As we gear up for 2025, the digital marketing landscape is poised for transformation. At the forefront of this evolution is AI and advanced technologies that are reshaping the way marketers approach accountability and performance optimization. To stay ahead in the competitive market, marketers must adapt to these emerging trends and adopt strategies that not only leverage innovation but also enhance precision and impact in an ever-evolving digital world.

AI Hype Meets Real-World Challenges

No discussion of the future of digital marketing can overlook the impact of AI and machine learning. When ChatGPT became a global sensation, marketers were quick to experiment with AI as a tool for revenue generation. Overnight, almost every marketing tool and platform seemed to tout its own AI-powered solution, often in the form of a basic chatbot overlaid on existing data systems. However, this hype has often led to disappointment, as many companies quickly learned that general AI solutions, which are designed for broad and non-specific tasks, are not well-suited for high-precision marketing analytics.

Nachi Mehta, CEO of Stackless Data, emphasizes the fundamental challenge that marketers face with AI:

"On average, fifty percent of company data needs cleaning before it's usable for AI and machine learning. If you're spending millions of dollars on advertising, you can't afford the 'AI hallucinations' that come with naively implemented chatbots on messy data."

The problem is that general AI struggles in analytical contexts, where precision is key. Marketers need more than just a 70% certainty in campaign performance; they need 99.9% accuracy to make informed decisions. Analytical AI, which thrives on domain-specific logic and context, requires structured, standardized data inputs to provide actionable insights. Without this, AI-driven solutions risk delivering generic or erroneous outputs, which may only amplify the noise and increase costs—ultimately, undermining the marketing efforts.

In 2025, marketers will learn that without clean and well-structured data, AI can contribute more to inefficiencies than to new sales.

Marketing Becomes Accountable

The evolution of digital marketing optimization has been a journey: from brand optimization (focusing on impressions) to response optimization (click-through rates), then to immediate sale optimization (Return on Ad Spend), and finally, to long-term sales optimization (lifetime value). In 2025, marketers will experience a shift toward true marketing accountability by focusing on the profitability of individual customers rather than just broad metrics.

Nachi Mehta predicts that companies will move beyond traditional optimization models based on ROAS or LTV (Lifetime Value) metrics, which often fail to account for real-world costs:

"We’ll see companies moving beyond optimizing ads on ROAS or on LTV that doesn’t include real-world costs. Companies will market based on the predicted net margin of individual customers."

This shift represents a major leap forward in how marketers measure success. By moving from top-of-funnel metrics like impressions and clicks to a deeper focus on individual customer profitability, marketers will gain a more comprehensive understanding of their impact on the business. This transformation in marketing optimization will lead to more accountable and future-focused strategies, ensuring that every marketing dollar spent contributes directly to the long-term profitability of the business.

As 2025 unfolds, digital marketing will be redefined by AI-driven precision and deeper profitability insights. Marketers will need to overcome the challenges of messy data and refine their AI strategies to generate actionable, high-impact insights. The true power of AI in marketing will lie not just in automation, but in its ability to enhance the accountability of every marketing decision, optimizing not just for immediate returns but for long-term business success.

By understanding these emerging trends and adapting accordingly, marketers can thrive in a landscape where precision, accountability, and customer-centric optimization will define the next era of marketing.

Roku, Inc., the leading TV streaming platform in the U.S.*, has launched Roku Data Cloud, a powerful new solution designed to give advertisers, agencies, and partners seamless access to Roku's proprietary TV data. This innovative platform is built to meet the growing demand for greater accountability in the TV streaming media space, providing transparency in planning, optimization, and measurement. As investments in TV streaming continue to surge, Roku Data Cloud empowers partners with the tools needed to drive impactful outcomes and maximize their investment.

Roku Data Cloud: A Game Changer in TV Streaming Advertising

At the core of Roku Data Cloud is its ability to offer advertisers, agencies, and partners accurate, reliable, and actionable insights based on Roku's vast TV operating system (OS). This data includes viewership habits, preferences, and identity, enabling brands to reach their target audiences more precisely. With Roku’s clean room and Roku Exchange, partners can connect directly to the platform, driving results through enhanced targeting and optimization.

