![The Prime Challenges Advertising Leaders Anticipate to Face in 2025 & How You Can Resolve For Them [Expert Insights & Data]](https://i3.wp.com/www.hubspot.com/hubfs/marketing-manager-challenges-1-20250127-5438007.webp?w=1920&resize=1920,1267&ssl=1 "The Prime Challenges Advertising Leaders Anticipate to Face in 2025 & How You Can Resolve For Them [Expert Insights & Data]")
Advertising is a wild experience – traits flip in a single day, and it’s a continuing recreation of catch-up. In 2025 , it’s essential to know the place to focus and what roadblocks may lie forward.
That’s why I dug into the most important challenges entrepreneurs predict subsequent yr and how one can deal with them, utilizing insights from:
- 300+ world advertising and marketing leaders who took our Annual Advertising Technique & Developments survey
- 500+ U.S. advertising and marketing leaders who participated in our Govt Advertising Management Survey
- Unique interviews and insights from Microsoft, ZoomInfo, and Sprout Social leaders.
Desk of Contents
The Largest Challenges World Advertising Leaders Anticipate to Face in 2025
- Adopting a data-driven advertising and marketing technique.
- Integrating AI into advertising and marketing workflows.
- Mastering the transition to short-form video content material.
- Bridging the personalization hole in buyer experiences.
- Overcoming challenges with content material advertising and marketing.
- Aligning the best influencers along with your viewers.
- Optimizing content material via strategic pruning for higher search engine optimisation.
- Discovering the steadiness between creativity and information.
- Pivoting throughout surprising shifts in shopper habits.
- Adapting to information privateness laws.
- Aligning product positioning throughout groups.
- Synchronizing campaigns throughout a number of channels.
1. Adopting a data-driven advertising and marketing technique.
Why It is a Problem
Entrepreneurs are leaning extra towards behavioral information, like content material consumption and purchasing habits, but it surely’s robust to steadiness that with conventional demographic information.
With 33.43% specializing in content material habits and 31.77% on demographics, it’s clear that understanding not simply who your viewers is however how they act is getting extra sophisticated.
What are you able to do?
To remain forward, entrepreneurs have to combine each behavioral and demographic insights into their technique. Perceive how your viewers consumes content material and retailers.
Microsoft’s World Head of Programmatic Evangelist, Daniel Godoy, informed me that it‘s important entrepreneurs maintain first-party information in thoughts in the event that they’re aiming to increase their attain in 2025.
“Entrepreneurs really feel the stress to win the advertisements race in a wild WWW. Throughout this race, it is price mentioning that shopper media habits is altering, and promoting methods, too,” he stated. “With the cookies deprecation coming (though it has been delayed by Google), it needs to be on our radar that a minimum of 40% of browsers right this moment do not get alerts.”
Godoy provides, “Shaping your technique by leveraging 1P or 3P trustable information turns into essential to increase potential attain and begin piloting your information technique for the long run.”
First-party information can in the end assist you to make sure you’re reaching the best audiences along with your advertisements and turning these audiences into high-quality leads.
When you‘ve outlined your audiences and correctly segmented them, you’ll have to develop distinctive messaging that resonates along with your prospects.
2. Integrating AI into advertising and marketing workflows.
Why It is a Problem
AI is a life-saver, however quite a lot of entrepreneurs are nonetheless determining how one can profit from it.
Regardless that 52.76% of respondents in our survey say they perceive how one can use AI and 53.73% can measure its affect, comparable percentages point out a big hole in each understanding and making use of AI successfully.
Moreover, SurveyMonkey discovered that 69% of selling professionals are pumped about AI and the way it’s altering their jobs, whereas 17% really feel a mixture of pleasure and fear.
On high of that, 60% are feeling actually good about the place the business is headed, and simply 1% are tremendous pessimistic. General, the sensation is optimistic.
What are you able to do?
To shut the information hole, entrepreneurs have to sharpen each their technical know-how and their means to trace and measure outcomes.
40% of companies have already made a proactive transfer by bringing in specialised AI consultants to enhance their advertising and marketing efforts.
Deal with studying how one can implement AI and analyze its affect.
3. Mastering the transition to short-form video content material.
Why It is a Problem
Video is stealing the highlight in advertising and marketing, particularly short-form content material on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. LinkedIn now not falls behind, too.
The actual problem for entrepreneurs is maintaining with the shift towards social video, the place youthful audiences are turning to interact with manufacturers greater than on serps. So that you’ve received to be fast and good about creating content material that captures consideration.
What are you able to do?
Ramp up your concentrate on short-form video — it’s anticipated to see essentially the most development in 2025.
Use social listening and sentiment analyzing instruments to determine the questions your viewers is asking, and have your content material group develop content material that resonates.
Even higher, faucet into your model advocates to assist share the solutions, increasing your attain and credibility.
4. Bridging the personalization hole in buyer experiences.
Why It is a Problem
56.35% of entrepreneurs agree that advertising and marketing has modified extra up to now three years than within the final fifty. That’s big.
