As 2024 comes to a close we thought we’d reach out to our network, to find out what sort of things are worth letting go when it comes to planning for next year and looking to the future.
Andrew Tindall — senior VP of global partnerships at System1
As we step into 2025 one trend must stay in the past: inconsistency. This year, our research featuring IPA data revealed the power of consistency across channels. Using cohesive brand codes — like colour, tone of voice, and character-fluent devices — has proven critical to driving commercial success. Our study showed that the most consistent brands double their long-term effectiveness over five years, unlocking an additional £3.3 billion in value and achieving nearly twice the profit gains of less consistent brands. Letting go of inconsistency shouldn’t just be a New Year’s resolution — it’s essential. System1’s upcoming report with WARC, Prophet, Bera.ai and Analytic Partners, The Multiplier Effect, is set to highlight how consistency enhances both performance and brand advertising. So, as we head into another year of creativity, let’s toast to the research leading the way toward a more consistent, impactful future!
Smita Pillai — regional VP of customer success at impact.com
In 2025 advertisers should leave behind practices such as relying on third-party cookies, overgeneralised targeting, and placing an excessive focus on mega influencers. With AI-driven optimisation, first-party data, and privacy-first approaches taking precedence, it’s time to prioritise transparency, personalisation, and authentic connections with audiences. The partnership economy, driven by platforms like impact.com, underscores the importance of leveraging diverse collaborations — from micro and nano influencers to content creators and brand affiliates — for sustainable growth. Static formats and trend-chasing without measurable ROI should give way to dynamic strategies such as video, live streaming, and shoppable content; which align with evolving consumer preferences. Ignoring the rise of voice search integration and AI-powered engagement tools risks missing key opportunities in this ecosystem. Success will come from embracing innovation, investing in meaningful partnerships, and focusing on performance-driven results to thrive in a privacy-first, data-optimised future.
Lottie Mariner — head of copy at bandstand
A certain soft drink brand’s AI-horror show of a Christmas ad? No, I’m kidding. (Sort of.) I’m not here to publicly skewer someone else’s work. What I will violently bash over the head, however, is marketing jargon. The stuff flung out during presentations to clients, with intimidating acronyms or crammed into emails like a dignity-robbed Christmas turducken. And yes, I know that jargon has been around forever, but the rise in AI use has made it so much worse. We work on a lot of B2B projects at bandstand and one of the things we repeatedly say is, sure, we’re speaking to someone who’s making a business decision, but that someone is also a real person with real feelings; who might have had a brat summer and thinks the Victoria line is hotter than the sun, and emotionally ate a tub of ice cream when Trump won. Can we afford our clients and one another the same courtesy? That we are all real people who loathe waffle, and can just say what we mean? Not using words like ‘synergy’ (argh ‘synergistic’), ‘enablement’, ‘bandwidth’, ‘solutioning’ or ‘agile’. Or, worse yet, ramming them all together to create a new, unholy marketing phrase. Because once we all have real conversations with one another, that’s when the magic happens, and brilliant work gets made. Here’s to a 2025, where ChatGPT chat is banished and we all just speak like humans.
Hannah Cooke — head of growth at Charlie Oscar
As we move into 2025 we have to leave last-click measurement behind. Relying solely on last-click attribution has long been a shortcut that oversimplifies how customers interact with brands. In today’s multi-touch, omni-channel world, customers engage with content across various platforms before making a purchase, making last-click attribution increasingly irrelevant. It fails to recognise the complex, non-linear path to conversion, and misses critical data about brand awareness, consideration, and engagement at earlier stages. To truly understand and optimise marketing impact we must embrace more advanced attribution models like MMM, that account for the entire customer journey. By leveraging data and technology we can develop a more holistic view, gaining insights into how every touchpoint influences the final decision. Moving beyond last-click measurement is essential to build strategies that drive long-term brand growth and deliver a deeper, more actionable understanding of customer behaviour in 2025 and beyond.
