The media landscape is evolving quickly, with commerce data, new ad formats, and fragmented TV viewing habits reshaping how brands engage with consumers. As the digital space becomes more crowded, success will depend on understanding shifting consumer behaviour.

To stay ahead in 2025, brands must leverage behavioural insights to deliver targeted, relevant content that connects with their audience. By embracing data-driven strategies and innovative formats like short-form video and streaming ads, brands can navigate these changes and gain a competitive edge. 

In this blog, we’ll explore key trends for 2025 and how behavioural activation can help brands thrive in this fast-paced environment. For more insights, download the full 2025 trends report here. 

In 2025, the rise of commerce data and innovative ad formats is set to transform how brands connect with consumers. This shift is driven by the growth of retail media and brands monetising customer data, alongside emerging formats like TikTok Shop and post-checkout ads on ticketing and delivery platforms. These data signals offer media planners and buyers valuable insights, such as what pet food people buy or the takeaways they order, which is validated by real spending behaviour. This creates a powerful opportunity for brands to deliver hyper-targeted, highly relevant campaigns that resonate with their audience.

Commerce-driven formats like shoppable ads, dynamic creative optimisation, and livestream shopping will take centre stage, offering seamless, data-driven experiences tailored to consumers’ preferences and locations. Innovations like AR-enabled shopping will enhance engagement by allowing virtual "try before you buy" opportunities. As commerce data links every stage of the customer journey, brands will gain clearer insights into campaign performance, tracking metrics like cart value and repeat buyers for continuous optimisation. 

However, integrating commerce data into media strategies requires careful planning, with privacy as a top priority. Success depends on strong collaboration between agencies and clients, with agencies providing platform expertise while clients embrace experimentation and innovation to stay ahead of the competition

The digital content landscape in 2025 is more crowded than ever, with users overwhelmed by endless streams of information across every format. As attention spans continue to fluctuate, short and snappy content is on the rise. Short form videos, like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, have become the perfect response to this trend, offering quick and engaging content that is easy to consume. Lower production value often performs better, reflecting the growing demand for authenticity. However, the exchange of value is crucial, with users wanting to feel informed or entertained, even from the shortest clips.

As second screening becomes a daily habit, with people jumping between phones, TVs, and other devices, brands need to tailor content that works in these fragmented moments. Personalised recommendations, informed by demographic and behavioural data, help recapture attention without requiring users to fully refocus. The role of artificial intelligence in crafting these experiences will continue to grow, allowing brands to create seamless and highly relevant interactions. In this fast-paced environment, the brands that prioritise authenticity, brevity, and a clear value exchange will not just capture attention, they will be remembered.

Streaming saw huge growth in 2024, with Connected TV, Video on Demand, and Broadcaster VOD becoming the go-to platforms for an ever-growing share of UK viewers. A major shift came as ad-supported tiers were introduced on SVoD services like Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime, making previously unreachable audiences accessible to brands. Amazon’s bold move to automatically place all users on its ad tier resulted in over 90% of UK subscribers seeing ads, while YouTube continued its expansion on big screens. With older audiences also moving away from linear TV, on-demand platforms are rapidly becoming essential for brands seeking wide-reaching, effective campaigns.

As TV audiences fragment, total video planning is now crucial for optimising reach and impact. Advanced cross-screen planning tools allow brands to allocate budgets more efficiently and recapture audiences lost to ad-free platforms in the past. High-profile events like Euro 2024 and cultural moments like Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office show that linear TV still holds mass appeal, but it needs support from digital platforms for maximum effect. By combining attention-based metrics and cross-screen reach, brands can ensure their video content remains engaging, effective, and aligned with evolving viewing habits in 2025.

Brands that prioritise behavioural activation will thrive. By leveraging commerce data, embracing innovative ad formats, and creating authentic, personalised content, businesses can tap into real-time consumer intent and deliver highly relevant, engaging campaigns. The rise of short form video and the continued expansion of streaming platforms offer unprecedented opportunities to connect with audiences in meaningful ways, but only for those willing to adapt and experiment.

Success in this evolving landscape requires a strategic blend of creativity, data, and technology. Brands must balance the need for privacy with the demand for personalisation, use advanced planning tools to optimise reach across screens, and ensure every piece of content offers real value. By staying ahead of these trends and committing to innovation, brands can not only capture attention but drive action and build lasting connections in 2025 and beyond.