Marketers to focus on social Media Ads, AI in 2025 as Cookie concerns wane -Report
By Felicia Nwosu
Marketers are setting their sights on social media advertising and generative AI as their top priorities for 2025, according to Mediaocean’s latest report.
The findings, based on a November survey of nearly 700 industry professionals, highlight emerging trends and challenges that are expected to shape marketing strategies in the coming year.
Mediaocean’s research revealed that social media remains a dominant channel for marketers, even as uncertainty looms over platforms like TikTok.
According to the research body , 68 percent of marketers plan to increase spending on social media advertising in 2025.
The report also noted that digital display and video ads are key growth areas, with 67 percent of respondents indicating plans to boost budgets in these categories.
It mentioned that Connected TV (CTV) is another major focus, with 55 percent of marketers aiming to allocate more resources to the platform.
In contrast, Mediaocean found that traditional media channels, such as radio, audio, national and local television, and print, are experiencing reduced interest.
While some marketers are maintaining their current spending levels, others are opting to scale back their investments in these areas, reflecting a broader pivot toward digital platforms.
The findings indicated that generative AI has emerged as the most critical trend for marketers in 2025, surpassing connected TV and streaming.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents ranked AI as the most significant consumer and media trend they are monitoring, representing an eight-percentage-point increase compared to July 2024.
Mediaocean stated
that marketers are leveraging AI primarily for data analysis, market research, and content creation.
Additionally, automation has become the fastest-growing area of investment, with Mediaocean noting that it was the only advertising capability to see an increase in criticality ranking in the second half of 2024.
Despite the rising importance of automation and AI, Mediaocean identifies performance-driven paid media, measurement and attribution, and brand advertising as marketers’ most critical areas of investment.
These priorities reflect the continued focus on measurable outcomes and strategic resource allocation.
Mediaocean’s findings also reveal a decline in concerns about the deprecation of third-party cookies. In 2023, 39 percent of marketers highlighted the industry’s lack of preparedness for a cookieless future as a major concern.
By late 2024, this figure had dropped to 31 percent, suggesting growing confidence in adapting to a privacy-first advertising landscape.
However, Mediaocean emphasizes that new challenges have emerged, with 45 percent of respondents citing difficulties in measuring campaign effectiveness across tech platforms and the open web as their primary concern.
Other issues identified in Mediaocean’s report include consumer resistance to advertising, challenges in managing reach and frequency, and restricted access to third-party data.
To address these concerns, Mediaocean recommends that marketers adopt multi-ID solutions, which can enhance measurement accuracy and improve campaign effectiveness.
As Mediaocean highlights, the marketing landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, and digital innovation, coupled with data-driven strategies, will remain central to navigating the complexities of the industry in 2025.
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