With 2025 on the horizon, we’ve drawn on the expertise of specialists across the7stars to share the key emerging trends that advertisers should pay close attention to in the new year. From VOD to SEO, these trends present significant opportunities for brands across a variety of sectors to deliver innovative campaigns effectively.
Navigating the Future of AV Advertising – Balancing Linear TV and VOD to Maximise Reach in 2025
Over the past decade, VOD has grown hugely in popularity. Although linear TV continues to lead the way in reach, this growth is only predicted to continue in 2025. These increasingly diverse viewing habits present challenges to advertisers, as video viewing has never been more fragmented. To succeed, advertisers must embrace variety and understand different preferences for linear TV as well as BVOD, SVOD, and AVOD.
While some marketers plan to reduce broadcast TV spend in 2025, most intend to increase spending on streaming. However, a healthy combination of linear and VOD is encouraged as the best way to maximise reach. Advertisers should focus on finding the right mix of video platforms, including YouTube, as it re-joins BARB, to meet their brand goals and objectives.
Morgan Lloyd, AV
AI is Reshaping How Businesses Achieve Online Visibility
AI is reshaping how businesses achieve online visibility. E-commerce, in particular, will feel the impact as generative AI revolutionises the way users interact with search results. Tools like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) will provide tailored answers and summaries directly within search results, reducing traditional click-through rates and challenging brands to adapt.
Visual search will become increasingly influential, with imagery, 3D models, and augmented reality playing a central role in helping businesses, especially in e-commerce, stand out. At the same time, the growing dominance of zero-click searches will make it essential for brands to create engaging, value-rich content that captures attention directly on their pages.
In this evolving landscape, organic success will depend on adopting smarter, AI-powered optimisation strategies, focusing on understanding user intent, and delivering meaningful, well-structured content. Technical SEO—ensuring fast, mobile-friendly, and well-optimised websites—will remain the foundation for visibility.
Mon Slater, SEO
Growing the Platform Mix and Understanding the Use Cases of AI as the Social Media Landscape Evolves
As political and legal changes affect social media usage across the world, we expect the advertising industry to broaden its use of platforms to include up-and-coming apps such as BeReal and Threads as they develop their ad offerings. Larger players that previously dominated this space are becoming less popular in the wake of socio-economic change. As a result, we expect the landscape to become more fragmented in 2025, with smaller-scale platforms offering new, innovative opportunities for brands to engage their audiences.
We also predict that the use and impact of AI in social media advertising will continue to grow, as the leading platforms embed this technology into the foundations of their ad offerings. This will challenge brands and advertisers to engage users in creative yet authentic ways, as users become savvier with their time spent on platforms and more selective about what they choose to consume.
As advertisers, we must remember to connect with our audiences on a human level when using AI and understand when and where it fits into a broader advertising strategy.
Nadine Trimmer, Paid Social
