As 2025 begins, marketers are searching for the next hot trends that will dominate the year ahead. Staying adaptable and innovative is key, particularly in today’s fast-evolving landscape!
Here are the top 10 trends to keep up with in 2025:
1. AI-Powered Personalization
Hyken’s 2024 State of Customer Service and CX Study found that 81% of customers prefer doing business with companies that personalize, and 70% value an experience that includes knowledge of their history with the brand. 1 Hyper-personalized experiences driven by AI are likely to be big in 2025. Look for ways to leverage today’s technology solutions to better identify customer preferences and integrate them into CX.
2. Short-Form Video Content
Three in ten adults say they’ve made a purchase after seeing something on social media. 2 The continued rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts offers more opportunities to meet customers where they are. Brands are investing more in short, snappy content that doesn’t demand too much attention but sticks in viewers’ minds.
3. Connected TV (CTV) Advertising
As more consumers shift their viewing primarily (or exclusively) to streaming, look for advertisers to shift as well. Targeted ads on streaming platforms can connect with audiences in a familiar way: during their favorite TV shows. As streaming platforms introduce more ad- supported tiers, CTV advertising opportunities are likely to expand.
4. Sustainability Focus
One report from PwC found that consumers are willing to pay a 9.7% premium for sustainable goods. 3 Brands emphasizing eco-friendly practices will have a major leg up on the competition. From material sourcing to ethical production processes to packaging and logistics, look for brands to spotlight their efforts to be more sustainable to increase customer appeal.
5. Influencer Marketing
Celebrity endorsements are out; micro-influencer marketing is in. Today’s customers are more likely to take seriously the recommendations of influencers they feel “closer” to. As a result, 2025 will see more brands seek out collaborations with niche influencers, targeting smaller subsets of prospective customers with more tailored content.
6. Generative AI in Campaigns
AI-generated content and insights will continue to play a major role in marketing for 2025. The data generated by AI-powered tools can be invaluable for more accurate, cost- effective targeting of current and prospective customers, increasing your ROI. Be judicious with the use of AI generated content, however; while some customers will embrace it, others will be turned away by it.
7. Collaborative Marketing
Collaborative marketing is a growing niche, allowing similar (or surprisingly different) brands to riff off of each other and connect with each other’s audiences. As brands look to expand their reach beyond their existing and/or obvious customer bases, collaborative marketing offers a creative win-win.
8. Narrative Approaches
In 2025, expect more brands to use storytelling to connect with audiences and get them emotionally invested – making them more likely to purchase and stick around. Whether story- based ad campaigns, customer testimonials, or success stories, this approach helps customers see themselves as part of a bigger, more emotionally relevant narrative.
9. Local Campaigns
Brands are going local in 2025! Hyper-local marketing strategies allow brands to tailor marketing to the unique needs of local audiences. These campaigns help customers feel like even a big name brand still understands their specific preferences and needs, allowing brands to find a foothold in a community.
10. Real-Time Personalization
Personalizing content in real-time is the next frontier for CX and personalization. Utilizing cutting-edge data and technology, brands can deliver real-time alerts and content like emails, pop-up notifications, and deals. It’s a faster form of triggered marketing, designed to nudge customers who are in the middle of their buying journeys.
1 Hyken, Shep. “The Personalized Customer Experience: Consumers Want You To Know Them.” Forbes, 17 April 2024, https://www.forbes.com/sites/shephyken/2024/04/14/the-personalized-customer-experience-customers-want-you-to-know-them/
2 Faverio, Michelle, and Monica Anderson. “For shopping, phones are common and influencers have become a factor – especially for young adults.” Pew Research Center, 21 November 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/11/21/for-shopping-phones-are-common and influencers-have- become-a-factor-especially-for-young-adults/
3 “Consumers willing to pay 9.7% sustainability premium, even as cost-of-living and inflationary concerns weigh: PwC 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey.” PwC, 15 May 2024, https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2024/pwc-2024-voice-of-consumer-survey.html
