As we enter a new era of massive shifts in consumption patterns, technology will add further complexity to the evolving brand marketing landscape. “In 2025, brand marketing is evolving at lightning speed, driven by changes in technology, consumer habits, and market trends,” according to HT Media Group, an Indian media company, in December.
Therefore, “staying ahead of these trends is essential to create impactful strategies that drive engagement and results,” wrote Deepak Bansal, director of digital marketing at Atihsi LLC, a digital marketing company, in Forbes in November.
Excelling in marketing in 2025 “will require a balance between leveraging cutting-edge technology and fostering human expertise and creativity,” said John McCarthy, chief marketing officer at Kantar Media Group, an international market research company based in London.
He added that by focusing on both, “the industry can bolster confidence, de-risk decision-making, tap into new opportunities, and continue to evolve in an innovative and sustainable way.”
However, competition and customer retention will be persistent challenges. According to Benamic, a promotional marketing agency, “As shoppers seek better value, they’re more willing to switch brands in search of the best deals. This has led to increased competition, with companies exploring various strategies to retain customers.”
Consumer expectations
The NielsenIQ and Consumer Technology Association’s 2025 Global Tech & Durables Outlook shows that “while global inflation has eased, consumer confidence has yet to fully recover.”
To change that, businesses should deliver value and tailor strategies that meet localized and highly intentional consumer demands, the outlook underscored. According to PWC’s Voice of the Consumer Survey 2024, “Brands and retailers must embrace a more flexible omnichannel strategy to meet consumers’ evolving expectations for a dynamic mix of online and offline experiences.”
The survey said marketers should be aware of consumers’ preferred shopping locations in-store or through remote channels.
It also noted that since 2022, about 42% of consumers have preferred shopping in-store, 34% via smartphones, and 23% via computers.
Maximizing budgets
In 2025, brands will be increasingly willing to invest in marketing and advertising efforts. According to Richard Fitzgerald, CEO of Augustus Media, in January, global media spending is projected to hit a record of $1 trillion, with the MENA region playing a crucial role.
In addition, “regional media investments in MENA are projected to reach $1.1 billion, bolstered by growth in influencer marketing, which accounts for up to 40% of marketing budgets in some cases,” said Fitzgerald.
Notably, Dentsu, an advertising and PR company, expects advertising spending growth to increase 5.9% in 2025, almost double the global economic growth rate of 3.2%.
Digital advertising spending is anticipated to be the fastest-growing channel in 2025. The Dentsu Global Ad Spend Forecasts report expects digital marketing to increase 9.2% this year to reach $513 billion and 62.7% of the total advertising market.
Across key digital segments, retail media will be leading the way. “In 2025, retail media networks will become full-funnel marketing assets, specifically for consumer packaged goods brands,” said Barry Thomas, senior global thought leader of Consulting at Kantar Group, a London-based research company.
According to Kantar, retail media includes advanced digital advertising platforms managed by retailers. These platforms enable brands to connect with highly targeted audiences through personalized ads on retailer websites, apps, and in-store digital displays.
Retail media is expected to surge by 21.9% in 2025, according to Dentsu’s report. This growth will be driven by 41% of marketers worldwide saying they plan to increase their retail media advertising, according to Kantar Media Reactions 2024.
Ad dilemma
Gonca Bubani, global media thought leadership director at Kantar, said brands are currently weighing the choice between broadcast and streaming TV advertisements. She said broadcast TV still dominates reach. Conversely, TGI 2024 data found that 50% of people say most of their TV watching is streaming.
According to Kantar’s Media Reactions 2024, 8% of marketers globally plan to decrease their investment in broadcast TV in 2025, with 55% expecting to increase investment in TV streaming.
However, Bubani noted, “The journey toward total video is a balancing act.” Successful marketers in 2025 will be diverse in their approaches and consider viewers’ nuances, she said.
Aside from TV ads, social media also fosters high-quality engagement. Kantar’s Media Reactions 2024 has shown that 31% of people surveyed say ads on social media platforms capture their attention.
