Big Bets for the CMO in 2025
Welcome to Tinuiti’s Big Bets for 2025
As 2025 approaches, it’s tempting for marketers to chase ‘the next big thing.’ However, this year’s biggest opportunities aren’t going to present themselves as massive leaps—but strategic moves that add up to real, sustainable impact. At Tinuiti, we believe the next era of brand growth belongs to those who double down on what works and make it work smarter through a testing mindset (and yes, AI).
Consider Search: AI is reshaping how people seek answers, challenging brands to think beyond the classic “blue links” and reimagine their approach to visibility in an intent-driven world. Then there’s the shift in Commerce, where AI-driven agents are managing purchases and preferences on behalf of users, requiring brands to cater to algorithms rather than emotions. Even Creative is taking on a new role, with content itself becoming the key to audience discovery. As social platforms get savvier, it’s creative resonance–not just
targeting–that puts brands in front of the right eyes.
There’s also the nostalgic resurgence of Traditional Media, as younger audiences seek out real, offline experiences in a hyper-digital world. For brands, this means rethinking everything–from pop-up experiences to the way they use TV and billboards to connect authentically. But it’s not about reverting to old strategies; it’s about adapting these channels for a new generation that craves physical touchpoints.
In a time when consumer attention is fragmented and every dollar counts, these Big Bets are designed to help you command the fundamentals with precision, confidence, and creativity. The future of brand success won’t be won in giant sweeping gains but incremental successes. Miles By Inches, in other words.
Welcome to Big Bets 2025.
Want to see what’s coming in 2026? Check our our 2026 Big Bets here.
Want more big bets?
Check out our most recent Big Bets Guide for exclusive insights.
Big Bet 1: It’s the End of Search as we Know It
RIP Ten Blue Links?
With AI advancing at breakneck speed, the classic blue link search output is about to feel as outdated as the clickety-clack of a typewriter or dial-up’s familiar kssshhh buzz.
As AI-driven search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT reshape the landscape, Google’s reign
could very well be hitting a turning point. Some of the more outspoken voices in the industry are betting that Google’s query volume could nosedive by up to 25% in the next five years as users lean into intent-based discovery, where answers come faster, richer, and more intuitively than ever.
For 2025, Tinuiti’s biggest brains agree on one thing: we’re entering a high-stakes moment for search, and brands can’t afford to coast on outdated tactics. It’s time to throw out the standard playbook if they want to keep up. (While Tinuiti may now be the largest indie full-funnel performance agency in the US among the media that matter most, a quick reminder:
we got our start as a scrappy five-person Search Engine Marketing shop. Search isn’t just what we know; it’s the foundation we’re built on.)
For years, Google has been the information gatekeeper, yet new AI search engines are redefining what people expect. Platforms like Perplexity are blazing the trail with “answer engines” that ditch links for conversational responses. Instead of clicking through multiple sources segregated under those all-too-familiar blue links, users get quick, credible answers on the spot—often sidestepping traditional ads and putting a serious dent in SEO’s influence.
Google’s taking notes, too, incorporating AI-generated summaries that 48% of consumers say
improve their experience, according to Tinuiti’s research in Public Perceptions of AI in Marketing. For Alphas, Gen Z, and Millennials, this new AI-driven approach is a no-brainer, with younger users increasingly ditching link-heavy results for AI-generated answers.
The stakes are high, but AI-driven search won’t affect every vertical the same way. For ecommerce, where user intent is transactional, the impact may be immediate—AI’s ability to deliver personalized, intent-based answers could directly translate to increased conversions. In contrast, industries like financial services and healthcare, where accuracy and regulatory compliance are paramount, may see AI-driven search as a complement rather than a replacement. These sectors rely on high-trust environments, so while AI can streamline information discovery, traditional search’s structured approach remains essential. In B2B, where search often involves complex research journeys, AI-driven search might enhance, rather than replace, existing search dynamics by adding efficiency to preliminary information-gathering stages.
For brands, the stakes are high. Search isn’t just search anymore—it’s a blend of social, display, and answer engines vying for user attention, prioritizing “answer ownership” over keyword rank. Perplexity’s upcoming CPM ad model will let brands sponsor answers, merging traditional ad buys with intent-driven visibility. For brands, it’s time to break down the silos—search is now just one piece of the content-visibility puzzle that combines user intent, ad relevance, and next-gen visibility.
Ok So Now What?
- DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY, DIVERSIFY
Think holistically about your search strategy and beyond Google by exploring opportunities with emerging AI-powered engines. Put someone in charge of tracking how your brand shows up in AI-generated results and adjust your content strategies to align with intent-based discovery models - PRIORITIZE CONTENT FOR AI INTERPRETATION
Structure (or restructure) your site content in ways that are easily digestible by AI, using schema markup and conversational Q&A formats. Make it easier for AI-driven engines to interpret and synthesize your brand’s information accurately. - PREPARE FOR CPM-DRIVEN “ANSWER SPONSORSHIPS”
As platforms like Perplexity roll out ad models that mix traditional CPM with intent-driven search results, consider reallocating ad budgets to test these new avenues, especially for high-intent categories where “answer ownership” could make a measurable impact.
“Just like Kodak missed the digital wave by clinging to film, brands that put all their chips on traditional search are setting themselves up for a Kodak moment of their own. To survive the AI-driven shift in search, it’s time to diversify and play across the field—from search to social to display —and align every touchpoint with real user intent.”
Jeremy Cornfeldt
President, Tinuiti
Big Bet 2: Agentic (AKA Robot-to-Robot) Commerce
Is Your Brand Ready to Sell to Robots?
Last year, we warned you to prepare for a new kind of customer: the AI robot. This year, we’re pushing further—humans aren’t just being nudged to the sidelines; they’re being edged out of the equation altogether. While shifts in consumer behavior can be hard to predict, the value associated with convenience often serves as a catalyst for shaping consumer trends. While the idea of the “consumer-less” transaction may sound strange, the shifts toward AI agents operating on behalf of consumers are already in motion. Human-to-agent and agent-to-agent transactions are set to reshape how purchases happen in a completely automated ecosystem.
People will turn to AI agents like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude, among others, to offload any “digital errands” they need to run. These agents are evolving from personal assistants into autonomous operators, capable of making and managing purchases without human oversight. Imagine telling your AI agent, “Plan my Super Bowl party,” and watching it handle every detail—from comparing snack prices to securing next-day delivery on drinks and sending reminders
for game time. Or imagine a traveler who plans a spontaneous weekend getaway by prompting their AI agent with “book me a trip to Miami.” The agent doesn’t just search; it handles every step, consulting flight data, comparing hotels, planning itineraries, and even placing restaurant reservations—all without the user stepping in. Critically, consumers still desire at least the illusion of control, and the way consumer preferences are integrated for independent decisioning will be critical to adoption. If we consider the Super Bowl party example you asked your robot friend to plan, there may already be an assumption that they know you’re a vegetarian, or that you support the Cleveland Browns and all table decor should be a lovely shade of Ohio-orange. While they may still need to clarify the budget you’re looking to work within, they are able to make independent decisions because they know your preferences.
This shift isn’t about upgrading the human shopping experience—it’s about creating a new, largely automated path from intent to purchase. (For insights on how this impacts search specifically, refer to Bet #1.) Importantly, the focus is on the mitigation of decision fatigue and the value associated with ease of transactions. There will likely be key control-milestones integrated (such as allowing consumers to review the final price before transacting) but much
of the comparison, size selection, color choice, seating preference, etc. will no longer be required from the consumer as part of this process.
For brands, the challenge now is to stand out in a world where AI-driven choices reign supreme. If machines are making buying decisions based on data and efficiency, the traditional need for building emotional connections or brand loyalty may take a back seat. Notably, brand loyalty will continue to aid in guiding consumer preferences, especially
for products with replenishment propensity, but it’s likely that we see a shift in consumer decisions associated with trying novel products as they may not seek the same opportunity to compare options during their transactions. Despite this, it’s possible that core brand-building principles, which have historically centered on fostering trust and long-term relationships, could become less relevant in favor of a data-driven approach that prioritizes clarity, accuracy, and efficiency over sentiment. This is not too dissimilar from how we think about optimizing for algorithmic placement across retail or search environments currently, but it will represent a macro-shift in the decisioning process. Winning brands are those whose products and services are integrated into this seamless, agent-managed experience, ensuring they’re the go-to option that AI agents recommend.
But this shift raises new questions: In a world where agents are making decisions, how will
brands maintain trust and integrity with consumers themselves? How will consumer preferences be maintained or shared across environments? As agents interact with an increasing volume of brands and services on behalf of their users, brands need to find ways to ensure their AI visibility while keeping the human user—who may feel removed from these
decisions—confident and engaged. It is possible that novel preference management tools become commonplace. Just like your favorite shopping app remembers what you’ve previously purchased, these applications, possibly evolving from some of the reward network “cash-back, upload your receipt” apps like Fetch, will begin to track your preferences,
as well as vectors such as price sensitivity, and allow for user calibration in a single location, only exposing those preferences during the agentic transaction process.
