The phone buzzed on my desk. Another report about advertising trends for 2025. But this one was different. Instead of hyping up the latest tech buzzwords, it focused on something more fundamental: how people are actually consuming and responding to ads. The real behavioral shifts that are changing how brands connect with their audiences.
That’s what we need to talk about.👇
Not just what’s new, but what’s actually working. The changes that will help you grow your business and connect with your customers in meaningful ways.
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1. The rise of "real" content 📱
Remember when every ad looked like it was shot by Annie Leibovitz? Those days are over. Something fascinating is happening: major brands like AirBnB, Warby Parker, and even Apple are embracing what you might call the “pandemic aesthetic” – content that feels raw, real, and unpolished.
Why? Because it works. People are tired of perfection. They’re craving authenticity. When AirBnB shows user-generated content instead of professional photography, engagement goes up. When Apple runs “Shot on iPhone” campaigns featuring amateur videos, people actually stop scrolling to watch.
But here’s what nobody’s talking about: this isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about trust. When your content looks too polished, people’s defenses go up. They smell an ad coming. But when it feels real, those defenses drop.
Key takeaways ✨
Stop obsessing over perfect production values
Start documenting real moments with your product or service
Test user-generated content against professional shoots
Let your customers tell their stories – they’re better at it than you are
Create guidelines for “authentic” content that still maintains your brand standards
2. The collapsing Marketing Funnel 🌪️
Here’s something wild: That marketing funnel we’ve all been taught to worship? It’s disappearing.
I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and saw an ad for a custom suit. Within 90 seconds, I’d configured my size, picked my fabric, and hit purchase. No awareness phase. No consideration phase. Just:
This isn’t an anomaly—it’s the new normal. The path from discovery to purchase is shrinking faster than your favorite sweater in a hot wash.
🗣 As Eugene Schwartz once said:
“Words in advertising are like windows in a store. You must be able to look right through them and see the product.”
In 2025, that window needs to be not just clean but instantly shoppable.
Key takeaways 🎯
Make every piece of content shoppable
Integrate quick-purchase options into all channels
Remove friction between interest and purchase
Test QR codes in traditional media
Design content that serves multiple funnel stages simultaneously
3. The privacy paradox 🔐
Here’s a head-scratcher: consumers want personalized experiences but they’re more protective of their data than ever. It’s like being asked to make someone’s favorite meal without knowing what ingredients they like.
By 2025, this balancing act will become critical. The death of third-party cookies isn’t just coming – it’s here. Google is already requiring people to opt-in to web tracking, which could drop cookie-driven ads below 10% of total digital spend1 .
But here’s the interesting part: the brands winning this game aren’t the ones finding sneaky ways around privacy concerns. They’re the ones embracing transparency.
Key takeaways 🎯
Build robust first-party data collection systems
Be crystal clear about how you use customer data
Create value exchanges that make sharing data worthwhile
Develop personalization strategies that don’t rely on third-party cookies
Test privacy-first advertising solutions
4. Community-led growth 🤝
Something fascinating is happening in marketing: the most successful brands aren’t just talking to their customers – they’re getting their customers to talk to each other.
This isn’t just about having a Facebook group or Twitter following. It’s about creating spaces where your customers can share experiences, solve problems, and build relationships. Companies like Shopify and HubSpot aren’t just selling products – they’re building communities that drive growth through genuine connection2.
Key takeaways 💫
Create dedicated spaces for customer interaction
Empower community leaders within your customer base
Turn customer success stories into community content
Foster peer-to-peer learning and support
Use community insights to drive product development
5. Short-form video dominance 🎥
Remember when everyone said the video was the future? Well, the future is here, but it looks different than we expected. It’s shorter, snappier, and more engaging than ever.
YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels aren’t just platforms – they’re changing how people consume content. Even B2B companies are finding that 30-second videos can explain complex products better than lengthy whitepapers3.
Key takeaways 📱
Focus on the first 3 seconds – that’s all you get
Create platform-specific content
Use storytelling techniques that work in short formats
Test different video lengths to find your sweet spot
Incorporate trending sounds and formats
6. Interactive and shoppable videos 🛍️
Static video content is dying. In its place, we’re seeing the rise of videos that don’t just talk at viewers – they talk with them. YouTube’s shoppable features are turning passive viewers into active buyers, and interactive elements are keeping people engaged longer than ever before.
Think polls during live streams, clickable products in videos, and real-time Q&As. It’s not just about watching anymore – it’s about participating.
Key takeaways 🎯
Add interactive elements to your videos
Implement shoppable tags in relevant content
Use live streaming for real-time engagement
Create content that encourages viewer participation
Track interaction rates as well as view counts
7. The new creative bottleneck 🔄
Here’s something that’ll change how you think about campaign planning: Since the rise of generative AI the creative bottleneck in advertising has diminished… But a new one has taken its place.
For decades, the limiting factor in advertising was how much content your team could create. Ask any agency veteran and they’ll tell you the same thing: copywriters and designers could only produce so many versions of an ad, no matter how much the client wanted.
But in 2025, that’s all changing. Generative AI can now pump out variations of text and images faster than we can use them.
Need 50 different headlines? That’s a 5-minute job now.
Want 100 versions of your ad with different visuals? AI’s got you covered.
So what’s the new bottleneck? Data.
Key takeaways 📊
Start building robust data collection systems now
Focus on gathering quality first-party data
Create clear data governance policies
Invest in data analytics capabilities
Build relationships that encourage data sharing
What this means for 2025 🎯
The writing’s on the wall: success in 2025 won’t come from chasing every new AI tool or mastering every platform feature. It’ll come from understanding a simple truth: people are tired of being marketed to. They want to be understood.
The trends we’ve explored all point to the same thing – the walls between brands and audiences are coming down. Whether it’s through raw, authentic content, genuine community building, or data-driven personalization that actually helps rather than haunts, the future belongs to brands that feel less like corporations and more like trusted friends.
This means getting comfortable with imperfection. It means letting your community help tell your story. It means using data not just to target, but to truly understand and serve your audience better.
Most importantly, it means showing up where your audience already is, in ways that add value to their lives rather than interrupt them.
The brands that win won’t be the ones with the slickest ads or the biggest AI budgets. They’ll be the ones who remember that behind every data point is a person, and behind every trend is an opportunity to connect more meaningfully.
The time to act is now. Your audience is waiting. ⚡
Thanks for reading,
Holly.
Want to brainstorm with our team on new ways to scale your business with YouTube Ads (and other performance video platforms)?
Join us for a free YouTube ad brainstorming session👇
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Holly Preston, Lead Copywiter
Holly is behind most of Inceptly's successful creatives, supporting the team with her experience and imagination, making her an invaluable asset to Inceptly.
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