A CEO’s Dilemma
Late one evening, a CEO of a global consumer brand found herself staring at a dashboard full of conflicting data points. Traditional ad spends were underperforming, consumers were shifting to decentralised platforms, and AI-driven hyper-personalisation was driving competitors ahead. The strategies that had worked even two years ago were rapidly losing relevance. The question was no longer if the industry was transforming—it was how fast companies could adapt.
Welcome to 2025 and beyond where advertising does not seem to be just about reach. It’s ‘more meaningful reach with deeper narratives keeping ‘CX’ in mind.
- Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: A Competitive Advantage
This is the top key point that I have. The future of advertising isn’t just about data and technology—it’s about leadership that understands the psychology behind consumer decisions. Emotionally intelligent leaders foster creativity, empathy, and adaptability, driving campaigns that resonate deeply with audiences.
In an era where consumer trust is fragile, emotionally intelligent leadership helps brands maintain authenticity and ethical advertising practices. Leaders who cultivate emotional intelligence within their teams can craft campaigns that don’t just sell but inspire and build lasting relationships.
What it means for leaders: C-suite executives must prioritise emotional intelligence in their leadership approach. This means actively listening to consumer sentiment, bringing in a culture of empathy within marketing teams, and ensuring advertising strategies reflect the brand’s true values.
- AI-Driven Hyper-Personalisation: Beyond Demographics
Now, yes, of course, Artificial intelligence has moved past segmentation into true one-to-one engagement. Machine learning algorithms now predict not just what consumers want, but what they need—sometimes before they even realise it themselves. Brands that integrate real-time AI-driven content adaptation into their advertising strategies are seeing engagement rates skyrocket.
AI-powered creative tools now dynamically generate ad variations tailored to individual user behaviours, contexts, and emotions. Instead of showing a generic ad for running shoes, AI assesses real-time weather conditions, recent browsing behaviour, and fitness goals to deliver the perfect message at the perfect moment.
What it means for leaders: Investing in AI-powered predictive analytics, generative AI content tools, and real-time personalisation engines will be critical. The shift from broad targeting to deeply individualised advertising will determine competitive success.
- Contextual and Privacy-First Advertising
With increasing data privacy regulations and the decline of intrusive tracking methods, advertisers are shifting to contextual targeting. Instead of relying on cookies, brands are using AI to analyse content environments and deliver relevant ads in real-time without infringing on user privacy.
This approach ensures that ads are aligned with the surrounding content and user intent. For example, an ad for sustainable travel might appear alongside an article on eco-friendly tourism rather than being driven by previous browsing history.
What it means for leaders: Marketers must prioritise privacy-first approaches, leveraging contextual insights and ethical AI solutions to maintain effectiveness while respecting consumer data rights. Compliance with privacy laws like GDPR and the Digital Markets Act will no longer be a choice but a necessity.
- Retail Media Networks: The Next Advertising Powerhouses
Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and even non-traditional players such as Uber are monetising their first-party data and launching in-house ad networks. These platforms offer brands highly targeted access to consumers at critical decision-making moments.
By leveraging direct consumer interactions, retail media networks enable advertisers to serve hyper-relevant ads when consumers are most likely to convert. The integration of AI-powered recommendation engines makes these ads more effective than traditional digital campaigns.
What it means for leaders: CMOs should rethink media budgets, allocating a greater portion towards retail media networks that offer direct, data-rich consumer touchpoints. Partnerships with retail giants could become as critical as search and social media advertising.
- Decentralised Advertising: The Shift to Consumer-Owned Ecosystems
As consumers become more aware of data privacy and ownership, decentralised advertising is emerging as a disruptive force. Blockchain technology and Web3 frameworks are enabling consumers to have greater control over their data, allowing them to choose which brands can engage with them—and even monetise their attention.
With decentralised ad networks, users are rewarded with tokens for viewing ads, reducing reliance on intermediaries like Google and Meta. This shift democratises advertising, ensuring that brands engage audiences on a more transparent and consent-driven basis. It also minimises ad fraud and enhances trust, as blockchain verifies ad impressions and interactions in real time.
What it means for leaders:
C-suite executives must explore decentralised advertising models to future-proof their strategies. This includes experimenting with tokenised incentives, direct-to-consumer engagement platforms, and blockchain-based verification to ensure transparency and authenticity in advertising efforts.
- The Human Element: The Return of Storytelling
Despite all the technological advancements, one truth remains: human emotions drive decisions. Brands that master the art of authentic storytelling—integrating technology without losing emotional resonance—will thrive.
Consumers are becoming more skeptical of generic AI-generated content. While automation can optimise messaging, human-driven creativity remains irreplaceable. Brands that blend AI-powered insights with compelling, emotionally resonant storytelling will stand out.
What it means for leaders: Balancing automation with creativity, ensuring AI-driven content retains a strong emotional core, will be key to enduring brand relevance. Brands must focus on crafting meaningful narratives that align with their core values and consumer aspirations.
Final Reflection
For C-suite executives, the future of advertising isn’t just about new platforms or tools—it’s about adaptability. The time to pivot is now. The time to stay relevant to the future, was yesterday! So I’d highlight ‘unlearning’ as a key and ‘communication’ as a skill to keep developing because all the above needs these two to channelise.
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
Extending beyond academia; Ankoor has been honoured with the "CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE 2024" award by Passion Vista and recognized as the "MAN OF EXCELLENCE, 2024" by the prestigious Indian Achievers' Award. Additionally, he received the "LEADER 2.0 AWARD, 2023" from adgully and was named a "DIGITAL KAIZEN LEADER by DigiAdCon 2024”, Dr. Dasguupta's contributions to the field of marketing are widely acclaimed, marking him as an inspiring thought leader in his domain. Ankoor is also a member of IMA India’s CMO Forum.
Most recently Dr. Dasguupta has been selected and felicitated with the national level award -Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam Inspiration Award 2024 in the category Youth Icon of the Year.
Dr. Dasguupta is a key member of the esteemed International CMO Council and keeps delivering lectures at top Business Schools and also colleges at University of Delhi. As an industry expert, Ankoor has also been a member of the interview panel at MICA for their PGP Group Exercise & Personal Interview PI process for PGDM-C/PGDM selection for two consecutive years. Dr. Dasguupta is also on the Advisory Board of the Marketing Department at ISBR Business School, Bangalore. Recognized by DMA Asia as a marketing Ace, Dr. Dasguupta is a LinkedIn Top Voice, advocate of social impact, driven by kaizen, Ankoor believes in the power of Energy and Energize
Dr. Ankoor is practicing his PCC (Level 2) coaching from the gold standard International Coaching Federation [ICF]. He is a people's person and has worked across functions in senior leadership positions in marketing, advertising, media & communication with a pedigree of 24 years and ongoing exciting journey. Trained from Dale Carnegie in Mentoring to Develop Talent, Ankoor is a marketing practitioner, a coach, a knowledge manager, a team builder, a thought-leader, an avid writer with close to 100 published articles / interviews and is a Thought Leader. Dr.Ankoor wears the hat of a CMO as well. His leisure pursuits are reading, effective listening and percussion. Follow Dr. Ankoor Dasguupta on LinkedIn| https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankoordasguupta/
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