The largest shift? The demand for personalised content material. Whereas 65% of customers say model content material feels relatable, solely 35% of entrepreneurs imagine their clients are literally experiencing true personalization.
Regardless that 65% of entrepreneurs declare to have high-quality viewers information, it’s clear many aren’t utilizing it successfully to construct stronger, extra significant connections with their audiences.
What are you able to do?
To shut this hole, double down on utilizing your information extra successfully:
- Enhance viewers segmentation by dividing customers into micro-segments.
- Scale up personalization — craft advert messages that talk to micro-segments’ needs and fears.
- A/B take a look at and refine creatives.
5. Overcoming challenges with content material advertising and marketing.
Why It is a Problem
Discovering contemporary concepts for brand new content material tops the checklist of struggles, with 16% of entrepreneurs agreeing on it. In flip, 16% of entrepreneurs outline it difficult to create content material that drives excessive ranges of on-line engagement — like clicks, shares, and feedback.
For 15% of entrepreneurs, creating content material that draws extra site visitors to their web site is a significant problem.
What are you able to do?
Tip #1: Lean into E-E-A-T
To obtain extra clicks, “Your content material technique should begin with what customers want, not what’s most effective for you. In case you take a look at latest Google updates, you’ll discover that Google has been refining what “useful content material” means and prioritizing the “E” for “expertise” in E-E-A-T.
Your content material have to be private, show expertise, and handle actual wants. And also you’re already taking part in catch-up.” — Ben Steele, Senior Editor at Search Engine Journal
Tip #2: Create higher headlines.
To drive preliminary site visitors from the net, work in your headline sharpness. A Danish information outlet, TV 2 Fyn, carried out A/B assessments to enhance CTR utilizing ChatGPT to generate headlines. Over three weeks, they ran 46 A/B assessments. AI-generated headlines gained 46% of the assessments, whereas human-created headlines gained 24%.
An ideal learn: Is AI-Generated Content material Good for search engine optimisation?: 300+ Internet Strategists Weigh In
Tip #3: Social listening.
To idiate, lean into social listening (aka examine thematic subreddits, X, Threads, LinkedIn feedback, and so on). You may as well automate this work with AI instruments.
Plus, put your viewers’s wants first — a single matter might be lined in a number of methods with distinctive angles for every.
Take a look at new content material codecs with video embeds, infographics, or interactive quizzes.
6. Aligning the best influencers along with your viewers.
Why It is a Problem
Influencer advertising and marketing can backfire if the influencer doesn’t align along with your viewers’s wants. Maris Laatre, CMO of Bully Max, recounts a marketing campaign:
“Whereas we received good engagement, the gross sales didn’t match up … we realized that the influencers weren’t talking on to our core viewers.”
The fitting message paired with the best viewers is essential for conversions.
What are you able to do?
Maris emphasizes the significance of specializing in influencers whose viewers matches your goal market, relatively than simply the dimensions of their following.
Additionally, the influencer’s message needs to be genuine and resonate with their followers in any other case it’ll simply be a waste of cash and vitality.
And bear in mind, micro-influencers will usually convey you far more advantages than the massive ones.
7. Optimizing content material via strategic pruning for higher search engine optimisation.
Why is it a problem?
Deciding to prune or merge a good portion of your content material is a high-stakes determination for any advertising and marketing group. It’s not nearly chopping low-performing pages — it’s about taking a calculated danger. Entrepreneurs should weigh the lack of present site visitors (even when small) in opposition to the potential for long-term development.
Emilia Korczynska shared a fantastic submit on this matter. Userpilot eliminated 23% of their weblog content material, equal to $261,443 in manufacturing prices, and pages that drove over 24,000 guests in 2024 alone. But, this led to a 16% improve in customer’s depend.
What are you able to do?
Take a data-driven method to resolve what content material to prune. Emilia’s methodology highlights key steps:
- Deal with underperforming content material — posts with low conversions, minimal site visitors, or outdated relevance.
- Consolidate duplicate or redundant posts to scale back cannibalization and enhance search intent alignment.
- Take away content material optimized for key phrases with zero or low search quantity.
- Consider backlinks and prioritize pages that add measurable worth.
8. Discovering the steadiness between creativity and information.
Why It is a Problem
The stress between creativity and information is a problem many entrepreneurs face. Roland Jakob from BlazeKin.Media explains: “Early on, I leaned closely into analytics, pondering numbers alone would prepared the ground. However I spotted that creativity usually speaks a language information can’t quantify — a minimum of not instantly.”
What are you able to do?
Mix information with storytelling. “Throughout my time at Pagnolia, our marketing campaign with a cultured message didn’t resonate with the viewers till we pivoted to a extra uncooked, story-driven method. This shift turned the marketing campaign into considered one of our most participating, leading to a 30% enhance inside six months” continues Roland.
He additionally suggests utilizing so-called “buyer co-creation.” By bringing clients into the method — not simply as patrons, however as collaborators — manufacturers can construct stronger loyalty and create campaigns that resonate extra deeply.
