Moburst’s 2024 Marketing Roundup & 2025 Predictions #20

Digital Marketing Industry News Mobile Marketing

Lital Castel 02 January 2025

Happy New Year, and welcome to the special 20th edition of Moburst’s Monthly Marketing Roundup!

The past year has been a whirlwind of changes in the marketing industry. Privacy regulations challenged how we connect with users, AI cemented its role as an everyday tool, and advertising platforms rewrote the playbook, forcing brands to adapt and evolve.

Marketing in 2024 was all about navigating challenges—often requiring uncomfortable adjustments and, at times, sheer survival. But these challenges also opened the door to opportunities for brands willing to innovate.

In this special edition, we’ll look back at the marketing updates that shaped the industry and offer actionable insights to help you stay well ahead in 2025. We’ve got a lot to unpack, so let’s dive right in.

The Top Marketing Trends of 2024: A Year in Review

Privacy and Compliance Take Center Stage

2024 was the year marketing got a reality check. Privacy became the centerpiece of every decision, and regulations forced platforms—and the brands that rely on them—to adapt in ways that weren’t always convenient.

For many brands, it felt like the ground was shifting beneath their feet. Meta removed sensitive ad targeting categories, upending strategies that had worked for years. Google introduced strict consent requirements in Europe, adding new layers of complexity to ad campaigns. Apple introduced AdAttributionKit with enhanced privacy safeguards and had to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act by allowing sideloading—something that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.

The phase-out of third-party cookies added to the uncertainty. With no clear roadmap for what comes next, brands were left scrambling to rebuild their data strategies from the ground up. One thing became clear: collecting first-party data is more crucial than ever.

But these changes weren’t just about meeting regulations. They were about trust.  

Some companies faced criticism for misusing user data in AI training. For instance, Elon Musk’s platform, X (formerly Twitter), received nine data protection complaints for using user data to train its AI model, Grok, without consent, forcing the company to stop processing personal data for AI training.

What Does This Mean for Brands?

• Stop Chasing Granular Targeting: Instead, focus on creative and meaningful ways to reach your audience. If Meta’s changes taught us anything, it’s that relying on hyper-specific targeting is no longer a viable strategy. Broader, behavior-based targeting—combined with personalized content—can still deliver results without compromising privacy.
• Use Privacy as a Differentiator: Consumers are skeptical, and trust is harder to earn than ever. Highlight your transparency and data-handling practices as part of your brand messaging. Show users that you respect their choices, and they’ll reward you with loyalty.

• Rebuild Your Data Strategy: With third-party cookies on their way out, there’s no time to delay building a first-party data strategy. Start by improving how you collect, store, and utilize customer data directly—whether through your app, website, or loyalty programs.
• Prepare For AI-Related Regulations: If platforms like X are being called out for how they use data in AI, brands aren’t too far behind. Audit how you’re using AI-driven tools and ensure your data practices can withstand scrutiny.

The privacy-first era is here, and it’s here to stay. 2024 may have been challenging, but for the brands that embrace this shift, 2025 can be full of opportunity.

AI Becomes Mainstream: Redefining Marketing, Development, and Consumer Trust

“In the ever-evolving world of…” just kidding—this was written by a human.

In 2024, AI stopped being a shiny new tool and became a staple of how marketing campaigns are built and apps are brought to life. Across the industry, it was no longer about “if” you should use AI—it was about how to make it work smarter, faster, and more effectively.

For many businesses, AI’s mainstream adoption brought efficiency, scale, and possibilities they couldn’t have dreamed of just a few years ago. But it also revealed an equally important lesson: technology is only as good as the thoughtfulness behind its use. 

Many brands learned the hard way that over-automation can be a double-edged sword, and had to balance the use of AI with providing value for their target audience without losing the human touch that builds trust and loyalty.

This was the year when platforms doubled down on AI, offering marketers new ways to connect with audiences and streamline workflows. 

Here are a few notable examples:

• Google’s AI-Powered Search Ads and Shopping Experience: Utilizing Google AI, responsive search ads offered improved adaptability by identifying optimal combinations of headlines and descriptions. The new shopping experience provided users with personalized product suggestions and discounts.
• Gemini in Android Studio: Google Gemini received significant upgrades this year, including being added to Android Studio to assist developers in various coding tasks and debugging. Gemini Nano was later announced for improving app functionalities.
• Meta’s AI-Enhanced Ad Tools: These tools provided more information and personalization to users at the moment of discovery and included Advantage+ creative optimizations, catalog ads that automatically delivered product recommendations based on user interests, and more.
• Meta AI’s Llama 3: The company’s recently launched advanced LLM was integrated into all Meta platforms (Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger). 