“Starting with Roku Exchange, we have been working for greater interoperability in the entire programmatic ecosystem, and Roku Data Cloud is the perfect next step in delivering business outcomes for our advertisers,” said Miles Fisher, Senior Director of Strategic Advertising Partnerships at Roku. “As the #1 selling TV OS, Roku is in the best position to help advertisers reach consumers and drive precision on the largest screen at home. Roku Data Cloud is a milestone in our commitment to improving accessibility and performance for advertisers.”

Strategic Partnerships Across the Campaign Journey

Roku Data Cloud offers deep integration across all phases of the advertising campaign journey, from planning to activation, and finally, to outcomes and measurement. The platform’s partnerships with leading industry players enhance campaign effectiveness and drive growth.

Planning: Roku is strengthening its partnerships by integrating its TV data into industry-leading marketing intelligence platforms. Notable collaborations include:

• Omnicom Media Group, which will combine Roku's viewer data with Omni, an open operating system that powers Omnicom agencies, to enhance audience targeting and messaging.
• PMG’s Alli platform, which allows media planners to gain valuable insights into audience behavior, optimizing campaigns with a more tailored approach to media targeting.

Activation: Roku is expanding its partnership with Yahoo with three new integrations, enabling Yahoo ConnectID through Roku Data Cloud and connecting Roku Exchange to Yahoo Backstage. This expansion will allow advertisers to seamlessly access Roku’s inventory and apply audiences in the Yahoo Demand-Side Platform (DSP) for enhanced campaign targeting.

Outcomes and Measurement: Roku Data Cloud will also enhance advertising outcomes through its partnerships with Innovid and iSpot.TV, which will leverage in-flight campaign information to improve performance metrics and provide deeper data insights.

• Innovid will collaborate with Roku to optimize campaigns using additional signals, boosting effectiveness across multiple KPIs, such as reach and conversions.
• iSpot.TV, continuing its partnership with Roku, will incorporate Roku data into its measurement suite to enhance campaign performance and insights.

Quotes for Attribution

Sam Bloom, Head of Partnerships at PMG:

“Expanding on our collaboration with Roku, PMG can now uncover valuable behavioral insights that will allow our clients to develop deeper audience relationships and drive more effective campaigns. Integrating Roku’s rich TV viewership data into PMG’s Alli platform will empower data-informed decisions at every stage of a campaign.”

Chandra Cirulnick, VP of Global Supply Partnerships, Yahoo DSP:

“We are excited to partner with Roku on these three significant integrations across identity, supply, and audience. By making Roku’s scale more addressable and connected to Yahoo DSP’s robust programmatic ecosystem, we will be able to drive unprecedented reach and engagement for marketers.”

Krista Panoff, SVP of Global Enterprise Development at Innovid:

“Through partnerships with industry leaders like Roku and our Harmony initiative to optimize CTV at the infrastructure level, Innovid is helping to pioneer a new era of measurable, impactful, and relevant TV advertising.”

Stuart Schwartzapfel, EVP of Media Partnerships at iSpot:

“As the TV streaming landscape matures, advertisers demand holistic measurement that clearly analyzes the ad campaigns' impact on desired business outcomes. Through our collaboration with Roku, iSpot is enhancing measurement capabilities by leveraging data from Roku Data Cloud.”

Roku Data Cloud marks a significant step in revolutionizing TV streaming advertising by providing unparalleled access to TV viewership data and streamlined campaign optimization. Through its strategic partnerships and enhanced data integrations, Roku is setting new standards for accountability and precision in digital advertising. As investments in TV streaming continue to grow, Roku Data Cloud is poised to maximize return on investment for brands and advertisers across the industry.

Nexxen, a global advertising technology platform known for its expertise in data and advanced TV, has introduced Nexxen U, a groundbreaking global education program. This innovative program focuses on the convergence of linear TV, Connected TV (CTV), and digital media, and is taught by industry experts from leading companies like KINESSO, LG Ad Solutions, Tinuiti, Philo, and H/L. Nexxen U aims to equip industry professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of converged media.

Additionally, the program features an Honors Council made up of rising thought leaders from agencies, brands, publishers, platforms, and broadcasters, including KINESSO, Tinuiti, Assembly, Philo, and H/L. This council will work to create connections across different marketplaces and shape Nexxen’s product roadmap, ensuring that the platform continues to deliver unique value for its clients.

