As we settle into 2025, now is the best time to look back into the key marketing trends that affected us and our audiences all of last year to determine how that will affect marketing in the future. Mediaocean does just that as they have recently released their 2025 Advertising Outlook Report, which provides essential information for us to take advantage of in this new year.
Having conducted a survey that gathered insights from nearly 700 industry leaders, including marketers, agencies, and media companies, this report provides a valuable snapshot of the advertising world.
Here are just a few highlights from the report that are useful for any forward-looking marketer in 2025.
Rising Digital Ad Spend
Digital channels are under the spotlight. Social media, videos, and connected TV (CTV) are all now common channels for consumer engagement. Social platforms in particular have seen “a 21% increase in ad spending between 2022 and 2025,” and 68% of respondents say they are going to increase their spending in this area in the future.
Digital Display/Video is close behind social media, with 67% of respondents agreeing they will increase their ad spending here. Another 55% say they are looking to spend more on ads in CTV, reflecting the importance of reaching consumers through streaming and visual content.
Generative AI in 2025
Start your engines, marketers, because automation and AI are accelerating at full speed!
While 56% of marketers were prioritizing CTV, a trend we have seen in the past, marketers have now shifted to prioritizing AI—63% according to the report.
Marketers have been seeing the value of AI in streamlining their workflow, as 47% of marketers reported using it for data analysis purposes. Another 38% were leveraging it to predict consumer preferences while adjusting strategies in real-time according to the results. Workflow automation powered by AI is another helpful tool that has been used for tasks such as audience segmentation and ad targeting.
While only 28% of marketers named automation as a “critical capability,” that is a 17% leap from Mediaocean’s July 2024 survey.
The numbers are clear—more marketers are enhancing their efforts with AI and automation.
The Creative-Media Gap
Unfortunately, while ad spending and AI have a stronghold in marketing trends, so does the creative media gap.
Mediaocean’s 2025 Advertising Outlook Report“The ‘creative-media’ gap is primarily caused by the industry’s overemphasis on media at the expense of creative content. This disparity has a profound impact, especially in a world where consumers increasingly respond to and reward personalized experiences. Closing this gap represents the most significant growth opportunity for brands.”
The survey reveals that 86% of respondents report they do not have their media and creative processes fully synchronized. Only 14% report the opposite. However, this is still an improvement, although small, over the 89% from Mediaocean’s 2024 Advertising Outlook Report.
According to the report, marketers can help to close the creative media gap by transferring to technology that keeps different teams connected and collaborative, allowing for a more streamlined and effective production process. Personalization is also crucial to reaching this goal as it calls for a better understanding of how messages resonate with audiences.
Shaping Marketing’s Future Together
As 2025 continues to unfold, marketing professionals are working within an evolving landscape marked by both challenges and new opportunities. Mediaocean’s 2025 Advertising Outlook Report is an incredible resource for marketers looking to adapt to this dynamic industry.
The marketing trends highlighted in the report illustrate the need for forward-thinking strategies. Now is the time to reflect on them so that they can be used for smarter, more effective marketing strategies in 2025.
Access the full report here.