• SearchGPT and Google’s AI Overviews: OpenAI’s AI-powered search engine launched, competing directly with Google, and made significant waves in the SEO and ASO industries—shifting search queries to be more conversational and user-led rather than focusing on generic keywords. Google’s AI Overviews were also introduced to summarize the most relevant search results for users.
• Apple Intelligence: Announced at WWDC24, Apple’s AI-driven system integrates personalized recommendations and smarter interactions across Apple devices, helping marketers engage users more effectively.
• Sora, Adobe Firefly & More AI-Driven Creative Tools:  Content-aware image fills, automated colorization, creating realistic videos from text, and advanced image manipulation to streamline the creative process became increasingly popular as new platforms launched and enhanced their offerings.

Key Takeaways for 2025

1. Balance AI with Experience: While AI-driven tools can automate and optimize creative work and project management, they can’t replicate the nuance of human insight. Brands that use AI to enhance—not replace—human creativity and experience will thrive.
2. Adapt to New Search Behaviors: With tools like SearchGPT leading a conversational search revolution, focus on creating content that directly answers user intent in a natural, conversational manner.
3. Stay Transparent: As AI becomes more involved in user data and personalization, user trust will be your greatest asset. Clearly communicate how data is collected and used, and, of course, ensure compliance with privacy regulations.
4. Leverage AI for Innovation, Not Just Automation: From Gemini-enhanced apps to Apple’s intelligence-driven personalization, 2024 showed us that the true potential of AI lies in creating experiences that empower users.
5. Future-Proof Your Strategy: With tools like Meta’s predictive ad algorithms and Google’s dynamic asset optimizations, it’s clear that brands need to adapt their marketing strategies to stay ahead in an AI-driven future. Adaptability will be your strongest competitive advantage.

The Decentralization of App Ecosystems

The app ecosystem in 2024 was marked by a quiet yet profound shift: the gates that once tightly controlled app distribution and discovery started to creak open. As privacy regulations and antitrust pressures took center stage, they slowly encouraged a broader theme of decentralization of power in app distribution, pushing major players like Apple and Google to rethink how apps are distributed, discovered, and monetized.

One of this year’s most significant updates was Apple’s sideloading pivot in the EU. Once the epitome of a closed system, Apple was forced to embrace third-party app distribution under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. 

For users, this meant more choice. For app owners, it was a chance to bypass the 30% cut Apple has traditionally taken. But it was not without trade-offs: sideloading started raising questions about app security and discoverability, requiring brands to rethink their marketing and user acquisition strategies in a more fragmented ecosystem.

Microsoft’s attempt to launch its Xbox Store as a standalone competitor to Google Play also emphasized the growing decentralization trend. While legal and logistical hurdles remain, the message is clear: the era of app stores as the sole gatekeepers will continue to be challenged. For app owners and marketers, this means exploring alternative marketplaces while balancing user acquisition strategies across a growing array of distribution points.

User-Centric Marketing: Personalization Meets Realness 

This year, brands started to move beyond focusing on user reach and conversions and began prioritizing building deeper connections with their audiences. Social platforms like TikTok, Reddit, LinkedIn, and Instagram heavily favored user-driven content and personal engagement. As a result, brands had to find ways to balance ad messaging with authenticity, be less guarded, make fun of themselves, and win over users with highly personalized, real content. Polished, curated marketing strategies continued to lose traction as audiences gravitated toward unfiltered authenticity.

• Reddit became a standout platform for marketers, surpassing social media rivals in engagement and disrupting SEO by becoming more prominent in the SERPs providing opportunities to engage deeply with niche and mainstream communities. 
• Reddit’s free-form ads also blended seamlessly with user-generated content, fostering conversations that felt natural rather than contrived. 

• TikTok’s marketing influence also remained strong, even as it still faces a potential ban in the U.S. Brands found success on TikTok by embracing the platform’s playful, chaotic style. A notable example was Duolingo’s viral content on TikTok, which used its mascot Duo the Owl to create hilarious, self-aware videos. By leaning into self-parody, Duolingo built a loyal, engaged community without compromising the brand’s image. 

User-generated content (UGC) continued to solidify its position as a cornerstone of effective marketing. From authentic product reviews to TikTok challenges, UGC resonated with audiences who valued real voices over scripted endorsements. Instead of stock footage or traditional celebrity campaigns, users wanted to see genuine stories from relatable individuals. 

