Here is the 2025 YearCompass: following up on the promised trends in the new marketing reality.
This year did not completely bring what I expected. Although it did show some novelties, perhaps not entirely in the form we imagined. In other words, what we expected, but not to this extent, was AI. Everything else just paled in comparison. Thus, a new era has begun from a professional perspective: the new era of marketing.
This year marks my 8th year of reviewing marketing trends in a year-end evaluation manner, meaning the predictions made at the beginning of the year compared to the state achieved by the end of the year. The article for 2024 predicted a transitional year, and somehow that came true, yet in terms of trends, it seems the world took a different direction. One could say that the focus was elsewhere, and thus the promised trends for 2025, namely:
- The fulfillment of hyper-personalized marketing – a prediction by Forbes
- The year of interactive (AR/VR) content – a prediction by LBB
- The revival of smart device marketing – a prediction by Mobile Marketing Magazine
It seems they did not have as significant an impact on the industry, even if something from them may have materialized.
To be honest, this is not surprising, as 2025 was practically all about one thing in marketing: whether AI... will take our jobs? Joking aside, everything was indeed about when-what-how-who can use AI tools, and how they change the operation of professionals and the industry. Thus, we witnessed the emergence of a completely new marketing era, defined even more strongly by the relationship between humans and machines.
But let's return – to the trends that seem a bit irrelevant in this light – and see what has been fulfilled from them and how!
#1 The fulfillment of hyper-personalized marketing – Partially confirmed
Hyper-personalized marketing is not simply “plain” personalized communication, but: real-time, data-driven, context-dependent communication that adapts to the user's current situation, intention, and behavior. So it goes far beyond addressing someone by name in an email or recommending similar products based on a previous purchase.
The essence of the trend was that we can finally create unique customer journeys in marketing, with dynamically changing messages and automated decision logic. Hyper-personalization thus operates not at the campaign level, but at the system level, where the brand tracks.
How was it realized?
Here, the rise of AI among the predictions is most evident. This trend primarily requires the “assistance” and operation of AI. Moreover, consumer expectations are also highest here: today, 70%+ of users expect a personalized experience, and they are disappointed if they do not receive it.
However, here, for now, there are mostly just attempts and “practicing.” At the industry level, e-commerce has become an expectation, but in other companies as well, personalized offers, communication, and customer experience are expected. Many companies are planning with it, but it has not yet been observed on a mass scale anywhere.
#2 The year of interactive (AR/VR) content – Refuted
This trend was fundamentally not about playing with technology, but rather that the user can be not only a passive viewer but also an active participant in the brand experience.
In this case, AR/VR could have been more of an experience-enhancing tool. An interactive content format like this engages, puts the user in a decision-making situation, offers trial, exploration, and playfulness.
How (not) was it realized?
The role of AR and VR, as well as more broadly immersive tech, has somewhat strengthened, but not really as the “trend of the year,” rather as a complementary function, a little “sandbox” of its own. Augmented Reality is used by various brands in visual storytelling, product presentations, and other experience-level campaigns, but it hasn't made a big splash yet. Virtual Reality, on the other hand, remains more of a niche tool for experience and event marketing, a supporter of one or two good ideas.
If anything, the experimental nature was more important: the brand that somehow tried these solutions could gain a competitive advantage.
#3 The revival of smart device marketing – Confirmed
Just as the strengthening of interactive solutions seemed logical, so did the emergence of new platforms at the beginning of 2025. The idea was that marketing solutions and campaigns would step out of the classic screen-based environment and appear in new ways: through voice-based search, smart assistants, IoT devices, and wearable technologies.
The essence of the trend was that the user does not necessarily interact with the brand visually, but rather provides data, asks, searches, and thus interacts.
How was it realized?
Voice-based search has become so popular over the years, thanks to LLM, that it is almost heading towards the mainstream: SEO, for example, is no longer just text-oriented but also voice and query-oriented. Data from smart homes and IoT devices help with context/situation-based targeting, but obviously, in Europe, this is more limited due to GDPR regulations.
However, it is clearly visible that not only has the number of devices increased, but the smart consumer journey is also evolving, thus providing a great playground for marketers.
Successful example:
Spotify – Voice-first, situation-based experience and audio marketing. The company works with context-based recommendations: based on time of day, activity (sports, travel, work), and type of device (car, headphones, home).
Technology has thus inevitably become embedded in marketing operations, and this only strengthened further in 2025. Moreover, consumers expect personal experiences and content, so success is truly measurable in experiences and data-giving activities.
What new marketing directions are coming?
Just as marketing integrated into technology in 2025, trends are likely to strengthen in this area by 2026. This year could be about the fact that a brand's competitive advantage will not be merely the use of technological tools, but the quality of that use. Additionally, continuous trust-building and maintaining human connections in an increasingly mechanized environment.
Without claiming completeness, here are some factors that will define our new year:
#1 AI-First Marketing Ecosystem: AAI will be the first point of contact
#2 Search Everywhere Optimization (GEO/AEO): SEO continues to evolve
#3 Video-Commerce and Interactive Content New Wave
To conclude this article in a nice ChatGPTs style, it can be summarized: “The year 2026 is no longer about „whether we will try these trends,” but about which one you will integrate into the core of your operational activities first, and how you will turn it into a business advantage.”
In this light, I wish us a year 2026 rich in AI taming and human relationships!
Ditte's further articles on the marketing secrets blog you can read it here!