This trend is also reshaping the internal structure of marketing teams. As agent-to-agent interactions grow, marketing organizations may increasingly invest in intermediary networks where preferences are determined, or in their own agentic solutions designed to enable preference calibration with other agents.
“Agentic commerce represents the next logical step in the pursuit of personalization. The reality is that consumers are already more likely to buy when products are presented that align with their existing preferences, or prior transactions. This will not be an all-encompassing shift and the elements of control that allow for preference calibration or remediation will be a critical aspect of consumers’ adoption propensity.”
Simon Poulton
EVP, Innovation, Tinuiti
Ok So Now What?
- UNDERSTAND WHAT LLMS ARE SAYING ABOUT YOUR BRAND
Akin to how we’ve long thought about influencing organic algorithms across Search, Social & Commerce environments, the way LLMs talk about, or recommend your product in response to user questions will be critical. The weight of various sources will continue to shift, but at the core will always be human experience and articulated affinity. - DESIGN AGENT-FRIENDLY EXPERIENCES
Start thinking of AI agents as consumers in their own right. Create experiences that make it easy for AI to navigate, select, and purchase your products autonomously. This could mean refining product data to be as transparent, detailed, and AI-accessible as possible. - PREPARE FOR “AGENTIC COMMERCE” OPPORTUNITIES
Experiment with direct-to-agent strategies, such as exclusive deals or incentives tailored for AI agents. Staying ahead here could be the key to securing valuable “digital shelf” space in the new AI-driven shopping landscape. - ELEVATE YOUR PRODUCT DATA
Today’s agents need structured, detailed product information to make decisions. Focus on attributes, descriptions, and inventory statuses that are not just human-readable but optimized for AI, ensuring these digital buyers can make informed selections on behalf of their users.
Big Bet 3: Creative is the New Targeting
Is Your Content Strong Enough to Find Its Own Audience?
Think about it: when you’re on Instagram or TikTok, how does content from creators you don’t
follow end up on your feed? The answer is simple — the content resonates. This same principle is reshaping advertising, where engaging creative isn’t just complementary; it’s the primary driver. As social platforms become smarter with AI, it’s now possible for ads to find the right audience based on the strength of the creative alone, no targeting parameters needed.
With tracking limitations, cookies crumbling, and AI-driven algorithms, the platform—not the marketer—now decides which audience is best for each ad. This means advertisers need to think like creators, putting more emphasis on making ads that are compelling enough to “self-target,” capturing attention without being forced in front of viewers.
Enter the creative strategist. With their unique blend of data insight, cultural relevance, and strategic design, creative strategists are the new power players in advertising, bridging the gap between creative teams and media buyers. These strategists are reshaping how brands connect with audiences, creating adaptable, cross-channel campaigns that align with platform algorithms. Their job is to understand how to make ads that speak to culture, resonate instantly, and perform across platforms without relying on intensive targeting. In other words,
creative strategists make ads that work just as well as organic content as they do as paid media.
But in today’s landscape, everyone—not just those with dedicated creative teams—needs to think like a creative strategist. From small brands to large, a creative-first approach is no longer a “nice-to-have.” It’s the bedrock for reaching audiences effectively in a rapidly evolving, privacy-focused environment.
The future belongs to brands that get this and invest in creative that naturally fits into people’s feeds, grabbing attention and building connection without being forced in front of viewers. It’s why we’re seeing the role of the creative strategist rise in prominence, as these professionals blend artistry with data-savvy to design campaigns that can thrive without heavy targeting. Creative strategists are the ones bridging the gap, ensuring that ads resonate across different
platforms and audiences.
Now that algorithms have the potential to showcase content to broader, more diverse audiences, brands must think inclusively, creating ads that resonate across demographics and cultures. This means integrating universally appealing themes—like humor, authenticity, and shared experiences—into creative, so it connects with diverse audiences. In this new
landscape, content that speaks to a broad array of cultural backgrounds and perspectives is more essential than ever to capture attention and build resonance organically. For brands, inclusive creative is not only a value-add but a business imperative in today’s vast, audience-driven algorithms.
Picture a brand launching a new snack on TikTok. Rather than setting up complex targeting filters, they focus on creative that’s culturally relevant, humorous, and shareable. The algorithm takes it from there, landing that ad on screens that matter. The result? Ads that work both as organic content and paid media, and a campaign that scales on the back of creative quality alone.
Ok So Now What?
