Key Trends Every Marketer Must Monitor in 2025

We are on the brink of wrapping up 2024 (what a relief!). How was your year?

This year has flown by, yet at times it felt like it was dragging on. We’ve witnessed a series of surprising events: from economic shifts to elections, and yes, even the buzz around Tesla Cybertrucks. That’s without even touching on the ongoing transformations in the marketing landscape.

As we start crafting our clever out-of-office messages, I want to reflect on our journey this year and consider what lies ahead for 2025.

I shy away from making predictions or identifying trends. With the ever-changing nature of the news cycle, technological advancements, consumer behaviors, and fluctuations in the marketing tech industry, predictions often lose their value. Similarly, trend analysis can fall prey to personal biases.

What’s crucial is understanding the focus areas for 2025. Rather than trends, these are critical domains where we might need to reassess our strategies, budgets, or priorities.

I plan to address this in two parts: the insights I garnered from 2024 and the elements I’ll be monitoring in 2025.

Three Insights from 2024

Establish a contingency plan for unforeseen downturns

2023 was a stellar year for my company, but 2024 felt reminiscent of 2020 when we had to discard our strategic playbooks due to unforeseen circumstances. This time around, we faced an unexpected dip in client and consumer spending.

Rather than rushing into panic-inspired tactics, my team collectively stepped back to reevaluate our strategy to better align with the new normal.

This is where the principle of “strategy over tactics” proves invaluable. It fosters a foundational understanding that allows for a fresh start, reducing the risk of costly mistakes.

Having a reliable team is paramount. I leaned on my executive team, colleagues, and peers in the email marketing realm for support and diverse perspectives.

If you lead a team or organization, remember you don’t need to have all the solutions. Instead, turn to your network. Ask, “How can we collaborate to find a solution together?”

While I’m not keen on predicting the trends for 2025, it’s safe to expect some level of instability both in the U.S. and internationally (more on that later). Thus, having a solid backup plan is essential if things go awry. Work collaboratively with your team proactively to fend off any reactive measures.

Explore further: Three marketing strategies to overcome a recession

Accelerate without compromising quality

Alongside the observed decline in email investment, I noticed a worrisome trend of companies resorting to sending image-only emails to my inbox, both professional and personal.

I’ve previously expressed my disdain for these types of emails, which can undermine recipient engagement and diminish the value of email marketing. The reliance on image-only formats signals a broader concern. 

As email marketers, we must remain agile to adapt to shifts in the economy, technology, and the evolving expectations of both businesses and consumers. However, agility does not equal intelligence; shortcuts like relying on image-only emails indicate a lack of strategic depth.

Alongside the increase in image-only emails, I observed a concerning dilution of focus among marketers. I hope this is just a temporary setback and not a retreat into ineffective methods.

One of my recurring messages is the necessity for executives to invest substantially in email marketing to realize its potential benefits. I truly hope this trend gains traction in 2025.

Oops, I’m starting to slip into 2025 discussions—let’s hold that thought for now.

Are marketers satisfied?

Throughout my experiences with clients undertaking technology transitions, I’ve observed a surprising stagnation in the movement towards new platforms this year. This is not entirely unexpected given the general spending average across the marketing sector. However, what’s puzzling is the apparent complacency many feel toward their current marketing technology, regardless of its effectiveness.

The tech landscape generally divides into three categories:

• One-third are satisfied with their existing technology.
• The next third is at various stages of platforms transition, from evaluating needs to negotiating with vendors.
• The final third is either in the process of migrating or settling into their new systems.

This year, however, we haven’t seen significant movement across these segments. This is surprising as organizations typically pursue new technologies to enhance customer engagement and efficiency. While change for its own sake is counterproductive, it often plays a key role in corporate evolution.

Are marketers genuinely content with their tools? Or has the technological pursuit been placed on hold until 2025?

Now, shifting our focus to what’s ahead.

Explore further: Why 2025 should focus on martech refinement, not expansion

Three Crucial Focus Areas for 2025

Inquire and analyze

As mentioned earlier, 2024 has mainly been a year of restraint. We are moving beyond obstacles like rising interest rates, economic uncertainties, the U.S. elections, and fluctuating consumer spending.

This doesn’t imply that fresh challenges won’t emerge. More on that soon. Yet, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of investment. Organizations will allocate budgets not only for platforms but also for strategy and execution to achieve ambitious goals. If that resonates with you, it’s time to think strategically about where to channel your investments.

Companies rarely remain stagnant for long; competitors will always be a step ahead. Furthermore, the average tenure of a CMO hovers around four years for B2C and four-and-a-half years for B2B. Regular turnover introduces fresh ideas and promotes necessary changes.

“Asking the question costs nothing,” my father used to say. This principle has guided my career. Persistently pose questions. Email technology now boasts a multitude of capabilities; not exploring them is nearly negligent.

Always make it a point to ask questions.

Brace for AI advancements

Despite being in the early phases, AI has already undergone rapid development, largely driven by major ESPs integrating agents capable of bridging the gap between data, personas, cohorts, and tailored messaging. This integration will pave the way for AI to carve out its niche in 2025 and beyond.

Greater advancements are expected from ESPs and associated technologies. The intelligence of these tools is enhancing, particularly as marketers push for solutions that streamline their workflows.

Email platforms are transitioning away from merely serving as channels for mass messaging. If you’re lagging in AI adoption, you risk falling behind.

While segmenting capabilities exist, they will likely be basic without the infusion of sophisticated tech. Similarly, reporting remains elementary without a more robust approach. Given today’s heightened expectations, this won’t suffice any longer.

Marketers increasingly seek data insights that yield immediate results rather than lengthy six-month projects requiring an entire data team. Proactively gathered data will provide actionable insights and segments—this is revolutionary messaging.

Explore further: AI transformation: Preparing your marketing team

Remain vigilant for instability

Instability is the bane of marketers. Recent years, particularly 2024, have been marked by constant surprises and shifts, both positive and negative. It’s understandable why marketers tightened their spending in 2024.

I anticipate that the landscape will stay unpredictable in 2025. We must remain agile and be prepared to pivot swiftly in response to new developments, while keeping a close eye on the news, which may have implications for our businesses, consumers, and brands.

It’s crucial that we approach email marketing with intelligence, but we must also excel at gauging market sentiment—understanding our target audience. Staying engaged with your audience in 2025 will be pivotal for any marketer’s success. Proactively identify potential challenges and strategize on how to navigate them. Collaborate with your organization to ensure you have a seat at the strategy table. Become involved in discussions rather than relegating your role to just being the “email expert.”

While instability may persist, our capabilities to manage it must evolve. Is your current technology equipped to meet these challenges? If you’ve been hesitant about exploring new platforms, now is an excellent time to assess what’s available. Remember, it costs nothing to ask.

Conclusion

As we usher in the New Year, I don’t partake in resolutions. Instead, I often share humorous remarks about what I aim to achieve in both personal and professional realms for the new year. Yet, in 2025, I am committed to becoming a more effective marketer. My goal is to enhance my contributions to my own business and my collaborations with clients.

I will also keep learning. After 26 years in the field, I tend to grow weary of discussing topics we should have moved past ages ago. However, I am continually discovering new questions, themes, and ways to grow and innovate.

Take a moment to pause before diving into 2025. Congrats on successfully completing another year! Now, prepare to embark on the journey once more. Show appreciation for your team’s hard work and dedication with a gesture of gratitude—be it drinks, a dinner, or something else meaningful. Your appreciation will resonate, especially in challenging times.

For now, make the most of the remaining days of the year. Until next time!