Milly Putley — associate director of marketing at Alkimi
It’s time to move beyond outdated practices that stifle innovation and exclude diverse perspectives. While the advertising industry has made progress, the path forward demands bold conversations around transparency, fairness, and collaboration. At Alkimi we believe smarter strategies should go beyond efficiency, creating meaningful and impactful campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. Legacy workflows and rigid structures have long held the industry back. By embracing cutting-edge technologies like blockchain and flexible, inclusive approaches, we can foster greater trust and collaboration. This shift unlocks better outcomes for brands, publishers, and consumers alike, breaking down barriers to creativity and opportunity. As we approach 2025, let’s ensure the next generation has the tools and platforms to redefine advertising. Together, we can champion a fairer, more transparent ecosystem that rewards creativity, drives accountability, and transforms the industry.
Andrew Rose — VP EMEA at StackAdapt
In 2025 advertisers must rethink how they connect with audiences. Consumers are savvier, privacy-conscious, and tired of irrelevant ads following them online. By leaving ineffective targeting methods behind and adopting contextual targeting strategies, brands can reach users at different points of the conversion funnel, in more relevant and meaningful ways. Beyond better targeting, leveraging contextual ads protects brand safety, ensuring messages land in trusted, appropriate environments. Especially with ongoing concerns of ads being placed alongside unsuitable content. What’s more, with the uncertainty around third-party cookies and tightening privacy regulations, contextual advertising offers a sustainable, future-proof alternative. It prioritises quality over clicks, creating meaningful connections that resonate and stick. More than just ads, it’s about storytelling —crafting campaigns that belong, not just appear. For 2025, leave behind the scattergun tactics. Context is no longer optional; it’s the foundation for a privacy-first ad environment, creativity, and impactful marketing in a cookie-less future.
Lori Meakin — executive member at WACL
In 2025 I’d love us all to leave behind the generations of default-male bias that still impacts the creative industry. We often don’t notice, but from mascots to holiday ads, we still tend to default to male characters as the norm, with women often relegated to niche or supporting roles. To serve our audiences better, advertisers can actively challenge gender expectations and norms, even in anthropomorphic characters. We could embrace change, like the WNBA’s Ellie the Elephant, and rethink traditional tropes like the ‘damsel in distress’ or ‘evil witch.’ As ads like Boots, M&S and Very show, acknowledging and valuing women can unlock overlooked consumer spending power, especially where women’s contributions remain undervalued. And there’s a powerful opportunity to explore more feminine-coded qualities within male characters too. So for 2025, let’s see more brands embracing a broader, more imaginative vision of all the qualities that make us who we are; so ads can represent and reflect a balanced and joyful world for everyone. At WACL we call this Lever of Change ‘Work Like the World is Watching’, and we know it’s something that can benefit all of us.
Virginie Chesnais — CMO at Happydemics
If there’s one thing advertisers need to ditch, it’s vanity metrics that only offer a glimpse of performance without telling the whole story. Advertisers need to be able to prove the value of campaigns and how they’re driving meaningful shifts in consumer perception or behaviour, something which impressions, clicks and ‘attention’ simply can’t do. In 2025, metrics like ad recall, interest, and consideration will become much more of a priority. Advertisers are starting to wake up to the importance of measuring what truly matters. And with the fragmentation of platforms and channels increasing, these metrics will need to form a new standard across the whole media mix and set the bar for a new era of measurement. Brands wasted $6 billion in digital ad spend last year, advertisers must prioritise top-of-the funnel metrics that demonstrate both short- and long-term outcomes. By leaving surface level in 2024, the industry can embrace a future driven by informed decisions and sustained growth.