Addressing Knowledge Gaps in the Industry

In a 2024 survey conducted by Nexxen, 56% of buyers indicated they felt they had little to no knowledge of the programmatic linear component, including addressable and data-driven linear. Furthermore, only 37% felt "very comfortable" creating cross-channel media plans that integrate linear, CTV, and digital video. A significant 48% of respondents admitted they could devote no more than one hour a week to learning about the evolving media landscape.

Nexxen U was developed to address these knowledge gaps by offering structured education that enables professionals to build effective, cross-channel media plans. The program's outcomes include helping students confidently tackle identity challenges, minimize media waste, and improve measurement across platforms. It also provides a deeper understanding of current industry challenges, opportunities, and solutions from both the buyer and sell-side perspectives.

Courses are supplemented with valuable resources such as exclusive research reports, playbooks, SME interviews, and webinars, all designed to enhance learning.

Empowering Buyers to Master Converged Media

“Finding the right resources to learn about converged linear, streaming, and digital is as fragmented as the media space itself,” said Kara Puccinelli, Chief Customer Officer at Nexxen. “With so many of our buyers focused on linear and CTV, we saw the opportunity to create an accessible, centralized digital destination that empowers them to master converged media for their campaigns.”

The program also aims to simplify the complexities inherent in holistic campaigns. “Holistic campaigns are critical for scalable, audience-centric reach customized to viewer behavior, but this comes with inherent complexities,” said Peter Parisi, VP of Addressable Strategy & Activation at KINESSO. “KINESSO is committed to simplifying and unifying our clients’ media, data, and measurement, and having an education-focused partner like Nexxen enables us to do just that while moving the industry forward.”

Nexxen U is a pivotal initiative aimed at helping media buyers and sellers navigate the complexities of linear, CTV, and digital convergence. By providing comprehensive education on the challenges and opportunities in converged media, Nexxen U is empowering the next generation of media professionals to build effective, audience-centric campaigns. With support from industry leaders, Nexxen U is set to become a vital resource for advertisers seeking to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.

Cainiao, a global leader in e-commerce logistics and logistics technology, has launched its Cainiao Autonomous Vehicle GT Pro, an L4-level autonomous vehicle designed for public roads. This marks a significant milestone in the company’s autonomous delivery initiative, representing the first major upgrade since the debut of the Cainiao GT in 2024. The GT Pro introduces several key improvements, including design upgrades, extended range, optimized algorithms, and enhanced interactive features.

Design and Specifications

The Cainiao GT Pro is a compact vehicle with dimensions of 3694mm in length, 1299mm in width, and 2200mm in height, which makes it comparable in size to a standard passenger vehicle. Its size ensures versatility, allowing the vehicle to seamlessly adapt to a variety of road scenarios. Cargo space is optimized at 5 cubic meters, enabling the vehicle to carry between 600 to 800 parcels per trip. With an impressive 180-kilometer range, the GT Pro delivers long-distance efficiency, making it ideal for urban and suburban deliveries.

The vehicle also features several design enhancements, including an interactive front light display, which enables the GT Pro to communicate its working status across different situations. The vehicle’s sensor suite has been upgraded, incorporating one LiDAR and eleven high-definition cameras as part of a multi-sensor fusion system. This upgrade enhances the vehicle’s environmental perception, improving its ability to navigate and respond accurately to its surroundings in real time.

Cainiao’s Leadership in Autonomous Logistics

Cainiao is one of the pioneering companies in the logistics industry to focus on the development and operation of autonomous delivery vehicles. Over the past decade, the company has accumulated more than 5 million kilometers of real-world driving experience, spanning closed, semi-closed, and public roads. Through these operations, Cainiao has successfully delivered over 40 million parcels using its fleet of autonomous vehicles, solidifying its position as an industry leader in autonomous logistics.

Widespread Deployment and Customer Reception

Since launching the Cainiao GT in 2024, the vehicle has made significant strides in expanding its reach. By December 2024, the Cainiao GT had been deployed across more than 10 provinces in China, including Zhejiang, Shandong, Henan, Shaanxi, Anhui, and Jiangsu. The vehicle was operating in over 30 counties and municipal-level regions, receiving positive feedback from customers for its efficiency and reliability in fulfilling delivery needs.

