January 3, 2024

Amidst a wave of advertiser M&A activity, and acceleration of GenAI, 2025 is already shaping up to be a truly pivotal year. Here are a few key trends that should be top of mind for brands and agencies looking to establish a competitive edge. 

The Rise of “Service as a Software”:
GenAI is revolutionizing the way advertisers interact with self-serve platforms. Compared to legacy tech that often required a steep learning curve or specialized expertise, the next generation of software powered by GenAI will drastically reduce the need for extensive training and certifications, saving organizations time and resources. As turnover occurs, the continuity in AI-powered technology use will no longer hinge on individual expertise but on the intuitive, dynamic capabilities of the software itself.

The New Era of Creative Intelligence:
The only way to truly understand consumer preferences is by understanding what consumers engage with — and what they don’t. The creative ad server is the only part of the process that really tells us the why behind a campaign’s success. Creative ad servers have already established themselves as a central pillar to data-driven campaign activations, and are continuing to rise in value, thanks to their adoption of GenAI and integrations with DSPs and other media-centric platforms. This year, creative ad servers will enable advertisers to unlock even more creative-led insights that will become the core driver for revenue and services in the advertising world, especially Retail Media Networks, and any advertisers focused on connecting creative and media to enhance the value they deliver and the revenue they generate.

The Shift from Multichannel Activation to Omnichannel Connectivity:
Advertisers are finally making strides in unifying data from multiple channels. The next frontier lies in consolidating media activations, ensuring all channels are approached cohesively, and providing a more holistic execution and optimization of the full customer journey. Expect channels like CTV and audio to take on larger roles in media strategies, with CTV in particular becoming more performance-driven as data integration, measurement, and attribution continue to evolve.

Sports-related Advertising and Personalization:
Live sports remain one of the last bastions of appointment viewing, with significant advertising dollars flowing into this space. Viewers’ preference for real-time experiences offers a high-value opportunity for advertisers to deliver hyper-relevant, personalized ads. This trend will accelerate investment in technologies that enable dynamic and personalized ad experiences, unlocking new levels of audience engagement.

These trends underscore the importance of a fully dynamic approach in advertising. By embracing innovation, incorporating Gen-AI into the entire workflow, leveraging creative intelligence, and adopting a unified omnichannel mindset, brands can stay ahead, and win, in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.