As we bid farewell to 2024, it’s clear that the marketing landscape continues to evolve at lightning speed.
Our team has been actively preparing, diving into webinars, and staying ahead of trends to find out what the biggest predictions are for 2025.
The biggest takeaway is that omni-channel marketing will be crucial – brands can no longer afford to view any channel in isolation. The integration of platforms and touch points will define success, creating connected experiences that meet the demands of today’s savvy consumers.
Here’s a glimpse of what we think 2025 will bring:
- The rise of customer expectations
- Search everywhere optimisation
- Phygital experiences will thrive
- Voice and visual search take centre stage
- Digital avatars and AI powered influencers
- Content remains king, but video stands out as the crown jewel
- Millennials will drive influence
The rise of customer expectations
Today’s consumers demand seamless, personalised experiences.
By 2025, 38% of customers are expected to reduce spending after a poor experience, while 15% may abandon a brand entirely.
To retain loyalty, businesses must prioritise user-centric design, fast service, and personalised interactions that meet these rising expectations.
It’s important to note that marketers need to strike the right balance when it comes to personalised messaging – you don’t want to cross the line and be seen as creepy!
The key is to make personalisation feel relevant and helpful, without overstepping privacy boundaries or making the interaction feel unnatural.
Search everywhere optimisation
Search is becoming more diverse, with innovations like zero-click searches, AI summaries, and enhanced visual elements.
Platforms like Google, TikTok, and emerging players such as SearchGPT are reshaping the discovery journey.
Consumers are increasingly adopting an omni-channel approach, beginning their search on platforms like YouTube or TikTok before visiting a website.
Understanding omni-channel vs. multi-channel
While multi-channel focuses on engagement across individual platforms, omni-channel marketing integrates these channels into a unified customer experience.
Campaigns leveraging omni-channel approaches drive 166% higher engagement than siloed strategies.
In 2025, connected customer journeys will set brands apart, with email tools like Zaymo enabling transactions and reviews directly from emails, streamlining the entire process.
Things are going to get Phygital
“Phygital” marketing will be a game-changer in 2025 – it’s a term that identifies a blended approach of physical and digital touch points.
Think of McDonald’s digital kiosks or AR tools enhancing in-store shopping. These integrations build brand loyalty and strengthen customer relationships.
QR codes, advanced mobile payments, instant recommendations, and shoppable live streams are set to become increasingly popular, as consumers increase their reliance on them for product discovery and validation.
Voice and visual search take center stage
Advancements in AI are driving the sophistication of voice and visual search tools.
Younger audiences are embracing options like Google Lens, visual SERPs, and conversational interfaces.
Businesses must adapt by creating visually engaging, conversational content that aligns with user intent.
Expect growth in visual ads, 3D image spins, virtual try-ons, and shoppable videos.
AI-driven campaigns, including voice-activated ads, will deliver hyper-personalised experiences while adhering to evolving privacy regulations, such as the one-to-one consent rule debuting in January 2025.
Wearable technology, including Meta Ray-Ban Stories and Apple Vision Pro, is also set to expand, integrating AR and VR into daily routines.
Digital avatars and AI powered influencers
AI-powered digital avatars are transforming customer interactions. These virtual agents provide efficient, personalised 24/7 service, handling multiple conversations simultaneously.
With 47% of customers already preferring chatbots for support, brands are adopting digital avatars to meet growing demand for instant assistance.
In the next year, influencers may not even be human – crazy, we know!
AI-powered personalities will be capable of meaningful, real-time engagement, redefining what it means to influence audiences.
Content remains king, but video stands out as the crown jewel
Interactive short-form videos that provide digestible information will become essential for capturing the attention of your audience. It will continue to be a powerful tool to boost website traffic and organic visibility, offering higher conversion rates while effectively conveying brand messages.
Interactive elements in videos, such as user-driven paths, 360-degree views, polls, and quizzes will enhance engagement and personalisation efforts.
It’s storytelling at its best, evoking emotions and fostering stronger connections with audiences, ultimately building trust and loyalty.
On the advertising front, demand-generation campaigns will replace video action campaigns. These will enable brands to combine video and image ads within a single campaign.
Ad placements will expand to include platforms like Discover and Gmail. Google predicts improved conversion rates by leveraging a mix of creative assets.
Embracing digital minimalism
When it comes to content it’s true what they say – quality over quantity. Sometimes, if you’re too frequent with your communication it can cheapen the impact of your messaging.
Instead of generating a continuous flutter of content, brands should focus on curating articles that serve real purpose and impact, delivering customer experiences that are consistent, and memorable.
Millennials will drive influence
Millennials, who now make 75% of business buying decisions, are reshaping both B2B and B2C marketing.
This demographic values authenticity, social responsibility, and genuine, unpolished content.
User-generated content (UGC) and influencer partnerships will remain critical for reaching this audience.
They don’t want polished ads, they want authentic storytelling through customer testimonials and real-world applications of products.
They want to be able to trust brands and build that emotional connection.This is where platforms like TikTok come in, blending live engagement with instant purchasing opportunities.
So, that’s it, 2024 is nearly over and the three wise men will bring personalisation, innovation, and enhanced engagement for the new year.
The challenge will be mastering the balance between cutting-edge technology and authentic storytelling so brands meet the rapidly evolving consumer expectations.
See you in 2025!