Rishi Bedi.
The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2024 and forward to next year.
Rishi Bedi, Managing Director - APAC, Ogury
As we approach 2025, the advertising industry stands on the cusp of reinvention. The escalating signal loss and unwavering consumer demand for privacy are not just challenges but catalysts for innovation. The future of advertising lies in a forward-thinking synergy: a return to timeless principles of media planning and impactful storytelling, powered by AI. This convergence of classic strategies with cutting-edge technology paves the way for a privacy-first, results-driven ecosystem — one where brands connect with audiences in more meaningful, scalable, and sustainable ways.
An old challenge on steroids
After years of uncertainty, Google’s plan for phasing out third-party cookies has shifted for good. However, the challenge remains: the advertising world is leaving cookies behind. This isn’t just a technical change; it reflects a broader shift in consumer expectations. Privacy concerns are palpable, with legislation like Australia's new privacy bill reinforcing the demand for transparency and control.
As signal loss accelerates, advertisers are rethinking their playbooks. No longer can they depend on invasive tracking and granular hyper-targeting. Instead, they are turning to privacy-respecting approaches such as zero-party data. This data — shared directly and willingly by consumers through tools like surveys — offers a powerful alternative, giving brands insights into preferences and intentions while fostering trust through transparency.
Rediscovering the basics with AI at the helm
Amid the changes, advertising is undergoing a return to its roots. The fundamentals will never change: brands are talking to people, not to cookies. The focus needs to shift back to understanding audiences, delivering the right message, and reaching people in the right place. Today’s media planning has evolved into a far more dynamic and precise process, thanks to AI-driven technologies.
AI isn’t new to adtech. The industry has relied on it for years to bid and optimise at scale. From its inception, adtech has leveraged machine learning and signal processing to make sense of the vast amounts of data involved in digital advertising. What has changed today is the sheer volume of data available and the need for more powerful algorithms and computing capacity to process it.
Now, AI isn’t just automating tasks, it’s fundamentally transforming media planning by focusing on metadata as the foundation for learning and scoring. Simple identifiers won’t cut it; advertisers need a wealth of descriptive attributes such as purchases and lifetime value (LTV) for deeper insights.
Zero-party data plays a critical role here, providing deterministic insights that directly reflect consumer preferences. For example, knowing that someone plans to buy a car in six months from a survey is far more reliable than guessing from browsing history. Combined with AI, zero-party data fuels highly effective and hyper-relevant, privacy-first campaigns.
Privacy and performance: a new balance
Adapting to a privacy-first world may feel like navigating uncharted waters, but it also presents an exciting opportunity for brands to redefine their relationships with consumers.
By blending the art of timeless advertising principles with the science of AI, brands can forge stronger, more authentic connections with their audiences while driving stronger results in an increasingly privacy-conscious digital landscape. The future isn’t about choosing between privacy and performance — it’s about excelling at both.
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