My thoughts entering this new year
2025 is the year when marketing will face new challenges and opportunities. Technology is advancing rapidly and the need to make meaningful connections with your target audience is greater than ever.
AI – friend or tool?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay and I don’t see AI as a competitor or a threat, but rather as a powerful tool. The key is to ask the right questions, refine and adapt the results with a personal touch. AI can simulate emotion, but it’s the human touch that makes the communication real.
Personalization and privacy
While personalization has long been in focus, privacy issues are growing. Many people, especially younger generations, want to minimize their digital footprint. A growing group in several parts of the world is opting out of social media altogether, even smartphones (at least in terms of time spent). Reaching them requires accurate information that respects their integrity – while at the same time we want to track and measure, which will be a challenge.
Storytelling
Also Storytelling has long been in focus, today’s consumers want stories that matter. Generic, one-way communication has been on the way out for some time. The key is to create content that resonates with the emotions, values and needs of your target audience. Storytelling doesn’t just build brands – it builds relationships.
Automation
Automation streamlines everything from email campaigns to content marketing. Communications that are sent out according to specific parameters and settings, but for automation to work, we need to start by carefully analyzing all the data. This is essential to optimize the parameters and ensure that the right message reaches the right audience, so …
Get to know your audience
Be careful not to confuse your desired audience with your real one.
“To create a great future, you have to learn from the mistakes of the past.”
Keeping an eye on the statistics and interpreting them correctly is key! According to Segment, 44% of customers become repeat customers after a personalized experience.
[Source: https://learn.segment.com/state-of-personalization-2021/?_gl=1*qp7m1z*_ga*MTA1NDYxMzEyMC4xNzM2MjU1NzUx*_ga_3JKYB4GBBY*MTczNjI1NTc1MC4xLjAuMTczNjI1NTc1MC4wLjAuMA.. / January 7, 2025]
Intelligence gathering, or external monitoring is key
Trends change fast. It is vital to respond to the world around you. For example, more and more users are leaving X (formerly Twitter) because of Elon Musk’s political stance and later choices and turning to platforms like Bluesky instead. Understanding shifts like this will help your businesses stay ahead of the curve.
Video continues to reign
Video content continues to attract more people. We’re not talking blockbuster films here, but short snippets and preferably more personalized (e.g. it doesn’t have to be professional cameras). Video offers more interaction. For example, Meta (Facebook and Instagram) has developed tools that make it very easy to edit films, easily mixing still images with film clips and music.
The future of marketing
Marketing is about balance. Not only the right communication for different audiences, but also different tonality depending on the choice of media. Technologies such as AI and automation are making marketing more efficient, but the human perspective is crucial. With data-driven insights, creative storytelling, the right tools and cross-media marketing, we can create communications that don’t just reach – they touch.
2025 is here. Are you ready?
