The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2024 and forward to next year.
Scott Purcell, Co-Founder, Man of Many
Wow, what a year! If you're anything like me, 2024 has been an absolute whirlwind full of rapid and constant change. So I thought it would be a good idea to reflect on some of the moments and highlights from the past 12 months at Man of Many and take a look at some of my predictions (or perspectives) on the likely landscape for media and advertisers in 2025.
This has definitely been the year that I decided it was time to share my experiences and learnings through my new Digital Media Digest column where you can read my thoughts on the media industry and where it is heading. It’s also the year I started writing a gratitude journal which lasted 51 days straight. Studies say it makes you ~25% happier after 30 days, and I'd say that's about right, so give it a try if you’re looking for a good New Year resolution!
So what does 2025 have in store for us?
- Clicks to Creator Communities - Moving from the Traffic Era to the Audience Era
The transition from the "Traffic Era" to the "Audience Era" marks a fundamental shift in media, where communities and creators have come to wield more influence than mere page views or celebrity endorsements. During the 2024 U.S. election, independent voices like Joe Rogan took centre stage, leading what some have called the “Podcast Election.” Trusted voices replaced the traditional pull of celebrity endorsements, as audiences sought direct and meaningful connections. Among the 4.2 million global podcasts available, however, audience engagement is highly concentrated with just the top 25 podcasts now accounting for over half of all listening (Source: WSJ.com). This shift aligns with another trend: high-profile anchors and media personalities, like Chris Wallace, leaving cable news to launch their own independent platforms, a move that underscores the preference for personalities audiences trust directly rather than those delivered through traditional legacy platforms.
- Video Content Isn’t Going Away
Video content has become the powerhouse of digital media, with 87.5% of Australian internet users engaging with video regularly (Source: DataReportal). This demand underscores an evolving landscape where brands are invited to reach audiences in immersive, story-rich formats. Not only is video a favoured medium, but it also packs a punch in terms of return on investment: 72% of consumers say they prefer learning about products through video (Source: SocialPilot), and 84% have been inspired to make a purchase after watching a video (Source: WebFX).
- Sustainability as a Marketing Imperative
Sustainability has moved from a competitive edge to an absolute expectation as eco-conscious consumers increasingly prefer brands that align with their values. Research from Man of Many’s Decade of Change survey reveals that sustainability is now a mainstream concern, with 85% of consumers willing to pay more for products from brands that practice
Kantar’s BrandZ analysis highlights that sustainability adds $193 billion to the value of the world’s top 100 brands, with sustainable brands experiencing 20% higher growth over four years. Sustainably active consumers, whose market share is expected to grow from 22% in 2023 to 29% by 2030, increasingly expect businesses to address climate issues, with 64% holding them accountable. This underscores the need for genuine sustainability practices over "greenwashing," positioning sustainability as a key driver of growth and consumer trust. (Source: Kantar).
- Awareness and Branding are Growing in Importance - Particularly with the impact of AI
Digital-first marketing highlights the growing importance of brand awareness. Top-performing brands use full-funnel strategies, blending long-term brand-building with direct marketing. For example, Airbnb achieved a $1.9 billion FY23 profit by shifting to a brand-focused approach (Source: Tracksuit). Brands that managed to improve their Meaningful Difference score in Kantar’s BrandZ report, saw a 19% brand value growth advantage.
In the AI-driven market, building awareness is increasingly complex as personalised feeds and "answer engines" like ChatGPT (15 million users, projected to reach 36 million by 2028) reshape visibility. Smaller brands face challenges cutting through this saturated landscape, emphasising the need for robust strategies to stand out. This is something I’ve written extensively on the implications for brands in search in Navigating the AI Search Revolution: Vector Search and Knowledge Bases.
- Walled Gardens & the Decline of Social Media Traffic Referrals
The “walled garden” approach of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok limits brands' ability to drive traffic externally, with Facebook’s news referrals dropping 82% from 2020 to 2023 (Source: Axios). While these platforms offer reach, their closed ecosystems restrict engagement depth and long-term loyalty.
This contrasts with ad spending trends: 72.4% of Australian ad budgets go to social media, despite a 2.3% decline in usage (Source: We Are Social & Meltwater). Meanwhile, 64% of Australians’ online time is spent on the Open Web, highlighting a misalignment between consumer behaviour and ad strategies (Source: The Trade Desk & Canvas8).
Google’s updated spam policies have sharply reduced search visibility for major publishers’ commerce sections, with organic reach dropping by up to 97% for some brands (Source: Adweek). In response, brands might see better returns by investing in independent publishers, where user intent is higher, engagement is deeper, and ads can integrate more authentically within the content.
- Increasing Importance of Owned First-Party Data
The shift to first-party data is reshaping digital marketing as third-party cookies phase out, pushing brands to build direct audience relationships. First-party data enables personalised experiences, especially when paired with AI, and aligns with Australia’s upcoming GDPR-like privacy regulations, requiring brands to navigate similar compliance challenges (Source: AdNews).
This data's value is evident in the rise of Retail Media Networks (RMNs), with 37% of investors increasing spending, up from 26% in 2023, driven by the ability to target consumers at the point of purchase. However, challenges persist, including ROAS priorities (69%), measurement issues (45%), and attribution barriers (34%) (Source: IAB Australia).
- A Global Legislative Push for Fair News Content Compensation
Australia’s Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society has highlighted the News Media Bargaining Code's (NMBC) limitations, noting its disproportionate funding of legacy media, which disadvantages smaller publishers. Proposals like a "tech tax" on large digital platforms aim to support public-interest journalism, reflecting similar international moves in France, the UK, and Italy (Source: Australian Parliament House).
The implications of these regulatory efforts extend beyond Australian borders. Globally, Google’s US Department of Justice antitrust case, expected to conclude by August 2025, could lead to major changes, including a potential breakup of its AdX ad exchange platform. Such reforms could disrupt the current ad revenue model that many publishers rely on (Source: The Australian).
My Digital Divide series delves into these developments, examining how regulatory measures like tax levies and antitrust rulings could reshape the media ecosystem in 2025. These changes present challenges and opportunities for brands and publishers navigating a rapidly evolving landscape.
About the Author: Scott Purcell, the Co-Founder of Man of Many and a CFA Charterholder. If you’d like to keep up with the happenings at Man of Many and learn about their MoMentum you can also watch their first-ever 2025 Upfront here.
sustainability, and 76% taking action to live more sustainably (Source: Man of Many, Decade of Change Survey).
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