February 19, 2025
Trends & predictions 2025 recap
As a new year of navigating the changes in commerce dawns upon us, we meant for the 2025 Trends & Predictions virtual event to serve as a vital starting point. One that helps industry insiders explore the evolving dynamics between brands, retailers and consumers in more agile ways.
What made this year’s event most unique is that it offered a threefold view into what to expect from shopping and commerce this year. Blending exclusive shopper insights, forecasts from an industry oracle, and perspectives from front-running brand leaders, the event uncovered a comprehensive vision for the future that’s already here.
In the shoes of the shopper
It’s common for marketers to spend a lot of time trying to get into the minds of shoppers. But it’s rare to have that wish answered, and start the year with trends amassed from shoppers across 7 global markets. Here are their four truths of shopping in 2025.
- Brands that are everything, everywhere, all at once: That’s how seamless and platform agnostic shoppers expect their experience to be across the lifecycle, from discovery to purchase. The lines have to do more than just blur, online and in-store need to fuse as a ‘connected experience’.
- Social’s time under the sun: Social media has arrived on the shopping scene and as a medium that packs a punch for not just product discovery but frequent purchases. If your brand doesn’t have a social commerce strategy yet, it’s cause to calibrate.
- It’s the world of customers & creators and brands just live in it: Their voices convert, their narratives resonate and their experiences count the most for fellow shoppers. Certainly more than heavy-duty branded content programs.
- No pull like personal: Don’t play the personalized recommendations game like it was played 3 years ago, or even in 2024. The future of commerce is here and hyper-relevance and focused storytelling will deliver brands from working the same messaging year on year.
Read more on our Shopper Experience Index Vol. 18
The market seer reveals the next big shifts
“People don’t just come through the marketing funnel the way they used to.”
– Dave Sommer, SVP Bazaarvoice
As shopper behaviour and commerce evolve at breakneck speed, brands are being challenged to rethink where they spend and how they define success. Our commerce oracle, Dave described this moment as a tidal wave of change and spoke of the strategic shifts reshaping marketing today.
Authentic narratives and social-first approaches are going head-to-head with branded content and traditional channels. It’s a battle of influence, where relatable storytelling is outpacing perfectly curated branded content. The question isn’t if brands should adapt, it’s how fast they can ride the wave before they’re left in the wake. As Dave put it, shoppers don’t move in a straight line anymore. They bounce, scroll, and compare. From TikTok to Target product pages, brands need content everywhere. While traditional media is struggling, omnichannel is thriving and social commerce is booming. This makes cross-team collaboration more critical than ever.
If your content strategy isn’t airtight across touchpoints, competitors will swoop in and steal conversions at the last mile. If your product page lacks reviews or compelling content, consumers will opt for the better-rated alternative. Plus, measurement matters. ROI has become much more than just sales, it’s about understanding engagement, perception and influence. Who will be able to create seamless shopper experiences then? It’s the brands that build a content supply chain—sourcing, amplifying, and optimizing across every touchpoint. Find out more on how Bazaarvoice can help you do that with one integrated solution.
Champions concur: The future of content and commerce is collaborative
This session brought together true luminaries. Leaders who’ve walked the walk, driven large-scale marketing innovations and defined what it means to lead boldly in their industries.
We dove into the transformative power of collaboration and the critical role of community-sourced content (UGC and creators) in building authentic, impactful connections with audiences. Yasmin Dastmalchi, General Manager USA at NYX Professional Makeup, broke down how to move at the speed of culture, using examples like the viral Love is Blind x Zero to Brow campaign. Neahle Jones, VP US Consumer Engagement, Consumer Products Division at L’Oréal, shared her expertise on fostering meaningful brand relationships. And Luke Kigel, VP, Digital Marketing & Consumer Experience at Kimberly-Clark, emphasized the importance of diverse perspectives and intense collaboration to drive success.
Culture moves fast, and so should brands: But before you sprint, listen. Next, bring everyone together, brainstorm, and don’t be afraid to have a little fun. Take risks, poke fun and don’t just dip a toe in. Go all in, commit fully. To the campaign, its content, and to creativity.
“If your first team is your own team, it will never work; it has to be your peer team.”
– Yasmin Dastmalchi, General Manager USA at NYX Professional Makeup
Speak different languages of functions: Break down silos, bring diverse perspectives to the table, and work together like a well-oiled machine. Whether it’s retail media, social, or digital, it’s all converging, and those who figure out how to collaborate will win.
“Overt intense collaboration, recognizing that you need the depth of perspectives. It’s the combination of those things together that will help write what the next chapter is , and we’re all writing it together as an industry.”
– Luke Kigel, VP, Digital Marketing & Consumer Experience at Kimberly-Clark
Brands have to be bold and move first: Don’t stretch yourself thin trying to do everything. Pick your platforms, find your niche, and start small. Test, learn, and scale what works. Knowing your audience is key, tailor your messaging, and build content ecosystems that resonate across generations. If you are looking to break out of the clutter in a saturated market, think beyond industry creators. Tap into gamers, athletes, musicians or any cohorts with vibes that match the values of your brand.
“If we do so much of the work on getting the data right, but then everyone still gets the same message, it’s all for naught.”
– Neahle Jones, VP US Consumer Engagement, Consumer Products Division at L’Oréal
The marketing playbook for 2025 is that there’s no marketing playbook to keep reinventing anymore. But one thing is for sure: platform-optimized content first, big campaigns second.
Takeaways from the talk
If there’s one thing that Luke emphasized and we walked away from the event knowing it’s this. Everything we believe to be the future of commerce isn’t coming, it’s already here and it’s anything but business as usual.
- Shoppers are flipping the script, and brands must keep up with them. No pressure, right?
- Experts are pointing to the need of pivoting as social-first, savvy brands that meet customers everywhere. Fluidity and adaptability will be paramount in your content supply chain.
- Brand leaders are reminding us that no one’s in this alone. Collaboration is the key to innovation, and the days of siloed teams are officially over.
But here’s the thing, recognizing trends is only half the battle. To truly thrive, brands need to roll up their sleeves and embrace bold collaboration. Fostering a culture of experimentation and showing up authentically before our audiences will make all the difference when it comes to winning with customers.
Dive deeper
The full Trends and Predictions 2025 talk is now available on-demand. Gain exclusive access to the insights, strategies, and marketing trends 2025 that will help you stay ahead. Whether you’re looking to refine your social commerce strategy, build a more collaborative team culture, or create hyper-relevant content ecosystems, this on-demand is your ultimate guide.
