As the New Year begins, it’s a chance to reflect on the lessons learned and embrace fresh opportunities. Challenges from the past year can become stepping stones for growth in the year ahead.
As part of our annual series, we invite industry leaders to share three trends they believe will shape 2025.
Next up is Rishi Bedi, Managing Director APAC, Ogury, reflecting on the past year, looking ahead to 2025, and sharing the outcome of his 2024 New Year’s resolution.
Looking Ahead
What are three trends to look for in the coming year?
Trend 1: Privacy and Consumer Trust
As privacy concerns continue to grow, advertisers and the broader industry are focused on finding the right balance between addressability and privacy.
Global advertisers are shifting their digital marketing strategies to reduce reliance on personal identifiers, embracing a holistic approach to overcome fragmentation. This strategy allows brands to connect with consumers while ensuring privacy and consent are always respected.
Governments around the world are also stepping up efforts to provide clearer privacy guidelines, with legislation like Australia’s new privacy bill reinforcing the demand for transparency and control.
“In response to privacy challenges, many brands will prioritize building direct, transparent relationships with consumers.”
In response to privacy challenges, many brands will prioritize building direct, transparent relationships with consumers. This could take the form of the use of Zero-Party Data; consented, self-declared information directly from consumers, enabling personalized marketing efforts without compromising trust.
Trend 2: AI’s Growing Role in Advertising
Despite workforce enhancement being one of the most obvious applications of AI, many companies still fail to reap its benefits as we approach 2025. Employees continue to consume valuable time drafting content, presentations, and emails. Leveraging AI to take over these tasks can free teams to focus on strategic priorities.
AI will also set new standards for advertising creatives, enabling advertisers to generate huge volumes of ads and content in record time. It will revolutionize dynamic content optimization, driving greater personalization and the generation of bespoke creative variants on demand.
Media buying will be accelerated too, with more trading activities becoming automatable, allowing media traders to focus on strategic activities rather than day-to-day operations.
“AI education will become more widespread, with educational institutions launching specialized courses to equip the next generation of marketers.”
Finally, there’s AI’s impact on education and talent. As AI continues to shape the future of advertising, more professionals across all levels will upskill to become proficient in AI tools and technologies. AI education will become more widespread, with educational institutions launching specialized courses to equip the next generation of marketers.
Trend 3: The Rise of Quick Commerce
Quick commerce is reshaping digital advertising for media buyers. With consumers demanding rapid delivery, media strategies must become more hyper-local and real-time, leveraging data to target consumers when they’re most likely to make impulse purchases and tailoring ads based on user behavior and location.
This will require the integration of real-time inventory feeds and time-sensitive offers into campaigns, making ads more relevant and immediate. As quick commerce becomes the new norm, media buying strategies must be fast, agile, and aligned with consumer expectations for instant gratification.
Looking Back
What was your favorite trend of 2024?
The need to decarbonize online advertising is nothing new, but it is growing more urgent. As consumers, regulators, and investors pay increasing attention to business practices, the advertising industry — like all others — must embrace sustainable practices and be mindful of its carbon footprint. Our industry has no choice but to adapt, and I’m looking forward to seeing greater progress in 2025.
What was your favorite campaign of 2024?
The Coca-Cola AI Christmas ad creatively blends cutting-edge AI technology with the holiday spirit, showcasing a unique and futuristic take on traditional Christmas themes.
What was your 2024 New Year’s Resolution and did you keep it?
To obtain my pilot certification, which I’m pleased I was able to stick to and complete in 2024.
