| What trends, challenges and opportunities lie ahead in 2025? Experts offer insights on navigating a dynamic environment.
Think fast. Generative AI is poised to significantly impact the advertising industry in 2025 and beyond. Our recent 5 Factors for 2025, which gathered insights from industry leaders, revealed mixed opinions on AI. Some are enthusiastic about AI’s potential for transforming content formats and personalizing audience experiences, however, the rapid pace of AI innovation presents both opportunities and challenges. One thing is certain — brands that adapt quickly are likely to reap the benefits. – Steven Goldberg, SVP of Partner Success, OpenWeb
Creative quality standards. With generative AI enabling advertisers to produce content at a previously unimaginable scale, media companies face their own risks. The increased volume of ads threatens to overwhelm traditional curation processes, and will force publishers to rethink their approach to maintaining high-quality media environments. Some media giants have already established and popularized creative standards for their environments, known as Meta’s “Brilliant Basics,” YouTube’s “ABCDs,” or TikTok’s “Creative Code” which simultaneously offer a blueprint for creative effectiveness and a baseline standard for their inventory. Media companies like Netflix and NBC may need to establish their own frameworks for creative quality standards to navigate increased gen-AI based advertising content with the need to safeguard their premium inventory positioning. – Anastasia Leng, CEO, CreativeX
Privacy, contextual targeting and AI. 2025 will be the year when Privacy, Contextual targeting and AI intersect. With heightened regulatory pressures and consumer awareness around privacy, the traditional models of building audiences based on persistent identifiers will have to be re-engineered. The good news is that advances in AI and technology can now leverage first-party data and PII-agnostic non-deterministic algorithms for effective audience building and targeting, aligning with the evolving privacy standards and consumer expectations yet delivering on the promise of superior outcomes for brands. We predict that this next wave of contextual targeting – Contextual 2.0 – powered by advanced, privacy-friendly technologies, will gain broader adoption in the coming year. – Vikrant Mathur, Co-Founder of Future Today
AI experimentation. AI is transforming the creative process, with consumers split on its impact—some embracing it, others spotting flaws. As we head into 2025, marketers will face pressure to adopt and experiment with AI, but its success depends on a solid data foundation. The stronger the data, the more intuitive, connected, and precise marketing experiences. – Julie Clark, SVP, Media & Entertainment, TransUnion
AI benefits advertisers. AI is organically driving the advertising markets in two ways. Directly: all Tech companies are now launching and promoting “AI-Powered” services and products to a wide audience, which increases their overall ad budgets. Indirectly: AI is being used in the ad tech ecosystem to optimize creative costs, dynamic versioning, and programmatic effectiveness, thus improving the return on investment for brands. – Vincent Letang, EVP, Global Market Intelligence, MAGNA
M&A reignites in adtech business. With the impending breakup of Google, an opening for a set of new ad tech entrants aimed at corralling the open web in a more publisher-forward manner will emerge, reshaping the competitive landscape. These new players are likely to focus on empowering publishers with greater control over monetization and audience data, challenging long-standing walled gardens. At the same time, we can expect more consolidation and acquisitions in 2025 – as companies strive to integrate ad tech and martech capabilities to offer seamless, full-stack solutions. This trend will also reflect the growing demand for holistic platforms that unify data, measurement, and creative to better serve advertisers and publishers in an evolving privacy-first environment. – Daniel Aks, President, Undertone
The Actual Year of CTV. “While CTV saw extensive growth this year, 2025 will prove to be the year the channel reaches its full potential for marketers. Alternative datasets will better inform ad buys and provide a fuller picture consumer engagement to help advertisers better optimize their campaigns. One such dataset –consumer purchase insights– can clearly connect their campaign to a purchase, serving as a better indicator of campaign success than traditional metrics like engagement or time spent viewing.” – Damian Garbaccio, Chief Business and Marketing Officer, Affinity Solutions
It’s back to the tech for shoppable TV. 2024 marked a pivotal year for Shoppable TV, with growing consumer engagement and transactions alongside standout activations like the Amazon Prime Black Friday NFL game, which featured a host of innovative shoppable ad units. This momentum highlighted a significant shift toward more immersive TV experiences, embraced by both consumers and advertisers. As we move forward, the spotlight turns to the technology driving this evolution. While secondary screens like mobile devices remain integral to the broader advertising ecosystem, the next wave of innovation will focus on eliminating friction. Emerging technologies, such as webOS pay, are set to provide seamless alternatives to formats like QR codes, paving the way for a more intuitive and direct shoppable experience. – Tony Marlow, CMO, LG Ad Solutions
