Linda Fagerlund.
The AdNews end of year Perspectives, looking back at 2024 and forward to next year.
Linda Fagerlund, Mediahub ANZ CSO
Full disclosure upfront: I was hesitant about writing about AI in this Perspectives piece because it’s likely to feature in many end-of-year trend forecasts. For good reason, too. AI has captured the spotlight, with almost everyone now a self-declared expert in what’s being dubbed ‘The Year of AI’. In fact, I searched for AI experts in my LinkedIn and got 609,000 results. Even for an industry with a strong predilection for the latest and shiniest technology trend, this level of self-proclaimed mastery is seriously impressive.
I’m ready to say I’m not yet one of those experts. And I’m not going to use this piece to wax lyrical about the potential of AI to redefine the way we work as an industry, because you’ll no doubt have read hundreds of these opinion pieces by now. It's a well-established fact - AI has and will continue to revolutionise the way we work, boosting efficiency and speed.
But here’s the rub; while everyone’s fixated on AI’s promises, we’re not talking enough about the risks of slipping into autopilot mode in this new world. Yes, AI can accelerate us, but we’re still in the early days. We’re experimenting, learning, and discovering, and as we move into 2025, there’s still so much more to unpack.
Throughout our own business, we’re exploring new media targeting capabilities, innovative media formats, and using AI-powered tools to support research, strategy, and planning. It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it’s refreshing to be in learning mode again, constantly testing and experimenting. But in all this enthusiasm, we are conscious that we must never lose sight of one crucial truth: human judgment and creativity must remain at the heart of everything we do.
The value of our strategic thinking, our creative expertise, and our craft and ingenuity is irreplaceable. If we've learned anything from the era of Big Data, it's that data and technology alone doesn't unlock opportunities. Human insight and foresight are the keys to growth.
As we move forward into 2025, we need a more mindful approach to marketing.
Today, we’re having deeper, more meaningful conversations about the delicate balance between brand building and performance (Nike’s recent case study is a great example). The days of rinse-and-repeat media strategies are over.
Consumers are overwhelmed by content overload. A Deloitte Media and Entertainment study just released showed that Australians spend an average of six hours daily on media and entertainment formats, leading to signs of content fatigue for the first time. Attention is a precious commodity, and brands must work harder than ever to craft compelling moments and messages that resonate on a human level.
This year, we’ve also seen a dramatic shift in influence. Mainstream media, once the uncontested gatekeeper of information, now shares the stage with niche, often unconventional voices. Podcasts, in particular, have reshaped political and cultural landscapes in the US, proving that everything is up for grabs.
Navigating this new landscape won’t be easy. It’s going to be a complex, uncertain challenge. But that’s where we come in. We need to remain relentlessly focused on continuous training, honing our problem-solving skills, asking the right questions (or prompts), and solving the puzzle of creativity and strategy. It’s a puzzle powered by data and accelerated by AI, but it will always be solved by human thinking.
So, let’s resist the urge to go on autopilot. In this new era, human ingenuity isn’t just important—it’s essential.
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