The big marketing shifts that shaped this year
As another year wraps up, I find myself wondering where on earth it went? Somewhere in between work and life, my eldest started his second year at university, my youngest headed into his final year of college and passed his driving test (which still feels like a bigger milestone for me than for him). It’s been a year of big moments, big changes and a few reminders to pause and take it all in.
If there’s one word I’d use to describe marketing this year, it’s shift. Not a gentle evolution. A proper shift in how search works, how content is discovered, how ads are created and optimised and how businesses show up online.
And at the centre of it all, AI (of course). Over the past year, I’ve watched it move from “interesting but optional” to something quietly woven into almost every platform we use. Google. Meta. Search. Creative. Reporting. Even how customers ask questions and make decisions.
For many businesses, that’s felt unsettling, for others, overwhelming. And for some, it’s been tempting to ignore altogether and hope it blows over (I hate to break the news to you, it won’t). AI isn’t replacing marketing. It’s reshaping it.
One of the biggest misconceptions I’ve seen is that artificial intelligence is here to replace marketers, copywriters or strategists. The reality is much simpler. It’s changing how good marketing is done. The fundamentals still matter, clear positioning, strong messaging, understanding your audience, trust, consistency and experience. AI helps speed things up, reveals patterns faster and helps us work smarter, if it’s used properly. Used badly, it creates noise, generic content, a lot of emojis and em dashes and brands that start sounding exactly like everyone else. Used well, it becomes a serious advantage.
What’s actually changed across the platforms
Alongside the wider conversation about LLMs, the major marketing platforms have made some significant shifts of their own this year.
Google has continued to lean further into automation and machine learning, particularly across Search and Performance Max. Smart bidding has become more sophisticated, Google’s understanding of intent has improved and clean conversion data has never been more important. When accounts are set up properly, with clear goals and good signals, Google is very good at doing what it’s designed to do.
SEO has also changed, not in a dramatic overnight way, but in emphasis. There’s been a clear move away from chasing volume for the sake of it and towards genuinely helpful, well-structured content that answers real questions. With AI summaries and zero-click results becoming more common, visibility now comes from clarity, authority and usefulness rather than rankings alone.
Meta has followed a similar pattern. Targeting has become broader, automation plays a bigger role and creative and messaging have a much greater impact on performance than trying to outsmart the algorithm. The quality of inputs matters far more than constant tweaking.
Across all of this, there’s a common theme. The platforms want strong foundations, good data and clear messaging. They reward businesses that work with them strategically rather than trying to micromanage every detail.
Looking ahead
As we move into the new year, my focus remains the same. Staying ahead of the shifts that matter, understanding how the technology is really working and applying it in a way that makes sense for each business. Some things in marketing have changed dramatically this year. Some things haven’t changed at all. Clarity still matters. Trust still matters. Consistency still matters. AI has changed the tools we use, not the principles that make marketing work.
If you’re unsure what any of this means for your business, or you’re wondering whether what you’re doing now will still hold up next year, that’s exactly the kind of conversation I enjoy having (you know I love talking about marketing).
For now, though, it feels like a good moment to pause, reflect and head into the new year feeling informed, confident and ready for what’s next.