The shift from Retail to Commerce Media takes off. It’s not just for retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon or Kroger anymore. Commerce media / retail media offerings will double in 2025 to nearly 500 as anyone with a first party-consumer relationship explores this new revenue channel. It will be a boon for the industry: everyone’s offering will be forced to get better and buyers will reward innovation with serious media buys. This will require serious discipline in measurement and planning as every first-party data company is now a media company. – David Cohen, CEO, IAB
Retail media. Smart marketers using retail media will focus on leveraging in-store advertising more in 2025: We are at a real turning point in commerce as physical stores and in-store retail media become the next strategic media channel in the US, and other major markets. Approximately 80% of retail sales still occur in brick-and-mortar sales, yet less than 1% of retail media dollars are invested there by brands, representing a massive growth opportunity for traditional stores. Estimates indicate that in-store ad spending will reach approximately $1.0 billion by 2028, as this is the fastest retail media growth segment which will grow nearly +50% in 2025. Not surprisingly, FMCGs and retailers are realizing that stores are a potent platform for retail media to deliver value-added messaging to shoppers at the point of purchase. As such, the retailer’s app is becoming a much more important in-store media asset along with the digitization of stores which includes ESLs (electronic shelf labels), digital signage, in-store digital sampling kiosks, smart shopping carts, in-store radio, and self-checkout digitized solutions. – Barry Thomas, Senior Thought Leader, Consulting Retail, Kantar |
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| Retail media’s democratization through self-service platforms. The expansion of self-service options, like we’ve seen with Home Depot’s Orange Access and Roundel Media Studio, will accelerate. The democratization of retail media will make it more accessible and manageable for brands of all sizes to participate in the RMN ecosystem. – Oscar Rondon, SVP of US Product and Partnerships, MiQ
Beyond retail media. By 2025, commerce media is poised to become a dominant force in advertising, expanding far beyond traditional retail media to include a wide array of non-endemic advertisers. This evolution will allow industries previously excluded—such as automotive, finance, or travel—to leverage commerce media ecosystems using advanced targeting powered by first-party data and contextual relevance. As retailers enhance their advertising networks with off-site placements and full-funnel solutions, advertisers will no longer be confined to retail-owned platforms but will reach audiences across the open web and connected TV (CTV) environments.
According to McKinsey, commerce media is expected to generate $1.3 trillion in economic value by 2026, offering immense opportunities for advertisers who embrace its data-driven precision and performance-focused outcomes. Additionally, trends such as the blending of commerce media with CTV and immersive ad experiences will make it a scalable, cost-effective solution for advertisers of more sizes and diverse categories, creating a robust alternative to traditional digital channels. I expect 2025 to underscore commerce media’s ability to democratize access to new forms of high-performance advertising and commence the reshaping of the competitive landscape for brands globally. – Noor Naseer, VP of Media Innovations and Technology, Basis Technologies
CTV as a Full-Funnel Performance Vehicle. Next year, CTV will further prove its value as a performance vehicle for full-funnel marketing. We’ll see ‘t-commerce’ adoption grow and become more interactive, with shoppable units continuing to come to market – further showcasing that deterministic attribution on TV is no longer out of reach. By combining the precise targeting and measurement capabilities of digital with the immersive ‘sight, sound, and emotion’ of TV, advertisers will have a powerful opportunity to engage viewers more effectively (and efficiently) on the largest screen in the house. – Ria Madrid, VP, Advertising Partnerships, Wurl
M&A activity. Expect the relatively high scrutiny we’re seeing from the FTC and DOJ to continue into the first half of 2025, the Google Chrome ruling as a fresh example. This will cause an increased trend in big tech corporate restructurings and perhaps lead to some break ups; the number of big break ups will likely be small in number but will generate some interesting M&A activity particularly in data and AI. In addition, if history is a guide, we should expect rapid, sudden changes in departmental leadership in Washington, and unexpected decisions under the upcoming administration that make any predictions for next year tough. The landscape is also likely to shift, perhaps fundamentally, between next year and the two year period post midterm elections in 2026, when regulatory dynamics might change significantly once again. Different from prior years, we’ll need to adopt a mindset that focuses on what may be ahead of us in two-year cycles versus one and recognize the potential for constant flux. – Jacqueline Corbelli, Founder and CEO, Brightline
CMOs reclaim control and streamline partnerships. After a year of navigating public scrutiny and operational challenges, CMOs will take decisive action in 2025 to simplify their partner ecosystems. Expect a shift toward working with fewer, more strategic partners who can deliver measurable outcomes across channels. – Erin McCallion, CMO, Perion
Serving the right content. In 2025 I expect that we will see a big focus on driving sales within video content through streaming. This has been a space that has been tried with add ons, but the explosion of social shops proves consumers are quick to buy when the right content is served to them. The use of AI allows for faster experimentation and direct performance metrics, making it easier to fail and succeed quickly with the content developed. Without the need for large scale production, there is more openness to creating content that serves many different KPIs. – Karen Bennett, Managing Director, US, Jellyfish
