2025 will be the year of…
Daniel Kahneman, the influential psychologist who died in 2024, once wrote: “The idea that the future is unpredictable is undermined every day by the ease with which the past is explained.”
Last year, contributors to The Media Leader variously predicted 2024 would be the year of generative AI and a “tsunami of crap”, connected commerce and the pendulum swinging back from technology to talent.
Of course, it’s easier to explain in hindsight how some such forecasts — such as the growing use of AI, strong growth in retail media and the impact of global elections — held up to scrutiny.
But predictions continue to be challenging in an era in which, as GroupM global president of business intelligence Kate Scott-Dawkins described on a recent episode of The Media Leader Podcast, uncertainty has become the new normal.
So what’s in store for 2025? Some of media’s top minds chime in.
More industry leaders will be sharing their thoughts and predictions for 2025 at The Media Leader‘s The Year Ahead event on Thursday.
Adam Foley, CEO, Bountiful Cow
2025 will be the year of entertainment.
“The inclusion of a ‘humour’ category in Cannes Lions was both welcome and strange, in the sense that it’s odd to divorce humour from any other type of advertising, but good that we appear to have rediscovered our duty to entertain rather than to lecture people.
“Purpose-driven advertising appears to be in retreat (at last) and in 2025 brands will further acknowledge the idea of ‘audience’ in the sense of theatre, cinema or concert — rather than as an anonymous group of acronyms and numbers. Does ABC1 really mean anything in 2025?
“The competitive set for attention is anything that’s ever been made and I’m looking forward to seeing how brands rise to that challenge.”
Lindsey Clay, CEO, Thinkbox
2025 will be the year of putting proof into practice.
“Call me a hopeless optimist, but for how much longer can the evidence be ignored? The Media Leader‘s most-read article of 2024 was Richard Kirk’s mic-drop piece drawing on Profit Ability 2 that revealed brands’ eye-watering social media overspend. That piece felt totemic.
“Was it a ripple suggesting a tide that might finally turn? Add it to other ripples like Nick Manning’s Who Cares? project and the enormous business, moral, cultural and social case for investing in media and practices that enrich us in every sense and don’t do harm, and I dare to hope that we can drag our industry back towards the light.”
James Townsend, EMEA CEO, Stagwell
2025 will be the year of the challenger.
“‘Rough seas make great sailors.’ Perhaps…
“Maybe those who become the greatest sailors build the right craft, assemble a crew well-versed in modern navigation and endeavour to keep improving their vessel as the waves push and pull.
“Recent news provides the best possible environment for 2025 challenger crews like Stagwell that assemble the right combination of human creativity and technology to help clients grow across creative, media and digital transformation landscapes, and that have business models that enable, rather than interrupt, client focus.
“Those that have an outsmart, out-innovate mindset focused on client growth will succeed. Scale and size are not the same thing and I am sure looking up and ahead provides a better, more beautiful view than looking down and inward.
“2025 will be a great year as those with the right combination of talent and technology come together to challenge every aspect of the market.”
Dino Myers-Lamptey, founder, The Barber Shop
2025 will be the year of creative storytelling in media.
“With the explosion of incredibly powerful creative AI tools like Sora and NotebookLM, we will see a tsunami of good and interesting content into the market, sparked by anyone with an idea, which will flood the media.
“However, this will become a demand for the marketer that seeks distinction. Something that separates the work of a human and a machine with that of a creative with a machine — although this isn’t any ordinary creative.
“With design elements being ‘borrowed’ by the creative libraries that have been already farmed, it’ll be the work of the creative storyteller that will make one piece of beautiful content stand out and rise up from the pile by understanding human insights and the importance of timing and careful pacing of powerful and memorable words.
“Media will become more than the media, simply because brands, creatives and quality media need it to survive.”
Sue Unerman, global chief strategy office, Brainlabs
2025 will be the year of whole-brain thinking.
“A seamless blend of data-driven insights (left brain) and creative innovation (right brain).