- THINK LIKE A CREATIVE STRATEGIST
Shift budget from traditional media buying to creative strategy. Even if your team doesn’t have a dedicated creative strategist, focus on building creative-first campaigns that resonate across channels and audiences. Approach ads as compelling content that naturally fits into users’ feeds, capturing attention based on quality and relevance rather than forced targeting. - EMPHASIZE INCLUSIVE, CROSS-CULTURAL CREATIVE
Develop creative that has universal appeal, with themes or humor that can connect across different audiences. Inclusive content is increasingly important as AI-powered algorithms drive your content to more diverse viewers than ever before. - EMBRACE SHOPPABLE CONTENT IN RETAIL MEDIA
With the growth of retail media and investments in creator ecosystems, brands need to explore shoppable video and interactive content that drives commerce directly within platforms. Leverage formats that allow consumers to watch, engage, and purchase all in one seamless experience, as Amazon and other retail giants are doing.
“Creators are making content that ends up in people’s feeds because it’s engaging. Advertisers need to think the same way. With tracking and targeting on the decline and a privacy-first web our guaranteed future, creative is the single most powerful lever we have left. The key is to create content that resonates so well that it works without targeting—it’s proactive, not reactive. The ads that will win are the ones that resonate before they’re targeted.”
Nii A. Ahene
Chief Strategy Officer, Tinuiti
Big Bet 4: Back to the Future
Is Your Brand Ready for Gen Z’s Nostalgia-Fueled Shift?
In a surprising twist, Generation Z—the so-called digital natives—are increasingly moving away from digital-first advertising. Growing up with social media and targeted ads has made them adept at tuning out online clutter and even skeptical of its messaging. This generation, along with the up-and-coming Gen Alpha, is rediscovering “old-school” tech and experiences: vinyl records, flip phones, disposable cameras, and wired headphones are making a comeback. (They’re even vetoing dating apps, so hungry are they for an IRL meet-cute like they’ve watched in their parents’ favorite movies.)
This nostalgia isn’t just a passing trend; it reflects a desire for authenticity, simplicity, and experiences they can touch and feel in the real world. For Gen Z, real-life interactions aren’t just a novelty—they’re a welcome antidote to the overly curated, ad-saturated digital world. If you don’t believe us, watch Chappell Roan’s Tiny Desk concert on NPR. (Actually, even if you DO believe us, please watch it if you haven’t seen it.)
This shift away from digital has implications for brands that have relied on the trackable, hyper-targeted power of digital media. Gen Z is already showing greater trust in offline channels—billboards, TV, radio, and print—over digital platforms. As noted by Forrester’s research, consumers are more likely to avoid ads in digital environments, viewing information on social media as less trustworthy than traditional media. For brands, this means looking to platforms that feel more authentic, public, and “real” to younger audiences.
So we can assure you, it’s not about going back to the same old advertising strategies. To connect with today’s audiences, brands must rethink traditional channels, using them to create fresh, authentic experiences that digital simply can’t replicate. Instead of deploying billboards or print ads as standalone awareness tactics, brands can build deeper engagement by treating these channels as invitations for real-life interaction.
We’re seeing this trend play out in various sectors with bold, simple OOH (out-of-home) campaigns with larger-than-life billboards in NYC and other major cities bringing big-brand energy to city streets, making an impact through traditional channels that Gen Z and Millennials might find more memorable than digital ads. Similarly, brands like Poppi have doubled down on pop-up experiences and experiential marketing to connect with audiences who crave in-person interactions over social feeds.
These real-world touchpoints do more than capture attention—they have the potential to build lasting brand equity. By creating authentic interactions in physical spaces, brands can foster trust, deepen relationships, and position themselves as more relatable and credible. Because in an era where AI will increasingly mediate digital interactions, every chance for real human connection becomes more valuable.
Ok So Now What?
- REVITALIZE YOUR TRADITIONAL MEDIA STRATEGY WITH ADVANCED RETRO GOODNESS
Invest in OOH, TV, and print campaigns that bring your brand into the physical world. And think about how to create simple, direct messaging that stands out and resonates across generations and doesn’t feel forced. - EMBRACE EXPERIENTIAL MARKETING
Use pop-ups, events, and activations to reach audiences offline. Make these moments memorable and “Instagrammable,” allowing for organic sharing while offering a break from the screen-based experience. - MEASURE OFFLINE IMPACT & BRAND EQUITY WITH NEW TOOLS
To win over skeptics of traditional media, leverage tools like Rapid Marketing Mix Modeling (rMMM) and Always-on Incrementality to assess and demonstrate the tangible impact of your offline efforts. Tinuiti’s focus on quantifying offline impact can help brands balance nostalgia with measurable outcomes. Our Brand Equity tool quantifies the impact of traditional media on brand health and business outcomes, providing brands with insights into how each real-world interaction contributes to brand loyalty and long-term growth.