Sports and creators to connect through authentic, real-time content. The shift from traditional broadcasts to livestreaming has the potential to redefine the fan experience. However, too many streaming services are basically providing the same linear TV experiences on digital. The future is around giving sports and creators unprecedented opportunities to build brands and offer fans premium content combined with authentic, behind-the-scenes access. Athletes and influencers are now engaging audiences in real-time, providing a blend of sports, storytelling, and personality-driven content that deepens fan loyalty and boosts viewership. – Wim Sweldens, Cofounder and CMO, Kiswe
Sports and personalization. Advertising dollars are flooding into sports, and it’s one of the big reasons why people aren’t cutting the cord yet or opting for cheaper streaming options. People want to watch sports live, in real-time. And as the demand for live sports continues to rise, so does the investment in the tech that makes it possible. If people are willing to pay extra for live sports content, they’re giving you a clear signal: they want more relevant, personalized ad experiences. That’s a huge opportunity for advertisers. There’s a lot of value in reaching that high-engagement, high-value audience with ads that matter. – Oz Etzioni, CEO and Co-Founder, Clinch
Moving beyond sports. In 2025, streaming platforms will expand beyond live sports, offering more appointment viewing like comedy specials, concerts, political events, and even unconventional fare like hot-dog eating contests. Award shows may go streaming-exclusive, and weekly releases for scripted programming could make a comeback to sustain audience engagement. These live events highlight streaming’s unique power to create cultural moments, bringing people together in real-time and drawing advertisers to capitalize on shared experiences. Streaming isn’t just reshaping how we watch — it’s redefining how we connect. – Kevin Krim, CEO, EDO |
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| Piracy will be your biggest competitor. Unless everyone in your organization pulls together as a team, you will not be able to take on your biggest competitor in 2025: pirates. The challenge most content owners and video service providers face is that different parts of their businesses often have opposing priorities. While the security or legal teams might demand monitoring, watermarking or blocking services to tackle piracy, others in the finance, product or IT departments may disagree about the priority, cost or implementation. The way to overcome this is with a piracy strategy driven by the C-suite. – Chris White, Chief Architect, Friend MTS
AI goes social. AI-powered advertising bidding tools are evolving beyond their origins in DSPs. As we saw in the rapid rise of algorithmic stock trading fueled by electronic communication networks (ECNs) in the late 1990s, the next wave of innovation will be driven by the introduction of bidding APIs within traditionally closed ecosystems. Social platforms and walled gardens, long differentiated by their insular nature, will begin to adopt DSP-like bidding APIs. This strategic shift aims to capture market share from open market real-time bidding and differentiate themselves in a crowded media market. – Jack Smith, Global Chief Innovation Officer, DoubleVerify
Social media’s gap. We expect 2025 will bring the first serious attempts to align with social media and establish standards. Because each social media platform has its own technology stack, collaboration is currently challenging. Establishing standards for the delivery of short-form videos and fast-growing live streams on social platforms is a priority as existing CDNs reach their limits. Initiatives such as Media Over Quic are a step in the right direction while SVTA working groups also hold potential. – Marc Baillavoine, CTO, Video Network, Synamedia
The value in vertical video will reach its full potential. From TikTok to Instagram and even LinkedIn, we’ve seen the value of vertical video when it comes to viewer engagement. And now, we’re seeing more premium publishers testing and distributing vertical video formats to platforms due to the incremental audience they provide. The value in vertical video is more than just the content – it’s a driver of content discovery, and a vital strategy for publishers to embrace. The natural new state of how content is discovered and engaged with aligns with this strategy – and as social continues to converge with TV, we can expect to see it take full form in 2025. – Rob Christensen, Executive Vice President, Global Sales, Vevo
The content exclusivity pendulum swings back. “By the end of 2025, the rise of FASTs will drive increased competition for viewers. Legacy media firms with FASTs will realize (once again) that content exclusivity is a key audience driver and will pull back key library titles for exclusive use on their owned-and-operated FASTs. However, they will continue licensing less critical content to whoever can pay.” – David Tice, Senior Consultant at Hub
A new era of customization in advertising. The days of one-size-fits-all advertising strategies are over, ushering in a new era defined by hyper-customization and precision targeting. Advertisers are now demanding solutions that directly address their unique challenges—whether through vertical-specific strategies, advanced contextual and emotional targeting, enhanced transparency, or superior customer service.
