Marketing Predictions 2025: Expert Insights from Industry Experts

Welcome to 2025, a year where marketing automation is poised to take centre stage, driven by new technology, innovation, and fresh strategy.

At the end of last year, we were fortunate enough to sit down with leaders in our industry to discuss their thoughts on 2025. And in this report, we have gathered their insights and predictions for marketing strategies and execution in the coming year, with marketing automation firmly at the core.

This report is designed for marketing professionals eager to stay ahead and navigate the complexities of today’s digital space with greater efficiency and success. Offering key strategies and actionable insights to harness the potential of modern marketing, effectively.

AI is Key to Improved Strategy and Execution

Whilst “Artificial Intelligence” may not have clinched Oxford Dictionary’s 2024 Word of the Year, it certainly made waves in the marketing industry.

AI has now permeated many areas of our lives and continues to redefine the marketing field, significantly impacting strategy and execution.

Pauline Buil, Marketing Director at Deployteq

AI Supports Marketers through Complexities

Pauline Buil, Marketing Director at Deployteq, discussed with us the expanding capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketing, which she believes is set to revolutionise the way marketers approach their strategies.

According to Buil, AI excels at handling complex tasks across multiple areas such as reporting, prediction, creation, and testing. She observes an emerging trend; Martech providers are increasingly integrating AI functionalities into their platforms to aid marketers in navigating complexities in decision-making and execution.

Relating this topic to Deployteq, Buil concludes, “At Deployteq we’re particularly interested in enabling marketers to achieve the complex through simplicity. The democratisation of low code marketing technology enables marketers to implement their strategies with speed and agility whilst reducing the dependency on IT departments.”

Buil’s vision is clear: empowering marketers to concentrate on strategic and creative aspects, whilst streamlining technical execution to foster more innovative and agile marketing environments.

Natalie Rockall, Founder of Eleven11 Digital

The Expanding Role of AI in Email Strategies

Natalie Rockall, the founder of Eleven11 Digital, concurs that AI’s impact is already evident, with many marketing and CRM platforms promoting their AI features. She believes that 2025 will be the pivotal year when AI fundamentally changes the way email marketers operate.

Echoing Buil’s insights, Rockall predicts that “AI will almost take on the role of an email marketing assistant – the everyday source of brainstorming, information gathering, writing email copy, analysing email metrics and taking care of those processes which take up valuable “human” time.”

According to Rockall, this shift will not only enhance efficiency but also revolutionise email strategies, moving away from the traditional “batch and blast” approach towards highly personalised, one-to-one email interactions that forego broad segmentation. This transformation has the capacity to redefine the landscape of email marketing by making interactions more targeted and meaningful.

Businesses Must Optimise their Tech Stack

As we enter 2025, the urgency to optimise marketing technology stacks intensifies, with businesses using only 33% of their available tech capabilities.

Streamlining these technologies is crucial for enhancing ROI and overall performance. And this year is predicted to be pivotal for embracing upgrades, refining processes, and adopting innovative technologies to maintain competitiveness and deliver superior customer experiences.

Pauline Buil, Marketing Director at Deployteq

CMOs Need to Realign their Complex Tech Stacks

Pauline Buil points to a troubling trend noted in a recent Gartner report, which is the underutilisation of marketing technologies. Notably, businesses are using only 33% of their tech stacks’ capabilities, a sharp drop from previous years.

Buil reflects on the implications of this trend, “This inefficiency has a huge impact on ROI, directly affecting overall business performance.” She urges CMOs to reassess their tech stacks to ensure they are fit for purpose and streamlined enough to unlock greater value.

As we progress into 2025, the need to refine and perhaps even overhaul existing tools becomes increasingly urgent. Buil advises caution against the allure of trendy new tools without a robust strategy, which could further complicate matters.

For 2025, Buil emphasises, “Streamlining existing tools and exploring innovative, emerging technologies—beyond the familiar—will be crucial to unlocking greater value and driving sustainable growth.” This approach will be key to maintaining a competitive edge and enhancing business operations.

Dela Quist, Founder of Alchemy Worx

2025 Will be the Year of Upgrades – Are You Ready?

We also spoke with Dela Quist, Founder of Alchemy Worx, who identifies 2025 as a pivotal year for marketing technology upgrades.

“2025 promises to be the year of the upgrade,” Quist says, “a time for companies to revamp their technology stacks and adopt new tools to stay competitive”.

Quist reflects on how the adoption of new technologies has been sluggish, largely due to macroeconomic uncertainties and an intense focus on AI advancements. Despite these challenges, he is optimistic about a shift in the upcoming year, expecting businesses to actively pursue technological advancements to enhance their competitive edge.

Quist advised that there are three components which are essential for upgrade success:

Upgrade Processes

Streamlining workflows is one of the first steps that businesses can take to improve their operational efficiency.

Quist advises, “Companies that review their processes to identify bottlenecks and areas with the most human touches are likely to gain a significant advantage.”

