Media in 2025: What does the future hold?

As we look toward 2025, the media landscape is poised for transformative change.

The rise of creator-driven content, combined with advancements in AI and e-commerce, is expected to reshape how brands engage with audiences. In fact, a new study by Carat, dentsu X and iProspect titled "Algorithmic era of media", unveiled that the upcoming year will drive toward a fully addressable, shoppable and accountable media system. 

In addition, authentic, socially-driven narratives will dominate, while the blending of entertainment and escapism will offer new opportunities for marketers, said We Are Social in its new report titled "Think forward 2025: The liveable web". 

As technology evolves, marketers will need to balance innovation with authenticity, crafting meaningful connections in an increasingly digital world. Below, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE spoke with media leaders in the industry to find out what the future of media holds as we enter 2025. 

Don't miss: Key insights shaping marketer strategies in 2025

Karl Mak, CEO of Hepmil Media

The future of media is creator-first, decentralised, and deeply intertwined with commerce. We’re seeing an era where creators don’t just shape content—they drive culture and commerce, redefining how audiences interact with brands and ideas. Media platforms of the future will empower creators to own their narratives, foster direct audience relationships, and merge seamlessly with e-commerce. This shift marks a new chapter in popular culture—one written by creators, where creativity, influence, and commerce converge for authentic, community-driven experiences.

Jacqui Lim, chief commercial officer, Mediacorp

“The three “I”s of influence, interest and impact will power 2025. Brands will seek to influence and connect with consumers through authentic personalities and the creation of more social-first, tailormade content targeted at specific audience personas.

Audience interest also means delivering macro content trends through multiple micro engagements, giving rise to agile, on the pulse, short-form content like micro dramas to gain share of mind among digitally connected audiences.

Finally, impact is everything. With business performance at the core of everyone’s minds, creator and celebrity powered shoppable content scaled across omni-channels and transcending paid, owned and earned media will redefine what it means to deliver a multiplier effect on businesses.

Phin Wong, head of content marketing and lifestyle media, SPH Media

I think it’s going to be about entertainment — both as a distraction from what’s going on in the world and as a tool for the dissemination, contextualisation, and promotion of information. This means advertisers will need to rethink how ‘serious’ content should be presented to mass audiences. It also means that content creators will need to rise to the challenge of balancing business with creativity and social responsibility.

Bryan Choo, CEO, The Smart local

I recently experimented with growing a virtual influencer account and hit 30k followers in a month. The technology is only gonna get better.

I think within a year, it'll be hard to distinguish virtual creators from real creators. And then it's only a matter of time before these become independent and automated. And brands will start building their own or working more with these VIs.

Haresh Tilani, co-founder and creative director, Ministry of Funny

With recent AI tools like Google's NotebookLM making it so much easier to generate audio content, there is going to be an impetus for marketers to use AI to create podcasts. But they should be cautious because podcasting is probably the format that demands the most authenticity and vulnerability to work.

The reason is simple - podcasts depend on the relationship with the listener as much as its content because people are drawn to the personalities of the hosts, even right down to their personal backgrounds. Relatability and identity are key, both of which are hard to replicate with AI.

That being said, AI can undoubtedly make the process of podcasting easier, and that should be the focus of anyone keen to dabble in the audio space.

Parminder Singh, chief operating officer, Tatler Asia

The next big trend will be humanised AI content creation. As AI-generated content becomes more prevalent, audiences will increasingly recognise its uniformity. This will drive a shift in how marketers approach AI.

Rather than relying solely on AI, marketers will get more sophisticated in leveraging AI as a collaborative partner. They'll use AI to enhance their creativity, while still maintaining the human authenticity. Marketers who master this balance will stand out in an increasingly crowded digital landscape.

This trend will extend beyond marketing to journalism and even scientific research. We can expect to see new platforms that facilitate this human-AI collaboration, such as more intuitive AI writing assistants, advanced data visualisation tools, or even AI brainstorming platforms. The key will be harnessing AI's capabilities while preserving human elements of empathy, and cultural understanding. 

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