Peter Wallace — GM, EMEA at GumGum
It’s undeniable that the industry has undergone, and continues to experience, a seismic shift. In large part, this is driven by the continued signal loss, which in turn impacts planning, activation, and reporting. These dynamics, combined with the turn of the new year, offer a fresh start for advertisers to reimagine how they approach their strategies. By leaning on data signals that are proven to persist in the face of technological and legislative changes, advertisers can add value and insights to planning and activation, while at the same time delivering positive business outcomes. Contextual analysis continues to make impressive strides in this space, harnessing insights at scale across the open web and driving effective targeting by aligning with the mindset of consumers.
Ines Casas — social director at eight&four
I’d like to see an end — or at least the beginning of the end — of the obsession with TV ads in our industry. Advertising has always been about meeting people where they are — and increasingly, that’s on social platforms. Fixating on TV as the pinnacle of advertising success is holding brands back at a time when they need to move forward. Today, people scroll through social feeds, engage with short-form videos, and consume content on demand. Meanwhile, traditional TV ads often play to distracted viewers, who are often checking their phones or multitasking. It’s time to embrace social-first thinking — with campaigns delivering deeper connections, more measurable outcomes and better returns.
Alan Fayolle — founder at Fearless Union
At Fearless Union we believe the future belongs to brands with the courage to take a stand and pursue the right solution — even if the path may at times feel uncomfortable or unconventional. While some suggest the creative agency model is in decline, we see it differently. The demand for creativity remains strong — it has simply evolved. It’s time to move beyond outdated ideas of what works and embrace thinking that meets the needs of today’s ever shape-shifting world.
Sonia Danner — senior marketer at Marketreach
Advertisers should leave behind overreliance on Solus channels. 2025 is going to be the year of media diversity! As consumer behaviours continue to shift, it’s going to be more important than ever to understand the unique attributes of each channel and how they can complement one another. This is a key solution for many advertisers looking to maximise their investment. And each channel has its advantages. For example, one of mail’s greatest attributes is its physicality. This makes it inherently reassuring in an increasingly blink-and-you’ll miss it, digital-first world. Direct mail’s tangibility drives a massive 134 seconds of consumer attention on average. Advertisers that use a strong blend of media channels will be the ones that win in 2025 and beyond.
Jon Hewson — MD at Audience Store
In 2025, advertisers should stop questioning if they should be doing CTV: they absolutely should. The opportunity is simply too great to ignore, given how viewing habits have shifted. Ofcom’s annual study into UK media habits shows that fewer than half of 16-24-year-olds watch broadcast TV weekly, and while the over-65s remain loyal, live TV accounts for barely half of viewing among 55-65-year-olds. CTV reaches audiences — particularly younger ones — that linear TV can’t. Most of the reach in a linear TV campaign comes from the first 50% of the spend, before duplication kicks in. By working with a partner with a Barb licence, advertisers can see the audiences they are failing to reach with their linear campaign, and reallocate some of the budget to reach them through CTV. Don’t think about CTV as an alternative to linear, but rather, complementary.
Lizz Harman — senior music supervisor at DLMDD
Advertisers need to leave behind the fear of backlash from hateful critics who try to silence progress. They must not allow a vocal minority of bigots and trolls to dictate the narrative. Advertising and marketing agencies should keep their focus on pushing boundaries, advocating for change and championing diversity without hesitation. We’re living in a time of significant societal unrest, where divisions and hatred often dominate the discourse. But we cannot allow the voices of an increasingly emboldened group of hate-fuelled individuals stop us from celebrating inclusivity, progress and the need for representation in advertising. It is more important than ever to amplify the voices of marginalised groups and not allow them to be drowned out by those trying to erase them from the cultural conversation.