Looking to the Future

Cainiao’s future plans for autonomous logistics include a shift from high-precision maps to map-free navigation, further unlocking the potential of autonomous vehicles for commercial applications. Additionally, the company is exploring new delivery scenarios such as supermarket deliveries, and is working on developing more customized GT Pro models to cater to the specific needs of various business sectors.

Cainiao's introduction of the GT Pro is a major leap forward in the development of autonomous delivery technology, offering improvements in range, design, and interactive features. With its extensive real-world experience and commitment to technological advancement, Cainiao is well-positioned to lead the next phase of autonomous logistics, revolutionizing how goods are delivered across China and potentially beyond.

Kaon Interactive, a leader in B2B digital engagement solutions, has announced a game-changing partnership with Hamilton Company, a global innovator in life science automation. This collaboration leverages the Kaon Demo360+ experience to redefine how Hamilton engages with customers, enabling remote, immersive product demonstrations that simulate in-person interactions. This breakthrough solution provides significant cost savings, improves efficiency, and delivers a one-year payback period for Hamilton Company.

Key Benefits for Hamilton Company

According to George Hii, Vice President of Sales & Marketing – Laboratory Solutions at Hamilton Company, customers can now access detailed demonstrations of their products—like the Microlab Prep and LabElite ID Capper—from anywhere, eliminating the need for physical product demos. The new digital approach enables Hamilton to reach more customers globally, cut down on expenses, and provide a faster, more efficient customer experience during the buying journey.

Key Impacts for Hamilton and Its Customers:

1. Immediate Access & Global Reach:
   With the Kaon Demo360+ platform, Hamilton can now offer seamless, interactive product experiences globally, eliminating the constraints of demo instruments' availability, shipping delays, and travel restrictions. This ensures customers can evaluate products in real-time, enhancing engagement and speeding up decision-making.

2. Enhanced Digital Engagement:
   The integration of 3D visualizations, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) into product demonstrations allows Hamilton’s customers to explore lab configurations, deck setups, and dynamic sample handling processes. These immersive features bring complex solutions to life, allowing customers to visualize how Hamilton’s products work in real-world environments.

3. Accelerated Sales Process:
   After its SLAS2025 launch, Hamilton plans to incorporate Kaon Demo360+ into their daily sales operations, streamlining their lead qualification process, driving more high-quality leads, and expanding their sales pipeline across global markets.

Commitment to Innovation and Future Expansion

The collaboration with Kaon is part of Hamilton Company's ongoing commitment to driving innovation. By integrating AI-powered models within Kaon Demo360+, Hamilton plans to offer personalized customer experiences, optimize engagement, and further improve global reach. The addition of multilingual capabilities will allow Hamilton to localize these interactive solutions, ensuring accessibility for customers worldwide.

Customer-Centric Approach

As Dana Drissel, CMO of Kaon Interactive, states, this partnership is an opportunity to deliver customer-driven solutions that foster value and growth. The collaboration not only helps Hamilton better engage customers but also sets the stage for measurable business impact, driving growth for both companies in the evolving B2B digital engagement space.

With the integration of Kaon’s Demo360+ experience, Hamilton Company is revolutionizing customer engagement in the life sciences sector, improving sales workflows, expanding its global reach, and enhancing its digital product demonstrations. This partnership is a perfect example of how digital transformation can provide innovative, scalable solutions that drive efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and lead to business growth.

Klaviyo, the leader in smarter digital relationships, has unveiled new advancements to its analytics capabilities, enabling marketers to turn raw customer data into actionable insights. These innovations empower brands to deliver personalized experiences, make smarter decisions, and drive measurable cost savings and revenue growth within Klaviyo’s unified platform. By addressing the challenges of fragmented data and disconnected tools, Klaviyo simplifies analysis, offering AI-driven insights for faster, data-backed decisions.

Challenges in the Market

In today's competitive landscape, many brands struggle to maximize the value of their customer relationships due to fragmented data, disconnected tools, and operational complexity. According to Forrester research commissioned by Klaviyo, 76% of brands agree that an embedded Customer Data Platform (CDP) is essential for unlocking actionable insights, but most brands face challenges in effective execution.

