Marketers prioritise CTV, AI & identity flexibility for 2025 H2
Mediaocean's latest report highlights shifts in marketer priorities for the second half of 2025, with a notable move towards flexible identity strategies and increased investment in connected TV and artificial intelligence.
The findings are drawn from a survey of more than 500 marketing professionals worldwide, focusing on main trends and projected investment priorities as the advertising sector adapts to a fast-evolving technology landscape and ongoing privacy changes.
CTV and spending shifts
Connected TV (CTV) remains the leading channel for planned marketing budget increases, with 58% of respondents intending to allocate more funds to this channel in the second half of the year. Marketers are said to be looking beyond pure reach, prioritising precision and performance as CTV matures. The report identifies personalisation as the dominant driver of CTV effectiveness, but also notes persistent challenges with cross-platform frequency management and measurement. Creative versioning, cross-platform optimisation, and identity-informed targeting were highlighted as essential to achieving full-funnel value from CTV investments.
AI priorities and the decline of search
Generative AI has established itself as the top consumer trend for the second consecutive reporting period, with 72% of surveyed marketers calling it a priority - an increase of 15% from H1. The report documents that marketers are now integrating AI into various components of the advertising lifecycle: creative production, copywriting, media planning, data analysis, and campaign optimisation. At the same time, investments in traditional search have dropped 22% from H1, reflecting the disruptive influence of generative AI on conventional discovery models.
Identity shifts and multi-ID strategies
There has been a marked 41% surge in marketers identifying identity solutions as a top strategic priority. This trend coincides with continued uncertainties surrounding third-party cookies and digital identification capabilities, highlighted by delays in Google's Privacy Sandbox and the Chrome user-choice rollout.
The report observes that marketers are increasingly turning towards multi-ID strategies that combine first-party data, partner IDs, and probabilistic identifiers. This approach is intended to ensure campaign continuity across devices, platforms, and channels, safeguarding the reach and accuracy of audience targeting efforts as legacy identifiers diminish and media channels proliferate.
Political sensitivity on the rise
Another significant trend is the heightened importance of cultural and political sensitivity in brand communication. Since the previous half-year, there has been an 82% increase in marketers marking this as a priority. The report points to the growing intersection of consumer values and public discourse, with marketers adjusting their messaging with greater nuance and using AI-driven tools for real-time, contextually sensitive creative adaptation.
"Marketers are meeting change with a blend of resilience and reinvention," said Karsten Weide, Principal & Chief Analyst, W Media Research. "As legacy IDs fade and AI transforms every corner of the ad tech stack, brands are building smarter, more flexible systems - rooted in identity, demand generation, and the measurable performance of channels like CTV. This report shows that the future isn't something marketers are waiting for, it's something they're actively engineering."
Demand generation and traditional channels
Demand generation as a strategic focus increased by 33% among survey participants. While digital channels receive considerable attention, the report also notes the resilience of traditional media, with national TV experiencing a 44% rise in the share of marketers planning to boost spending in this area.
Heightened consumer attention to advocacy and issues in public discourse has prompted brands to reassess strategies and invest in tools and techniques that adapt to a broader range of audience contexts. The integration of AI for creative production and campaign management continues to feature prominently in these plans.
"When it comes to omnichannel advertising, we're seeing a transition from experimentation to expectation," said Aaron Goldman, CMO, Mediaocean. "Marketers are no longer testing AI, CTV, or multi-ID strategies - they're building with them. The second half of 2025 will be defined by how well brands align their technology, data, and creative to deliver connected, outcomes-driven experiences."
The 2025 H2 Market Report is the eighth instalment of Mediaocean's bi-annual research series, assembling insights from agencies, brands, publishers, and platforms across several years to offer an up-to-date view of the advertising market and its strategic direction for the months ahead.