Upgrade Tech Stacks

Next, conducting thorough audits on the current tech stack can help identify upgrades that already exist in current platforms, waiting to be utilised.

Quist recommends “Consider integrating third-party productivity tools that can enhance your current setup. If these features still don’t meet the needs, it may be time to consider new platforms that better align with business goals.”

Be an Early Adopter

Lastly, Quist believes that the key to success in 2025 lies in starting early and being proactive. That companies who upgrade their tech stack and adopt new features early are the ones who will remain competitive in a rapidly evolving marketing landscape.

“Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your capabilities and drive growth in the coming year. Embrace the advancements in technology to stay ahead and deliver exceptional experiences to your audience.”, Quist advises.

Adoption of Next-Gen Platform Innovations

These platforms are rolling out new features that not only change the formatting of emails but also how recipients interact with them.

Kath Pay, Founder & CEO of Holistic Email Marketing

Tailoring Email Marketing to Technological Advancements

Kath Pay, Founder and CEO of Holistic Email Marketing, delved into the necessity for marketers to adapt to the technological shifts occurring across major email platforms, including Apple iOS 18, Google’s Gmail, and Yahoo.

These platforms have unveiled features that significantly enhance how email content is formatted and engaged with by users. For example, Apple’s iOS 18 has introduced features such as Digest View, which provides summaries of emails, and Previews, which show essential content at a glance.

Pay advises, “To optimise for iOS 18, focus on HTML-based live text for headlines, key details, and CTAs, ensuring that critical information is visible even without image rendering.”

Emphasising Accessibility and Engagement

Pay expanded on Google’s Automatic Extraction feature in Gmail, which extracts structured data from emails, such as event details or promo codes. Pay suggests, “This reinforces the need for well-coded live text and schema markup, ensuring your email content can be parsed and utilised effectively.”

Yahoo has responded by integrating new AI-driven inbox features that sort and prioritise content based on its relevance and clarity.

Pay emphasises, “Including live text and meaningful alt text ensures that your emails align with these AI filters, making them more likely to appear prominently in users’ inboxes.”

Design Considerations for Future-Proof Emails

Concluding our discussion, Pay provided actionable insights for email marketers as they look towards 2025:

“To succeed in this evolving landscape, avoid image-only designs and always include detailed, meaningful alt text. Testing across platforms is essential to ensure your emails adapt seamlessly to these cutting-edge features, delivering impact no matter the device or client.”

It’s clear that adapting to the latest platform innovations is vital for marketers aiming to stay competitive and ensure their messages effectively engage and resonate with their audience.

Predictive Analytics will Reshape CRM and Marketing Strategies

Utilising historical data and machine learning, this technology not only improves targeting and boosts ROI but also enables hyper-personalised campaigns.

It effectively tackles challenges such as data overload and market volatility, empowering strategic decision-making and optimising resource allocation. This results in notably increased marketing efficiency.

Komal Helyer, Fractional CMO at Deployteq & Chair of the DMA Email Council

Predictive Analytics – A Game Changer in 2025

Komal Helyer, Fractional CMO at Deployteq and Chair of the DMA Email Council, identifies predictive analytics as a pivotal force in marketing for 2025, set to transform CRM and marketing automation.

Helyer states, “Predictive analytics will help businesses improve campaign targeting and boost ROI across the entire customer lifecycle.” She points out a key benefit in customer segmentation, noting, “It digs into customer data to create highly specific segments, allowing marketers to deliver hyper-personalised campaigns.”

This granular personalisation is crucial as consumer expectations for tailored experiences rise and customer loyalty becomes more fluid. Predictive models also play a role in identifying early signs of customer churn, helping brands maintain valuable relationships.

Addressing Data Overload and Market Volatility

Predictive analytics tackles significant challenges like data overload and market volatility.

Helyer explains, “With insights derived from large datasets, predictive analytics can identify patterns and opportunities that might otherwise be missed.” This analytical capability is vital for forecasting sales, predicting customer lifetime value, and informing pricing strategies, empowering marketers to make more strategic decisions.

Helyer also highlights efficiency gains, stating, “By prioritising high-potential leads and optimising advertising spend, predictive analytics ensures resources are focused where they’ll deliver the greatest impact.” This focus on efficiency and targeted resource allocation enhances the overall effectiveness of marketing efforts.

In conclusion

Whether you’re boldly stepping into 2025, or cautiously dipping your toe, it’s clear that the year ahead is full of opportunities to upgrade your marketing.
As we have seen from our discussions with leaders in the industry, the importance of embracing change and advancements cannot be understated.

From optimising tech stacks to leveraging predictive insights, the strategies shared in this report provide a roadmap for navigating the evolving digital environment.

And we believe that marketers who act early, adapt quickly, and stay focused on customer-centric approaches will lead the way in this dynamic era.

To support marketers like you to further improve your strategies, we’ll soon be releasing the 2025 Email Benchmark Report, which includes a detailed analysis of email marketing trends and performance benchmarks for the year ahead.

You can access the 2024 report now at email-benchmark.com, or contact us to be notified when the 2025 report is live!