Adil Wali, Chief Product Officer at Klaviyo, emphasizes, “With our expanded analytics capabilities, Klaviyo eliminates these challenges by unifying data, simplifying analysis, and delivering AI-driven insights that power smarter, faster decisions.” This enables marketers to build deeper relationships with customers, driving brand loyalty and achieving outsized growth without relying on guesswork.

Key Features and Benefits of Klaviyo Analytics

1. Accelerating Growth by Driving Repeat Purchases

   • Personalized Retention in One-Click: Klaviyo's new RFM Action Center—leveraging recency, frequency, and monetary value (RFM) analysis—helps marketers identify high-value customer segments and provides actionable recommendations to enhance retention, encourage repeat purchases, and foster brand loyalty.
     Example: Automatically re-engage at-risk customers with time-sensitive promotions like “Don’t miss this discount on your favorites!”

   • Product Analysis for Smarter Merchandising: Marketers can now use real-time product insights to identify frequently bundled items and repeat purchase trends, which drive higher conversions, average order value (AOV), and optimize merchandising strategies throughout the customer journey.
     Example: Recommend complementary post-purchase items at the optimal time, such as “Restock your favorite skincare set!”

2. Optimizing Campaign Performance with AI-Powered Recommendations

   • AI-Powered Campaign Personalization: Go beyond traditional A/B testing with 1:1 campaign personalization at scale. Klaviyo's AI determines the most effective version of an email or SMS campaign for each subscriber, based on their individual likelihood to engage.
     Example: Send personalized holiday SMS campaigns that are tailored to individual preferences—some subscribers receive a product-focused image, others see a lifestyle image, maximizing click-through rates.

   • Real-Time Form Optimization for Higher Conversions: Klaviyo's AI automatically tests different versions of pop-up forms and selects the most effective one to drive higher subscriber rates and revenue.
     Example: Optimize form timing during key campaigns, like Black Friday, to boost sign-ups, e.g., “Sign up and save 15% on your first order!”

3. Proving ROI and Optimizing Strategies with Real-Time Dashboards

   • Conversion Overview Dashboard: Marketers can now gain a unified view of both business and marketing performance, showing when marketing drives the highest impact and uncovering seasonal trends.
     Example: Adjust email campaign schedules based on performance insights, such as identifying that summer emails drive 20% higher conversions than spring emails.

   • SMS Performance Dashboard: Measure the revenue impact of SMS campaigns with clear KPIs, like conversion rates and revenue attribution, to prove ROI.
     Example: Track which SMS reminders sent 24 hours after an email generate the highest revenue per recipient.

   • Subscriber Growth Report: Discover which acquisition channels are most effective for growing your subscriber base.
     Example: Identify that Facebook ads outperform other channels like sweepstakes programs for new customer acquisition, enabling marketers to optimize their efforts.

Why Klaviyo Analytics Stands Out

Marika Tselonis, Director of Email/SMS Marketing at KULIN, shares: “Klaviyo's advanced analytics unlocks insights we couldn't offer our clients before. Product analysis helps us drive merchandising decisions and create curated bundles based on what sells well together, helping us optimize post-purchase flows.”

Klaviyo’s next-generation analytics combines enterprise-grade capabilities with unmatched ease of use, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes:

• Unified Data Without Limits: Unlimited first-party data is connected and activated with no storage or retention caps, ensuring it is always available when needed.
• Actionable AI: Klaviyo’s AI optimizes campaigns, predicts customer behavior, and scales personalization for millions of customers.
• Scalable Growth: With real-time dashboards and insights, measure ROI effortlessly and adapt strategies as your business grows.

Klaviyo’s powerful analytics features empower marketers to optimize customer engagement, drive repeat purchases, and prove ROI with AI-powered insights. By providing a unified data platform that eliminates complexity, Klaviyo is helping brands make smarter, faster decisions, ensuring continued growth and efficiency in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

Salesforce, the world’s leading AI CRM, recently shared its groundbreaking 2024 holiday retail insights. Despite record-setting sales globally and in the U.S., rising return rates could pose challenges for profit margins. In this blog, we explore key trends that defined the 2024 holiday season, including the impact of AI and agents on sales, the surge in mobile and social commerce, and the growing concerns around returns.