Lastly, personalization became a non-negotiable part of marketing, with brands customizing campaigns to meet users in ways that felt organic and relevant to their buyers’ journeys. 

Predictions for 2025: Trends That Will Reshape Marketing

Moving beyond the trends of privacy, AI adoption, and personalization, 2025 will require brands to operate in new dimensions—where technology and authenticity converge, user trust becomes paramount, and the value exchange with consumers takes center stage.

1. UGC Will Evolve into Interactive Narratives

User-generated content (UGC) will no longer just be product reviews or TikTok challenges; it will transform into participatory storytelling. Think interactive campaigns where users directly shape the narrative through voting, creative submissions, or live engagement. Brands that can co-create experiences with their audience will build stronger loyalty and increase conversions.

2. Personalization Will Move Beyond Ads

2025 will see a shift from ad-level personalization to ecosystem-level experiences. Consumers expect more than targeted messaging; they want entire journeys—on apps, websites, and even physical spaces—that feel tailored to them.

With tools like Apple Intelligence and Google Gemini leading this charge, marketers will need to think beyond segmentation and deliver real-time customization across touchpoints. This means leveraging AI not only for product recommendations but for dynamic experiences, like in-app user flows or personalized live events.

3. Trust as a Growth Metric

As privacy regulations tighten and data usage becomes more transparent, user trust will become a measurable growth driver. Brands will need to move beyond compliance to proactively educate consumers about how their data is used and the value it delivers.

Expect trust signals—like clear privacy policies, ethical AI practices, and transparent influencer partnerships—to influence brand choice as much as product quality or price. Leading platforms will integrate trust metrics into analytics dashboards, allowing marketers to track trust alongside engagement.

4. Communities as the New Social Channels

Platforms like Reddit and Discord are redefining what it means to engage socially. In 2025, brands will move away from broadcasting content to fostering vibrant communities. These ecosystems will not just be marketing channels but spaces for real collaboration with customers.

Brands will need to invest in moderators, create exclusive experiences, and offer tangible value within these groups. Community-driven insights will also shape product development, turning these platforms into focus groups with direct feedback loops.

5. AI Agents Will Become a Collaborative Tool for Creativity

If 2024 was the year AI cemented its role in marketing, 2025 is going to be the year it gets a seat at the strategy table—courtesy of AI agents. Unlike the broader AI models (LLMs) we’ve grown accustomed to, AI agents are able to act autonomously, proactively handling complex tasks like lead generation, audience segmentation, and real-time campaign optimization.

• What sets AI agents apart is their ability to retain context and dynamically adapt. By using memory from past interactions, they can plan and perform actions without waiting for human intervention or specific prompts. 
• AI agents also retain past interactions in memory and use this information to plan and execute future actions. 

Reasoning AI models like OpenAI’s o1-series and Google’s Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking models already showcase agentic capabilities by breaking down intricate user queries into smaller steps, reasoning through each stage to provide solutions. But, of course, some industry giants are already actively incorporating agentic AI into their own tools such as Microsoft’s Copilot Studio, Salesforce’s Agentforce, and Amazon’s Connect Contact Lens. 

In 2025, AI agents will likely go beyond performing basic tasks and expand to complex queries and taking actions autonomously on behalf of users. Brands will start integrating these specialized assistants for a variety of marketing and operational needs, managing strategies without constant human intervention.

As with any transformative technology, there are likely to be growing pains and risks, such as fraud, deepfake behaviors, and other challenges, that brands must consider and adjust to. 

Key Takeaways

2024 has challenged brands to rethink, adapt, and innovate in ways we never imagined. With the overload of new privacy regulations and policies, AI’s deep integration into operations, the decentralization of app ecosystems, and the growing demand for authenticity, this year has been nothing short of transformative for the marketing industry.

As we move into 2025, staying ahead means maintaining a comprehensive brand strategy and adapting to the inevitable ongoing changes and challenges. Whether it’s building a user-centric app or brand marketing campaign, navigating the complexities of privacy regulations, or leveraging AI to automate tasks, hiring an expert marketing agency like Moburst will be your best-kept secret weapon for hypergrowth.

Ready to level up your marketing strategy and stay ahead of industry trends? Look no further than Moburst! As an award-winning full-service, mobile-first digital and app marketing agency, we specialize in helping brands like yours grow to become category leaders.

Lital Castel

Lital is Moburst’s Content Manager & Email Marketing Specialist. She specializes in coming up with engaging ideas and research to capture the trendiest topics in the digital and mobile marketing world. She is passionate about productivity and optimizing your day, but you can probably find her playing video games while cuddling with her dog on the couch to wind down at the end of a long day.

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