“All the digital ads and all this online stuff and targeted ads, I personally think it’s just fake. Gen Z knows it’s a facade and nothing is genuine anymore. Gen Z knows phones are so bad and everyone is miserable with it. Everyone on TikTok is saying that your grandparents weren’t checking each other’s Snapchat scores when they met. Everybody wants that genuineness of real life experience.”
Alessandra Plaia, Age 16
Niece of Suzi Siegel, Director of Brand Strategy, Tinuiti
Big Bet 5: The Fight is for Inches, Not Miles
Is Your Brand Focusing on Small Wins as the Key to Big Breakthroughs?
When it comes to brand growth in today’s hyper-fragmented media landscape, big, intuitive decisions—like staying ahead of culture and making bold brand moves—are still essential. But outside of those big, culture-defining bets, the real growth in 2025 will get eked out from small, strategic insights layered over time. It’s these incremental wins, across trends, data, and creative, that fuel long-term impact.
In other words, big wins won’t come from simply jumping onto the trendy new platforms. Let’s face it, since TikTok’s explosive entry onto the scene, no other social platform has fully reshaped the landscape at the same scale. As for digital marketing in general, we’re not going to see the explosive growth we saw in the early boom or the pandemic period any time soon.
That means the future belongs to brands that layer together small, strategic insights and incremental wins across multiple marketing channels. Whether it’s data, measurement, creative, or media strategy, the key isn’t in chasing the next big thing but in making hundreds of smart, intentional moves that collectively drive growth.
This approach—the “fight for inches”—focuses on fine-tuning the fundamentals, building
competitive edges by mastering the art of marginal improvements rather than seeking out the next big platform. In other words, this big bet is about bundling many smaller bets to unlock the bigger payoff.
Today’s consumer attention is more splintered than ever, and price sensitivity is rising as economic pressures mount. In response, brands need to meet consumer behavior head-on, becoming tactical and seizing every opportunity to stretch ad budgets and drive value. AI supports this strategy by enhancing efficiency and precision, but it doesn’t create these wins independently. Human oversight remains essential to identify the right opportunities; AI enhances these by refining creative, optimizing media, and sharpening measurement. The result? A level playing field where small adjustments in key areas can create substantial advantages without chasing the latest platform hype.
Brands like Tinuiti are excelling at incremental gains by leveraging tools such as rapid
Marketing Mix Modeling (rMMM) and always- on incrementality measurement. These small, tactical wins lay the groundwork for bigger moves down the line. When brands invest in foundational improvements, they’re better positioned to take calculated risks and pursue more ambitious, high-impact strategies.
“The path to big wins isn’t in chasing the next big thing— it’s about grinding out many small, strategic gains that add up to real impact. In today’s landscape, it’s about fighting for inches, knowing those incremental wins will ultimately get you miles ahead.”
Zach Morrison
CEO, Tinuiti
Ok So Now What?
- STOP SLEEPING ON YOUTUBE
YouTube is a massively underutilized platform and a key player in this incremental approach. Here’s a fun fact you should let sink in. By 2025, there will be more YouTube and social network users than linear TV users in the US. If your brand is letting the second-largest search engine go untapped, you’re leaving profits on the table during a time where profits are harder than ever to eke out. Brands that focus on optimizing YouTube with dedicated strategies for paid, organic, and influencer-led content have an advantage in winning those inches. - EXPLORE PRINCIPAL-BASED BUYING
Another critical area is principal-based buying, which delivers media savings, allowing brands to reinvest or maximize reach within constrained budgets. However, big time caveat emptor here—brands must do their diligence and fully understand the dynamics between their agency and media partners to safeguard their own interests. Numbers can be blinding, but sacrificing quality or integrity can cost more in the long run. (Our solution is called Tinuiti Edge.) - MAXIMIZE REACH AND RELEVANCE WITH ADVANCED STREAMING SOLUTIONS
Engaging today’s fragmented audiences requires streaming TV, audio, and display campaigns that go beyond broad reach. With data-driven optimization, campaigns stretch budgets further while delivering targeted, immersive experiences that keep brands top of mind. Each incremental gain in reach and relevance builds a foundation for stronger engagement in an increasingly crowded media landscape.
Want more big bets?
Check out our most recent Big Bets Guide for exclusive insights.