Source: © CIO SA
CIO SA Vincent Maher, True I/O CEO and the leader of the MMA AI Leadership Consortium looks at the five trends driving the reshaping of marketing through AI
Let's dive into five trends driving this shift.
- Hyper-personalisation hits its stride
Remember when targeted ads used to be creepy? Like when you'd Google "how to get rid of pigeons" and suddenly see pigeon deterrents all over your Instagram?
AI has matured beyond these blunt-force algorithms. In 2025, hyper-personalisation means understanding customers at a level that borders on mind-reading but in a way that feels organic.
Brands now use AI not just to predict what you want but also to frame it in the context of your mood, environment, and even your ethical beliefs.
Your morning coffee ad might subtly switch to "sustainable sourcing" messaging after your fitness app logs a yoga session. AI is blending consumer data into narratives that feel tailor-made for every micro-moment.
Fun fact: The word "personalisation" appeared in print for the first time in 1911. What would the Victorians think of algorithms analysing their shopping carts?
- Synthetic media becomes the norm
Imagine you're watching an ad. The actor, the voiceover, and even the set don't exist-they've all been created by AI. Welcome to synthetic media.
In 2025, it is projected that 90% of online content will be generated or influenced by AI and the ad creative process is likely to be influenced similarly once everyone runs out of moral outrage, as we have seen in the recent Coca-Cola ad backlash.
While synthetic media makes it cheaper and faster to produce content, it also opens doors to mind-blowing creativity.
Need a character that embodies "timeless elegance"? AI can combine Audrey Hepburn's poise with modern fashion trends, without resorting to digital necromancy. This ability to create infinite variations of ad creative is fundamentally changing A/B testing.
- Conversational AI replaces static touchpoints
Websites, phone home screens and app menus are starting to feel old-fashioned. Why navigate dropdown menus when you can just ask?
Conversational AI is turning static touchpoints-websites, apps, even customer service scripts-into dynamic interactions. In 2025, this trend will go far beyond chatbots. We will see fully integrated AI personalities acting as brand ambassadors.
These AIs remember your past interactions, can recommend new products, and even discuss your preferences like a personal shopper.
Some brands are taking it further. Imagine a whisky brand creating a conversational AI "bartender" that suggests the perfect drink based on your taste. It's not just customer service's customer experience elevated.
Fun fact: In 1943, the US Army commissioned the first 'chatbot' to train soldiers in Morse code by automatically playing lines of code for them to decode.
- AI-Powered ethics monitoring
The ethical spotlight is intense in 2025, and AI is its enforcer.
Regulations like GDPR felt revolutionary in their day, but AI can police marketing campaigns in real time.
Brands use AI to analyse ad copy, creative, and targeting parameters to ensure they don't cross ethical lines.
This means no more accidentally serving luxury car ads to people who've just filed for bankruptcy.
Interestingly, AI also helps brands align their messaging with broader societal issues. For example, during water shortages in Cape Town, brands now pivot their campaigns in hours, not weeks, to focus on sustainability messaging.
Marketing is no longer just about selling; it is about navigating an ethical minefield, and AI will potentially act as a guide through this tricky terrain.
- The Rise of the AI marketing supply chain
Marketing used to be a disjointed process-creative here, media buying there, and reporting over in some other silo. In 2025, AI will stitch the entire supply chain together into a seamless flow.
From predictive audience segmentation to real-time bidding to automated post-campaign analysis, AI is eliminating inefficiencies.
It's not just about automation; it's about intelligence. Why spend weeks analysing campaign data when AI can identify insights in milliseconds?
This trend is giving rise to new roles. Marketers are becoming "prompt engineers," designing the instructions that guide AI systems. The ones who thrive are those who can blend creativity with technical curiosity.
These trends make one thing clear: marketing in 2025 is as much about understanding machines as it is about understanding people. But it is just as clear as ever that the more intelligent AI becomes, the more important human creativity and empathy are.
AI can tell you what works, but it can't tell you why it moves someone. It can generate a million variations of an ad, but it takes a human to connect it to the cultural moment or craft a message with soul.
The future of marketing isn't AI replacing humans, it is AI amplifying the human touch. In a world of infinite possibilities, the most valuable skill may simply be asking the right questions.
The history of marketing is one of evolution, driven by technology. The printing press gave us ads; radio and TV brought jingles and soap operas. Today, AI is the next step in this legacy.