Key Trends Impacting the 2024 Holiday Shopping Season

1. Record-Breaking Online Sales

• Global online sales reached a historic $1.2 trillion, with $282 billion generated in the U.S.
• Sales grew by 3% globally and 4% in the U.S. YoY.
• The European Union saw a 1% YoY increase in online sales.

2. The Power of AI and Agents

• AI and agents influenced $229 billion in global online sales (19% of all online orders).
• AI-driven product recommendations, personalized offers, and conversational support boosted customer engagement.
• Retailers’ use of AI grew by 25% during the holiday season, with 42% more shoppers using AI-powered chat for customer service.

3. The Rising Challenge of Returns

• $122 billion worth of global purchases were returned, a 28% increase YoY.
• The surge in returns is driven by behaviors like “try-on hauls” and bracketing.
• Salesforce anticipates returns will rise to $133 billion, emphasizing the importance of AI tools to streamline the returns process.

4. Social Commerce Takes Center Stage

• Social commerce generated 20% of global holiday sales through platforms like TikTok Shop and Instagram.
• Social media traffic referring to eCommerce sites grew by 8% YoY, contributing to 14% of all traffic.

5. Mobile Commerce on the Rise

• 79% of global traffic came from mobile devices, with nearly 70% of orders placed on mobile.
• Christmas Day saw mobile orders reach their highest at 79% of all global sales.
• 79% of U.S. shoppers reported using mobile devices for in-store assistance.

6. Modest Discounts and Growing Loyalty

• Average discounts were modest, at 23% in the U.S. and 22% globally.
• Makeup, apparel, and skincare saw the highest discount rates.
• 72% of U.S. shoppers said loyalty programs encouraged repeat purchases.

The 2024 holiday season was marked by significant growth in online sales and mobile commerce, with AI and agents playing a pivotal role in enhancing customer experiences. However, the rise in returns poses challenges for retailers in maintaining healthy profit margins. As the year unfolds, the data suggests that AI and loyalty programs will be key in driving growth and managing these hurdles.

Nativo, a leading platform for content-driven brand engagement, has announced an exciting partnership with Scope3, a collaborative sustainability platform. This partnership aims to help brands achieve their sustainability goals by offering tools to better understand and reduce the carbon footprint of their digital advertising efforts. With Scope3's transparency and data-driven approach, brands can now track emissions at every stage of the advertising journey, helping to build a more sustainable digital media ecosystem.

Key Aspects of the Nativo and Scope3 Partnership

1. Measuring Carbon Emissions in Digital Advertising

• Scope3’s emissions model, developed with an open-source methodology, offers precise data on the carbon emissions within the advertising ecosystem.
• This transparency helps brands and stakeholders measure the environmental impact of their digital campaigns.

2. Supporting Sustainability Goals

• By reducing emissions at every stage of the ad journey, brands can align their media-buying strategies with sustainability goals.
• Nativo’s commitment to sustainability through direct supply chains and traffic shaping enables more efficient ad spend, contributing to overall carbon reduction.

3. Reducing the Carbon Footprint of Media Buying

• Through the partnership, Nativo’s clients will have access to data-driven tools that help measure and reduce carbon emissions associated with their advertising campaigns.
• Nativo’s technology ensures that clients are working with sustainable media-buying strategies that prioritize carbon footprint reduction.

4. Leveraging Efficient Supply Chains and Technology

• Nativo's supply chain avoids MFA (misleading and fraudulent advertising) inventory, ensuring that ad spend goes directly toward carbon reduction.
• The company’s innovative methodologies and technology efficiencies support sustainable digital media ecosystems.

5. Real-World Impact and Future Innovation

• According to Scope3’s David Fischer, the partnership aims to showcase the real-world impact of Nativo’s capabilities and further enhance efforts to stay ahead of industry sustainability changes.
• Nativo’s Justin Choi emphasized how the partnership aligns with the company’s core business model to enable clients to actively reduce their carbon emissions.

The collaboration between Nativo and Scope3 marks a significant step toward achieving sustainability goals in the digital advertising space. By bringing transparency to the emissions data, brands can now make informed decisions that help reduce their environmental impact. This partnership empowers clients to not only engage more sustainably with their audiences but also actively contribute to the broader goal of decarbonizing the advertising industry.