9. Pivoting throughout surprising shifts in shopper habits.
Why It is a Problem
17.54% of entrepreneurs say maintaining with quickly altering buyer behaviors is considered one of their greatest challenges.
Shopper habits can change in a single day, and the pandemic was an ideal instance. Maris from Bully Max remembers: “When the pandemic hit, we noticed an surprising rise in pet adoption… we needed to pivot shortly and scale up our messaging.”
What are you able to do?
Keep agile throughout such shifts to grab new alternatives and scrutinize behavioral analytics.
10. Adapting to information privateness laws.
Why It is a Problem
Information privateness laws are consistently evolving as effectively, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to remain compliant.
The very best instance is a latest scenario that occurred in a single Belgian firm. A former worker requested for her photograph to be faraway from the corporate web site six months after leaving.
The photograph included her identify, place, and a bunch shot. Underneath GDPR Article 17, individuals have the best to have their private information, together with images, deleted when there’s no legitimate motive for maintaining them or if consent is withdrawn.
The employer didn’t comply, so the information safety authority stepped in and ordered the photograph to be eliminated straight away.
What are you able to do?
Keep knowledgeable on new laws unfolding and be further cautious with campaigns. Enormous articles will probably be buzzed about on social media, so your job is to get the gist and act on it.
Fines are excessive for violating these guidelines, so it is vital to remain vigilant.
11. Aligning product positioning throughout groups.
Why It is a Problem
I wager this level provides you shivers. Cus who hasn’t suffered from gross sales and advertising and marketing groups clashing over lead high quality, lead nurturing, you identify it?
Our analysis additionally highlights that firms with aligned gross sales and advertising and marketing groups are 103% extra more likely to beat their objectives than firms that aren’t aligned.
However wait, there’s extra. Product groups can even have their very own perspective, including insult to damage.
Altogether results in discrepancies in messaging and creates confusion each internally and externally.
What are you able to do?
A easy treatment is to have all groups on the identical web page by sharing insights, marketing campaign efficiency and gross sales outcomes and refining the message collectively.
12. Synchronizing campaigns throughout a number of channels.
Why It is a Problem
A serious setback in advertising and marketing campaigns usually occurs when different advertising and marketing channels don’t align with the first marketing campaign aims, which occurred to Kognic.
“Our web site marketing campaign designed to drive conversions didn’t succeed as a result of we hadn’t constructed concurrent messaging with sufficient scale on our earned and paid channels on the identical time,” shares Steven Spieczny, VP of Advertising at Kognic.
In brief, this lack of synchronization meant missed alternatives to create a seamless expertise throughout all touchpoints.
What are you able to do?
Whether or not it’s paid advertisements, social media, or e-mail campaigns, every channel ought to ship the identical message with unified objectives.
Second, coordinate the timing and messaging throughout all touchpoints to construct a stronger, extra constant buyer expertise.
Prime U.S. Advertising Govt Challenges
Whereas world and U.S.-based contributors from each of our latest research anticipate the same checklist of challenges, the best way they’re prioritizing them shifts when sampling simply U.S.-based executives.
Strategic blockers like making data-driven selections, maintaining with traits, and content material pivots are top-of-mind for entrepreneurs.
In the meantime, U.S. leaders polled in our Govt Advertising survey are targeted on the underside line. They’re getting ready for monetary challenges like producing income, securing price range, and sales-marketing alignment.
This isn’t surprising. Whereas many international locations are in a time of economic uncertainty following the pandemic, the U.S. has confronted numerous contradicting information reviews about whether or not we’re or aren’t in a recession.
With this in thoughts, advertising and marketing leaders are targeted on saving assets, making certain they get the cash they want, and justifying their work, headcount, or investments by displaying income attribution or business-wide affect.
Fortunately, whether or not you are coping with any of the worldwide or U.S.-based challenges, lots of them might be navigated with the insights and takeaways above, comparable to:
- Amassing the very best analytics potential to make data-backed selections, ideally by merging first-party information and GDPR-approved third-party information.
- Understanding how your purchaser is constant to evolve. You may as well use information and sales-marketing alignment to remain in contact with what your clients and audiences are specializing in.
- Making certain that you simply method advertising and marketing methods or investments strategically by asking your self, “What’s the ROI, enterprise affect, or income alternative right here?”
- Getting ready to pivot. The one fixed factor in advertising and marketing is change and many people have already began working backup or pivot-planning into our methods for when traits or circumstances round us change immediately.
- Constructing a fantastic employer model. By doing so, you may entice all kinds of selling expertise who can navigate most of the challenges above.
Get Contained in the Minds of Right now’s Advertising Leaders
As a marketer and partnership supervisor myself, I can inform you that there’s no scarcity of challenges. However, we’re employed to unravel the riddles.
Focused on different high challenges, traits, and alternatives that advertising and marketing leaders are specializing in, or wish to discover ways to construct ways that can get you visibility by fixing their ache factors? Examine our our newest report on government management priorities.
Editor’s word: This submit was initially printed in October 2022 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