Advertisers hold a unique position in shaping societal norms and culture, creating platforms that amplify minority perspectives and challenge outdated stereotypes. In the face of rising hate speech and the backlash against ‘woke’ movements, it’s vital that advertisers continue to provide space for diverse voices. Every ad, every campaign and every message that includes underrepresented communities pushes the needle forward, showing those who oppose inclusion that minority identities cannot (and will not) be erased. The fight for equality and representation is not just a moral responsibility but a cultural imperative. As the hate-filled rhetoric grows louder, advertisers must be unwavering in their commitment to advocate for minorities. By doing so, they ensure that inclusivity becomes a fundamental part of the fabric of advertising and, in turn, society as a whole. As we approach 2025 it is time to leave behind the fear of cancel culture, and embrace the responsibility that comes with shaping a more equitable world through our platforms. Now’s the time for advertisers to be bold, unapologetically inclusive and committed to making a positive change.
Johnny Blick — managing partner at GATE+
Clients can leave behind the fear, anxiety, and dread of creating a piece of communication by simply picking the right production partner and trusting the team of experts to handle your brand’s destiny. The traditional production model is tired, expensive, and often out of sync with client needs. Safe creative concepts don’t cut through the noise; you have seconds to engage your audience — use that time wisely. Product demonstrations are costly, boring, and barely watched. Don’t worry, someone else probably uploaded a free one to YouTube. And as for that expensive director promising miracles? Spoiler alert: the real magic isn’t in their cape; it’s in the army of experts behind the scenes. A successful project is the result of a collaborative, well-oiled team — not just one individual. So, trust your production partner and embrace a smarter, more efficient approach to creative work.
Lee Climpson — partner at Transmission
Advertisers need to stop playing it safe. Formulaic, one-size-fits-all campaigns aren’t just uninspired — they fail to connect with audiences. Take some of the endless corporate ads during major events like the Olympics, for example. Often, these are so stuffed with generic imagery and slogans about ‘teamwork’ or ‘breaking boundaries’ that they blur together, leaving no memorable impression. Audiences don’t want to be sold to by brands that are too scared to take risks; they want boldness, relatability, and authenticity. Playing it safe might avoid failure, but it also leads to irrelevance. Real innovation happens when brands embrace a culture of experimentation. Failure isn’t the enemy — it’s a stepping stone to growth. Instead of recycling tired ideas, advertisers should focus on storytelling that resonates, creativity that surprises, and a deep understanding of their audience. Stop hiding behind what’s predictable and start creating work that excites, challenges, and truly connects. The biggest risk isn’t trying something new; it’s staying stuck in the same old routine.
Nicky Vita — head of strategy at Atomic London
Perhaps it’s due to the onslaught of (mostly) saccharine Christmas advertising. Or the ongoing industry debates about testing methodologies and how creative work is all being directed towards ‘happy’ advertising. And, yes, I know that we all need something to feel good about after what feels like a decade (plus) of permacrisis. But what I really want advertisers to leave behind in 2025 is homogenous, one-size-fits-all ‘positive’ comms aversion of ‘toxic positivity’ that feels at odds with the human condition and everyday lives. Let’s see them explore the full gamut of human emotion once again. Anger. Despair. Guilt. Perseverance. Hope. Sadness. There’s so much to play with. To tell a narrative with. To build an authentic story out of. You may even end up feeling good… but doesn’t that feel better when it follows other emotions?
Theologis Strikos — senior global analyst, business insights at CMI Media Group
The siloed approach to international targeting. For example, an EU5 campaign that uses endemic display for Spain, email for Italy, podcasts for France, etc. The key problem with the siloed approach is that it doesn’t allow the configuration of shared performance trends and learnings between countries of the same region. For example, let’s say that emails in Italy did not match expectations. Is this reflective of a market issue or the specific tactic in use for this market? Is there a tactic/factor (i.e. Alerts vs Emails or different creatives or periods of time used for the same tactic) driving better results in another but similar market and could we be leveraging that to optimise performance in Italy as well? The key to answering all these pivotal questions is breaking free of the siloed approach to allow a homogeneous tactical mix across different markets.
