Marketers should never be standing still.

It's vital to always be looking towards the future to spot upcoming trends before they emerge and make sure you're prepared for whatever is to come. If you wait until the next big thing is already here before you react, it's too late and you'll quickly be left behind by more agile, forward-thinking competitors.

Leaders in this area should therefore always have one eye on what to expect, and live events like the Marketing Leaders Summit are a great way to keep up-to-date. At this year's edition on September 5th in London, there'll be a particular focus on what the next 12 months are likely to hold, so it will certainly not be one to miss.

However, before then, here are a few of our top trends that every marketer should be paying attention to so they'll know what to expect in the year to come.

🤖 The impact of AI

It seems you can't read a newspaper or open a website recently without coming across an article about artificial intelligence (AI).

Depending on which sources you listen to, it's either set to transform our productivity and make life easier than ever, or be the biggest threat to jobs in history. But whichever view you subscribe to, one thing's for certain - it can't be ignored.

For marketers?

There will be a few critical questions that need to be considered in the field of AI. For instance, with the likes of Google increasingly looking to implement this technology into search results, what will this mean for organic SEO efforts?

Will firms be penalised for using AI-generated content in their marketing?

AI also offers great opportunities behind the scenes when it comes to areas such as campaign planning. The potential for more accurate predictions of customer behaviour and other data-driven decision-making could transform how strategies are developed - BUT only if professionals can harness this technology effectively.

In short, you get out what you put in...

 💰 More budgeting uncertainty

Marketing leaders may also face the prospect of having to grow their brand under the challenge of restricted budgets (as if we didn't have enough challenges already?!).

While some recovery has been made in the last year or so, the economy remains in a very fragile state. As such, how companies deal with this uncertainty is set to be a key question when planning for 2025 and beyond.

Therefore, it will be vital for professionals to identify areas that can provide the best return on investment. Focusing on clear wins that can be achieved with existing resources is essential in proving the worth of the marketing department at the board level and securing the financial support necessary to deliver results for the brand.

In short, it's on the up, but we've still got some penny-pinching and spend justifying to do.

 📈 A focus on long-term growth

It can be very easy for marketers to get swept up in the hype and pay too much attention to what turn out to be passing fads (we're looking at you, Threads).

Investing resources into the wrong areas or trying to boost vanity metrics that don't translate into real results won't just be a waste of money now - it can actually set firms back significantly for the future.

Marketing leaders must therefore know how to identify any overhyped trends and those that may be short-lived to focus their attention on the developments set to impact growth for the long term and ensure sustained success.

In short, just because your competitor is doing it, doesn't mean you MUST jump on that trend too.

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Are you a marketing leader looking for the next trends, priorities and developments within the marketing industry?

Find out more about our Marketing Leaders Summit here