As the late, great Prince once sang, “I have seen the future, and it will be.” And it will. What shape it takes is what we’re here to explore as 2025 takes its final bow and the new year prepares to take the stage.
As part of our annual Three Trends series, we ask industry leaders to share their takeaways, predictions, and even an emoji that sums up the year.
Today, we catch up with Mark Cochrane, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand & Publicis Groupe (NZ) Chief Connection Officer.
Mark shares his thoughts on three trends he sees in the coming year, his favorite and least favorite trends of 2025, and some campaign work he is particularly fond of.
Looking Ahead:
What are three trends to look for in the coming year?
1. A continued world of growing possibilities for strategists, creators and clients who utilise the right intelligence and data sets. As we all further the use of AI, the data sets we can access to fuel intelligence agents and systems will expand. What truly wins are the best ideas, powered by the strongest insights.
2. Further attraction towards real-life experiences and sports. The likes of F1, festivals, and original brand experiences will continue to be a key part of fueling the cultural zeitgeist.
I also think the rise of brand entertainment studios (where companies become content creators) will be a key part of content strategies, enabling brands to live in culture, either in partnership with agencies or through in-house brand storytelling studios.
As visual craft tools achieve another level of progress, pace, and innovation, it shall give us a new paradigm of what we can create daily.
It allows brand storytelling to achieve more – in business, in all forms of communication and of course in advertising too. It’s an exciting time be a progressive storyteller.
3. Visual storytelling and design will continue their resurgence, too. It’s exciting to see the care and craft of the work by agencies and brands right now, and long should that continue. As visual craft tools achieve another level of progress, pace, and innovation, it shall give us a new paradigm of what we can create daily.
Looking Back:
Favorite or least favorite trend of 2025?
Do you know the trend 67?
If you could sum up 2025 in one emoji:
67!
One of your favorite campaigns of 2025:
Are we allowed to share our own?
Turning a country into one big Toyota ad is pretty good.
Would you like to share your calls on the year ahead and your take on the year past? Drop us a line.