Helen Miall — CMO at VIOOH
The industry’s overreliance on surface-level or ‘lazy’ metrics needs to stay in 2024. While clicks and impressions are easy to measure, they only tell a fraction of the story. Smart advertisers in 2025 will embrace a more sophisticated approach that considers the full marketing funnel and cross-channel impact. We need to understand how channels work together – for instance, how programmatic digital out of home (pDOOH) exposure primes audiences for subsequent digital engagement. Brand building and performance marketing shouldn’t be viewed as opposing forces, but as complementary strategies that drive long-term business growth. The focus should shift to meaningful metrics that capture real business outcomes: brand consideration, purchase intent, customer lifetime value and incremental sales lift. By moving beyond click-through rates and surface-level engagement metrics, advertisers can better understand and optimise their true impact on consumer behaviour and business results.
Damian Cox — CEO and founder at Wildstone
In 2025, advertisers should leave behind an overreliance on online advertising and rediscover the power of out-of-home (OOH) to build brand fame and trust. Online ads may excel in targeting, but their oversaturation and reliance on algorithms can dilute impact, erode consumer trust, and contribute to ad fatigue. Outdoor advertising, particularly digital out-of-home (DOOH), offers an antidote. It’s a proven, trusted medium, delivering high-impact, contextualised, public-facing campaigns that amplify brand visibility and create a lasting impression in real-world spaces. But don’t just take my word for it: the sector is booming, with UK OOH seeing a 12% year-on-year growth during the first nine months of 2024. As advertisers look to the future, balancing online channels with impactful outdoor campaigns will be essential. In 2025, it’s time to move away from the limitations of purely internet-based strategies and embrace the enduring value of outdoor.
Rik Moore — managing partner of strategy at The Kite Factory
We should leave behind the notion that any given media channel is ‘dying’. You read these proclamations, and it just sounds like the hollow clickbait it is. Anything that is perceived to be dying in media is more likely evolving. If we can understand those changes, we can get ahead of the curve and make the most of the new opportunities that are being created for our clients. In doing so, we’ll help shape the future of the industry.
Adam Fulrath — director of creative at Dewynters
As AI becomes central to every aspect of a campaign, it’s time to leave behind the idea of automation without human oversight. AI excels at efficiency — I use it daily as a creative director — but creative human storytelling must remain at the heart of every campaign. A brand’s success is built on a brand voice that resonates with human insight, emotion, and authenticity. Looking ahead, agencies must commit to long-term strategies that integrate AI to enhance (not overshadow) creativity. In 2025, let’s use technology to unlock new ways of connecting with audiences while ensuring human-driven storytelling remains our foundation.
Ben Thornton — client executive at Wake The Bear
2024 has seen turbulence, from abandoning cookie deprecation to the rapid growth of AI, but 2025 should take forward a key learning. Campaigns with little to no attribution or effectiveness measurement must be left behind, and agencies need to be leading advertisers forward in meaningful measurement approaches and building momentum in relentlessly commercial approaches to campaigns. Measurement and attribution tools ensure that advertisers remain at the forefront of customer acquisition in their categories, through effective monitoring of performance and identification of in-campaign optimisations. Effective measurement also eases pressure on marketing teams in communicating campaign success to senior stakeholders — a welcome addition to New Year campaigns.
Elizabeth Brennan — GM, advertising at Permutive
As we head into 2025 the one thing I’d like to leave behind is continuing to talk about cookies. Ultimately, Google’s decision to let consumers choose how their data is used won’t make a difference because the majority are expected to opt-out, and 70 per cent of the internet is already cookie-less. The industry has clearly moved on, and everyone needs to be ready for a world without third-party signals. This, of course, raises the question of what’s next. Google’s decision to invest significant effort in curation capabilities is perhaps the strongest indicator of how important curation will become to the advertising ecosystem in 2025. This is the best approach for reimagining the open web landscape, transforming it into something that truly works for advertisers, publishers and consumers alike.
Featured image: Thomas Charters / Unsplash