At the core of this transformation lies the rise of contextual and emotional targeting, which enables brands to craft messages that align seamlessly with the tone and context of the content audiences are consuming. By integrating real-time data and AI-driven insights, advertisers can deliver highly relevant campaigns that resonate emotionally, meet consumers where they are, and connect at precisely the right moment. – Jon Schulz, CMO, Viant Technology
Immersive ad journeys. As TV viewing is now a multiscreen experience, interactive components will become integral to every ad break, creating seamless opportunities for advertisers to connect with viewers on both TV and mobile simultaneously. Consumers are more leaned in than ever, with 30% now regularly using their phones to scan QR codes when watching a TV show or commercial. Features like QR code overlays and gamified experiences will continue to gain traction among advertisers in order to drive deeper engagement and create a more immersive, cross-platform ad journey. This will not only capture viewer attention but allow brands to interact with consumers in real-time to bridge the gap between passive viewing and active engagement, increasing brand consideration and loyalty. – Cathy Oh, Chief Marketing Officer, TV & Mobile Service Business, Samsung
Marketing industry tenure. As marketing becomes increasingly digital and tech-driven, there will be a growing need for conversations to be conducted in layman’s terms. Our industry must understand that tenured individuals and those with a broader business perspective add significant value. While Generative AI may enhance efficiency, it cannot replace the strategic counsel of experienced professionals who’ve been in the business for decades. Our industry should appreciate and value tenure, experience, and the unique perspectives that come with it. I am eager to advocate for this in 2025 and beyond. – Shoshana Winter, CEO, Converge
Sustainability. On a federal level, US regulation and focus on sustainability will slow down or even reverse. But that makes it more important to focus on. This is, and will continue to be, an extremely important topic – we’ll see agencies and brands try and counterbalance the lack of federal requirements with a push of self-regulation. When sustainability comes back in focus, companies will either be ready or they will be so far behind they will have difficulty catching up. Also, it’s worth flagging that the rest of the world will continue to treat this as an important focus. – Ken Harlan, Founder and CEO, MobileFuse
Enhanced contextual advertising to better align with consumer mindsets. As we look toward 2025, the industry needs to prioritize targeting consumer mindset within the CTV landscape. Identity and historical behavioral data have served desktop and mobile advertising well, but CTV has unique challenges that require different approaches to improve reach, efficiency, and effectiveness. Fragmentation has limited the ability to scale campaigns across the wide landscape of streaming services. And while we may be able to reach the right household, we don’t know who’s watching. AI solutions analyze video frame-by-frame to create segments for contextual relevance, emotional resonance, and brand suitability. Targeting content signals allows advertisers to increase the likelihood of reaching the right consumer while forging more profound, meaningful connections with audiences and respecting their privacy. – Rohan Castellino, CMO, IRIS.TV
Screens in conflict: The rise of mobile and the promise of CTV. As advertisers navigate the strengths of the “little screen” (mobile) versus the “big screen” (CTV), the video landscape becomes a tale of two strategies. Mobile’s scale and hyper-targeting, as exemplified by AppLovin’s success in driving app installs, offer efficiency and immediacy. Meanwhile, CTV platforms like The Trade Desk focus on immersive, brand-building opportunities that elevate trust and performance. Advertisers increasingly adopt cross-device approaches to balance short-term ROI with long-term brand impact. The long term winners begin to emerge in creating a performance video solution that bridges the large screen and small screen to drive storytelling, call to action and engagement with creative formats and targeting that align with the time, place, and device type of the consumer. – Mike Caprio, SVP, GM Global Advertising, JWP Connatix
The future is digital vaults. The entertainment industry has reached a pinnacle in how artist and production companies access their assets. The challenge has traditionally been efficiently retrieving and distributing content for long-term monetization. I predict that will take a drastic shift in 2025, as artists and companies shift to more seamless accessibility. This would mean investing in evolving technology like Smart Vault, a digital content repository created by entertainment insiders that safely stores, organizes, and preserves creative legacies, allowing companies to ensure their content lives on forever and remains vastly accessible across multiple platforms. – Greg Maratea, Director of Global Client Solutions, Iron Mountain Media and Archive Services
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