“Gen AI will revolutionise many things and will also create two new challenges: a level playing field and, at the same time, a fog through which the truth will be harder to identify.
“There is so much data, but so much of it is imperfect. Whole-brain thinking, guided by instinct, expertise and proven playbooks, will be the only way to identify impactful strategies that fuel revenue growth and give brands competitive advantage.”
Craig Tuck, chief revenue officer, Ozone
2025 will be the year of real life versus AI.
“We’ve heard a lot of noise about AI in 2024,and there’s no doubt that will continue in 2025. It’s permeated most discussions, sales pitches and press releases for the past 12 months and there is no denying that its application represents huge potential for the world of media.
“However, we forget at our peril that any technology is an enabling layer — not the sole solution — to better marketing. Advertising still has to inform and entertain to attract consumer attention; media channels still have to create real human connections in order to amplify the impact of creative.
“It’s not overly bullish to say that the real winners this year will be those that focus on the importance of the consumer advertising experience and how AI can enhance this — rather than thinking of the tech alone as a silver bullet to every media challenge.”
Rachel Forde, co-founder, TheZoo.London
2025 will be the year of generative AI in media.
“Generative AI will continue to impact the media landscape in 2025. From content creation to audience engagement, AI-driven tools are enabling brands to craft highly personalised, scalable and efficient campaigns. The ability to produce dynamic, context-aware content in real time is a game changer for storytelling and consumer interaction.
“However, with great power comes great responsibility. As brands leverage this technology, transparency and ethical considerations will be critical in maintaining trust. The challenge for media leaders will be balancing creativity with accountability, ensuring AI enhances human ingenuity rather than replacing it.
“Those who embrace AI thoughtfully and strategically will stay ahead in an increasingly competitive and fast-evolving market.”
Alex DeGroote, TMT analyst
2025 will be the year of women’s sports.
“There are a number of marquee sports events taking place in 2025, which will capture attention and win advertising dollars: Euros; Rugby World Cup; Cricket World Cup. All this on the back of Paris 2024 Olympics, where gender equality was a key theme.
“TV and social media production companies are increasingly focused on documentary-like productions to complement live sports coverage and this will help stimulate further interest in women’s sport.
“There is a recognised social good here, as well, in terms of promoting female health and fitness across all age groups.”
Chloe Davies, founder and CEO, It Takes A Village Collective
2025 will be the year media reconnects with reality.
“Audiences are craving authenticity and substance over spectacle, pushing brands, creators, and platforms to focus on real stories, relatable experiences, and genuine connections.
“We’re seeing a shift toward stripped-back storytelling that reflects the world as it is, embracing imperfection and diversity in ways that resonate deeply. Virtual influencers and overly polished narratives are making way for unfiltered voices, grassroots creators, and content grounded in truth.
“Technology, too, is evolving to bring us closer to reality. Advances in AI, AR, and VR will enhance, not replace, human experiences, bridging the gap between digital and tangible worlds.
“In a landscape overwhelmed by noise, reality will be the differentiator. Media that dares to be real—raw, relevant, and reflective—will stand out, capturing hearts, minds, and the cultural moment. This is the year we reclaim authentic representation as the ultimate power.”
Dave Singleton, head of media investment, People’s Postcode Lottery
2025 will be the year of video fragmentation and enhanced measurement.
“The rise of SVOD/CTV advertising models means brands can now follow the eyeballs migrating away from linear TV. While it’s crucial to capitalise on emerging opportunities in video and social spaces, brands mustn’t lose sight of the immense power of linear TV in their rush to modernise — something that People’s Postcode Lottery is constantly managing.
“This migration of eyeballs also flags the elephant in the room for marketers: measurement. With a significant portion of investment that was once measurable via TV attribution becoming harder to track, brands face an uncomfortable loss of control. Even channels that claim to offer measurability, such as search and social, often fall short with in-platform attribution.
“In 2025, this issue will become impossible to ignore. Brands will need to invest in new short- and long-term measurement approaches and cultivate a renewed culture of experimentation to validate investment in emerging channels.”