Influencer marketing
In 2025, marketers should tap into the power of creator communities. Remarkably, Goldman Sachs estimated that in 2024, the creator economy was a $250 billion industry, and it is projected to reach $480 billion by 2027.
Influencer marketing remains one of the most engaging and personal methods of promoting products. It effectively showcases “brand differentiators and increasing engagement and connection,” noted Ismael El Qudsi, co-founder and CEO of SocialPubli, an influencer marketing platform, in January.
Kantar noted, “Creators that have an authentic voice will be a key way to reach audiences and establish trust with consumers in 2025.”
Therefore, content creators’ selection should be relevant to brands’ targeted audiences.“Brands need to align creator-led content with their larger strategy to generate resonance across channels.”
In MENA, spending on influencer advertising is forecast to reach $648.90 million in 2025, according to Statista, a data aggregator. According to an article by Influencer Marketing Hub in December, the youth-driven, mobile-first demographic in MENA is highly receptive to influencer content, and 60% of the population in the region is under the age of 30. “Consumers in the region tend to seek influencers who reflect their values, culture, and lifestyle aspirations,” said the article.
Sustainable marketing
Sustainable marketing will be a rising trend in 2025. Jane Wakely, PepsiCo International Foods’ chief consumer and marketing officer and chief growth officer, said, “Sustainability can’t be a marketing agenda. It has got to be a company-wide agenda, where marketing’s job is to find the authentic connection to make things relevant to the consumer and turn sustainability initiatives into growth drivers.”
According to Kantar’s BrandZ data, social and environmental sustainability already contributes $193 billion to the value of the world’s top 100 brands.
However, Jonathan Hall, managing partner of sustainable transformation practice at Kantar, believes this is insufficient. “So far, marketers have performed poorly at integrating sustainability effectively, creating meaningfully different propositions and communications that resonate with consumers,” he said.
Kantar’s data reveals that 94% of marketers agree that sustainability agendas need to be more ambitious.
Consumers also are poised to support sustainability efforts. According to PWC’s 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey, consumers are willing to spend an average of 9.7% more on sustainably produced or sourced goods, even as cost-of-living and inflationary concerns weigh.
Kantar’s Worldpanel data forecasts that sustainably active consumer segments will continue to grow, increasing from 22% in 2023 to 29% by 2030.
Leveraging AI in marketing
Deploying generative AI in marketing approaches in 2025 will be essential and challenging. According to Kantar Media Reactions 2024, marketers’ positivity toward generative AI is rising, with 68% having positive attitudes and 59% excited about the application of AI to ads.
“While AI’s role in tactical marketing operations is well established, 2025 will mark its emergence as a crucial strategic partner,” author Bernard Marr said in a November article in Forbes.
He highlighted AI’s emerging role beyond basic data analytics and recommendation systems. Marr showed that AI would play an active role in high-level planning and decision-making while predicting future market trends with remarkable precision.
Personalization emerges as an integral part of utilizing AI technologies. According to PWC’s Next in Consumer Markets 2025 report, “Success in 2025 will likely belong to organizations that excel in leveraging AI to anticipate generational needs, personalize experiences, and foster genuine customer loyalty.”
Casey Gannon, VP of marketing and technology partnerships at Bold Commerce, an e-commerce platform, said, “Personalization has transformed from a nice-to-have into a must-have in marketing strategies over the past few years. Consumers now expect tailored experiences at every interaction, and their attention spans are shrinking for anything less.”
Benamic has shown that 56% of shoppers are more likely to buy again from brands that offer a personalized experience.
It explained that in 2025, B2C marketers should focus on personalized digital advertisements tailored based on comprehensive customer profiles. That should encompass data from purchase history, browsing behavior, and customer interactions.
Personalization has the potential to generate substantial revenues for brands. According to Deloitte’s marketing trends for 2025 report, “Brands that excel in personalization are soaring past their revenue goals because their customers buy more, more often, and remain loyal over time.
This article first appeared in February’s print edition of Business Monthly.
