Trends Shaping Mobile Advertising

🚨Apple just quietly triggered the next big shakeup in adtech. Their latest Safari update expands fingerprinting protections by default. No fanfare, no headlines, just a clear message: browser-based tracking is on borrowed time. They didn’t mention pixels. They didn’t have to. 📉 Confidence in pixel-based attribution is already starting to slide. And when measurement becomes a maybe, budgets move to other places. If pixel-based attribution continues to erode, this could become IDFA 2.0 but for the open web. Remember what happened last time? When Apple killed IDFA, Meta’s performance tanked. ROAS flatlined. It took six months and a total infrastructure pivot (hello, CAPI) just to stabilize. Now imagine that same disruption, but with more players in the blast radius. If Safari continues to chip away at pixel fidelity:   • Programmatic networks get hit   • MMPs and commerce platforms scramble   • Platforms like AppLovin, still ramping on server-to-server, are exposed   • Attribution gaps accelerate the shift toward MMM These aren’t plug-and-play fixes. Rebuilding this stack takes time (6+ months at best) and most platforms simply aren’t ready. We’re entering a new phase of performance marketing: ✅ Creative becomes the new targeting ✅ Server-side becomes the new standard ✅ Consent-based data becomes the new gold One note of resilience: gaming. This category already rebuilt post-IDFA and they’re better positioned than most. Apple’s not just changing the rules, they’re changing the terrain. If you're still dependent on pixels, the clock’s ticking. The future is API-first. Anyone not building for it? They’re already behind.

I’ve seen more disruption in the past three years than in the last two decades, and it’s become clear to me that the old marketing playbook isn’t built for the speed or complexity of today’s world. The reality is that old-world linear campaigns, quarterly insights, and static segmentation miss the fluidity of today’s consumers. Culture moves faster. Algorithms move faster. Meanwhile, brands are still trying to steer with rearview mirrors. Paradoxically what used to guide us now holds us back. Marketing intelligence isn’t scarce, it’s abundant, accessible to anyone, anytime, often at zero cost. This isn’t a trend. It’s a fundamental reset that forces organizations to break with the past and chart a new path, new models, and new ways of working. The path forward demands more than tweaks; it requires a mindset shift: · Corporations need to move from playing it safe to experimenting at speed and scale. · Move from passive to highly participatory engagement. · From one-size-fits-all to personalized targeting. · Risk avoidance to opportunity creation. · Control to co-creation. Brands must stop dictating and start inviting. · Centralized command and control to empowered edge teams To bring my point to life, here are a few examples of emerging technologies and methodologies that are reshaping how brands engage with consumers and strive to create a new marketing playbook focused on fast, high-impact performance. · AI persona targeting - live, behavioral personas built from real-time data allowing for sharper targeting. Higher relevance. Better conversion. · Generative campaign creation - AI co-builds campaign assets across formats allowing marketers to test dozens of creative alternatives. Scale what sticks. Creative at speed. · AI packaging eye tracking. Real-world visibility into what grabs attention and why. To me this is a real game changer given that your shelf presence is on an iPhone. Used intelligently, this can collapse sequential testing and significantly reduce speed to market. · In Context social ad testing. Test creative in-platform. Capture implicit signals. Measure what people actually do, not what they say. Real behavior. · AI-Powered live equity tracking. Brand health as a live data stream, not a post-mortem as we did for decades. This turns early detection into early market advantage. The pace of change is relentless. And it is just accelerating. In my view, the future growth belongs to those courageous leaders willing to let go of what was, lean into what could be, and shape what comes next.

For over two decades, digital marketers have leaned on third-party cookies to track users, target ads, and build campaigns around behavioral data. It has worked well for performance, but it has also encouraged a mindset of easy access over earned trust. That era is coming to a close. Apple's iOS updates, particularly App Tracking Transparency (ATT), have already reshaped the advertising landscape. Combined with regulations like GDPR and CCPA, growing consumer awareness, and tighter browser restrictions, the way we collect and use data is undergoing a permanent shift. According to Statista, more than 30% of marketers are still fully dependent on third-party cookies, and many are unprepared for what comes next. This is not just a challenge to update tools. It is a moment to re-evaluate priorities. As marketers, we should be asking hard questions: - Are we prioritizing short-term targeting over long-term relationships? - Are we building strategies based on user consent and value? - Do we truly know our customers, or are we simply watching them? The most forward-thinking brands are not looking for technical workarounds. They are investing in first-party data, transparent communication, and trust-based engagement. They are building the kinds of experiences people actually opt into, not opt out of. This is a defining moment for marketing leadership. It is a chance to move away from extractive models and toward ones that are more respectful, human, and sustainable. How is your team navigating this transition? Are you ready for a world where trust is the most valuable currency? #CookielessFuture #MarketingLeadership #DigitalTrust #FirstPartyData #CustomerExperience

