2025 Foresight: Emerging trends for communications professionals
Written by: Svetlana Nartey
New year, new trends. At Eulogy we make it our mission to stay across the latest industry news, push creative boundaries, and deliver work that truly connects with audiences. 2024 saw a rise in bold and unconventional OOH campaigns and social advertising that bridged generational gaps.
But what should communicators be keeping an eye on in 2025? Find out how our directors see the new year unfolding across the communications and marketing sphere.
Elisabeth Field, CEO:
"I think there are three key trends that are going to be really interesting to watch: I'm curious to see what happens with the ESG agenda. A change in administration in the US is already showing that there's going to be a slight shift in prioritisation across the ESG world so I'm curious to see how this plays out across communications and marketing across the globe - particularly in the UK - and if we're going to see more tension between shareholder demands versus the demands of the public and consumers.
The second trend that I'm going to be keeping an eye on is AI. 2024 seemed to be the year where, as an agency and industry, we got over our fear of AI and embraced it, so I think that next year we'll be able to really harness the power of it and it will take off across the industry.
Finally, as an agency leader, looking at what has happened across our creative industry over the last year - particularly over the last 3 or 4 months - there has been lots of M&A activity and I think for us as an independent agency, it positions us brilliantly for those clients that are looking for something a little bit more bespoke, a little bit more nimble and flexible, so I'm quite excited for our potential and how this sets us apart from the masses.”
Joss Freestone, Head of Advertising:
"I think a clear one is going to be a continuation of the trend that we've witnessed over the past two years which is AI. I think we're going to see a lot more agencies and clients who are doing genuinely interesting things with AI, such as Coca Cola with its Christmas ad that exceeded all expectation and impacted audiences - so we're very excited about these opportunities."
Rich Ware, Strategy Director:
"I think 2025 is going to be a really exciting year. We've seen a lot of creativity and bravery coming from brands in 2024; whether it's the use of creativity to tell the right story, or to innovate through various channels and formats, the opportunity is there for brands to invest in new ways to be bolder in how they tell their stories. It's certainly something that we're hearing a lot in terms of our conversations with clients, and people that we're hoping to work with."
Adam Bewley, Head of Social:
"I think in 2025, commerce is going to become ever more important; not just the buying of goods but also the buying of services. In social, people are so used to receiving things quickly and getting instant gratification. Consumers often feel a need for something in that very moment and buy impulsively, meaning there will be simultaneous demand for instant services to be provided. From a social perspective, things will therefore have to happen quickly to keep up with this."
What does this mean for communications professionals going forward?
As commercial demands continue to rise - especially for service-based businesses - to retain customers and attract new ones, brands must tap into increasing creativity and remain agile within a rapidly changing landscape. With social media becoming an ever-more monetised space, overlooking these trends could impact growth.
Global political landscapes are changing with the incoming US President’s early decisions on the future of TikTok and US green energy investment likely to have a butterfly effect across global markets.
As AI continues to play an evolving role in communications and advertising, with Adidas among brands to release their first AI-only campaign, communications leaders should ensure they monitor tools which can support creativity and assess processes to ensure they reflect the evolving needs of in-house creators.
Finally, the recent spike in M&A across the agency market will alter the balances of service available. Brand communicators may want to reassess their agency setups to ensure they’re receiving tailored, bespoke support that aligns with their needs.
