-personalized marketing experiences, moving beyond simple segmentation. This will allow you to tailor content to each person’s preferences, habits and buying patterns. Gartner predicts that next year, 30% of large organizations’ outbound marketing messages will be “synthetically generated,” helping companies deliver new, personalized content faster than ever before.
This level of personalization can deepen customer relationships and drive business growth by making marketing messages feel tailored and timely. As more brands adopt generative AI, they will have new tools for reaching customers in more meaningful and relevant ways.
Generative AI tools allow for a wide range of tailored marketing strategies that can help deepen brand-consumer relationships. The challenge with AI-driven personalization is acquiring significant amounts of consumer data without overstepping on privacy. You must carefully navigate this challenge to avoid breaking consumer trust.
4. The Integration Of Advanced Analytics Will Expand
AI’s integration into marketing technology is evolving beyond ad placements, especially in programmatic advertising. This transformation has added sophistication and smart targeting to customers, and it is no longer just about automating ad placements. Brand awareness, engagement and performance are more integrated across marketing and media executions and optimizations. AI now facilitates deeper insights into campaign paths, including conversion or acquisition tracking, lifetime value optimizations and cross-channel loyalty programs.
AI-driven analytics provide robust insights that can advise you on effective strategies, boost ROI and optimize your overall marketing spend. By understanding customer behaviours and patterns through advanced analytics, you can tailor campaigns to achieve specific outcomes, such as higher retention rates or increased brand loyalty. Keep in mind, though, that while AI may improve efficiency, it may overlook or misconceive emerging consumer trends and broader market shifts that humans understand based on context.
5. Adoption Of Zero- And First-Party Data Will Increase
As data privacy regulations tighten and third-party cookies phase out, marketers are pivoting to first- and zero-party data collection. Customer interactions, voluntary surveys and loyalty programs will be critical to create substantial, compliant marketing strategies.
Consumers are increasingly becoming more concerned about privacy. This means you must prioritize transparency and consent. By following simple privacy rules, you can continue to leverage customer insight in ways that build trust while still personalizing customer experiences.
AI can improve your data collection strategies by pinpointing relevant touchpoints and enhancing data insights to create value-driven marketing that aligns with consumer privacy expectations.
The coming year promises to be one of significant evolution in the advertising and marketing industry. By leveraging AI with careful consideration, you can optimize your strategies to deliver and enhance consumer trust in a time when data, personalization and authenticity are key.
Feature Image Credit: Getty
By Jessica Hawthorne-Castro
Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.
Jessica Hawthorne-Castro is CEO of Hawthorne, an analytics and technology-driven accountable advertising agency. Read Jessica Hawthorne-Castro’s full executive profile here.