2025 is shaping up to be a wild ride for ad creative. The tools we use, the strategies we rely on, and even the way we think about advertising are changing faster than ever. So how do you keep up? That’s where Motion’s 2025 Creative Trends report comes in. https://lnkd.in/gF5Vbq7Y I’ve seen a lot of reports, and let’s be honest: most of them just rehash the same obvious stuff we’ve all heard a million times. Not this one. Motion dug into $100 million in ad spend, surveyed over 500 insiders, and interviewed a dozen top creative strategists to create a blueprint that’s as practical as it is insightful. They’re not just handing you trends; they’re showing you why they matter and how to act on them. It’s part data, part inspiration, and completely built for the trenches of DTC advertising. So what’s inside? Without spoiling the goods, let me say this: there are seven major trends, and each one is going to make you rethink what you’re doing right now. For example, did you know that ads built around humor are quietly crushing it? Yeah, only 14% of social ads lean into comedy, but a quarter of the highest-spending campaigns are funny. That’s the kind of ‘aha’ insight you’ll find in this report—the stuff that makes you slap your forehead and wonder why you didn’t test it sooner. Or how about the fact that lo-fi content—scrappy, iPhone-shot ads—is still king, but the bar for standing out has gotten a lot higher? Turns out, the secret isn’t just shooting fast; it’s creating content that taps into what your audience already loves, whether that’s soothing ASMR or a bit of absurd humor to break the doomscroll. And don’t even get me started on the rise of AI. (Spoiler: It’s amazing… but also maybe kind of boring if you’re not careful.) But my favorite part of this report? It’s not just about what’s trending; it’s about what works. It’s one thing to know that nostalgia sells—it’s another to figure out how to reimagine retro aesthetics in a way that feels fresh and relevant. Or to hear from experts about why long-form content (yes, ads longer than 30 seconds) is quietly killing it on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. What really sets this report apart, though, is the humor and humanity baked into it. These aren’t cold stats and dry predictions—they’re insights from people who are in the thick of it, sharing what’s actually working for them. So, if you’re tired of “meh” performance or just want to know how to keep your creative edge in 2025, do yourself a favor: check out this report. It’s like having a creative strategist whispering game-changing ideas in your ear—except you don’t have to buy them coffee first. Trust me, you’ll want to see what’s inside. https://lnkd.in/gF5Vbq7Y *This post is part of our sponsored content series from Motion. We only promote things we use.* Learn more. https://lnkd.in/gtmGvzJY

I read 47 pgs of Motion’s 2025 Trends Report so you don’t have to. The 5 big Ad Creative changes you need to know: 1) AI isn’t taking over 2) There isn't enough Humor 3) Long-Form Ads are back 4) Everyone’s running lo-fi ads 5) Creators are coming in-house The report analyzed - $100m in spend - 500 Survey responses - 12 interviews 1) AI isn’t taking over ad creation. AI ads are forgettable. AI's an efficient tool = saving money. Cheaper ads = More ads. 2) Humor is underutilized. 14% of ads have humor in them. But 25% of the highest spending ads ($1m) did. Think about the best brands: Liquid Death, Dr. Squatch, Poo Pourri. Funny ads scale. 3) We’re going back to long-form ads. More education. Expert opinions. Podcasts/VSLs are all making a comeback. DR Marketing is re-entering the chat. 4) Lo-fi ads are no longer the arbitrage. Everyone + their mother are running lo-fi ads. And plan to run more lo-fi ads. It's no longer the attention arbitrage. 5) Brands Bringing Creators In-house. Brands are promoting Creators -> Creative Directors. Smart to bring platform experts in-house. It’s pretty funny how old becomes new and old again. All of these trends were hot in 2017, too. Looks like we're in the great AI reset.