Working with a variety of clients and industries, we get asked a wide range of questions on different aspects of marketing. But there were certain topics that shaped many of our conversations last year. 2025 was a year of transformation in marketing, with powered by AI breakthroughs, evolving social media algorithms, and a shift to renew the focus on authentic customer connection.
After some thought I’ve selected five marketing questions which came up time and again. Here’s a look back at what clients were asking in 2025 and how our answers shaped their thinking.
1. How is AI changing marketing and how should we use it?
By the end of 2025, AI had moved from curiosity to core capability. Clients weren’t asking if they should use AI, but how to use it effectively. We guided several businesses and teams through the balance between automation and authenticity.
Content creation tools certainly help scale copy, video, and visuals. For copy, we encouraged using AI for brainstorming and first drafts. It’s not a tool that reflects a brands final voice.
Audience segmentation became sharper, using predictive analytics to tailor messaging in real time. Campaign optimisation also improved. AI testing allowed testing of creative variations and budget allocation faster than any manual process could.
For 2026, we continue to advise treating AI as a partner, not a replacement for human insight and empathy.
2. Should we focus on organic or paid social media?
This is a question that we are frequently asked and our response is that the best strategy is to use both. Working together they complement each other. If that’s not an option, then prioritise building your organic presence. Paid social can be layered in as and when budget allows.
Organic social builds trust and community. It’s where your brand personality and purpose come to life. It is how you will get the most authentic community. Paid social extends that reach and drives conversions.
The most effective strategies use each for the most effective content marketing strategy. Use organic to nurture and educate loyal audiences. Use paid to amplify and target a broader reach.
In 2026, treating organic and paid as complementary will deliver the highest engagement growth. However, if that’s not an option prioritise your organic presence and layer in paid as budgets allow.
3. Is email marketing still worth the effort?
Our answer to this surprised many. Despite several predictions of its decline over the past few years, email remained one of the most effective channels of 2025.
We saw excellent results when campaigns were personalised (smart subject lines, send-time optimisation, automated across the customer journey (welcome flows, re-engagement, post-purchase nurture) and designed for interaction (polls, buttons, personalised recommendations).
Over the next year it’s not just about arriving in your target’s mailbox, it’s about making an impact in it. Be relevant and valuable. Another point to watch is the resurgence of targeted hard copy direct marketing.
4. How do we measure success across all these channels?
This is all about what your goals are. Throughout last year we found some businesses had given up tracking any metrics other than pure sales. This was down to not being able to define what they needed to measure. What metrics reflect real business impact.
Areas we have considered with clients are attribution-based insights connecting paid, organic, email, and web data. Growth indicators such as retention and customer lifetime value. Again, AI has a role to play here with smarter tools for measuring ROI and ROAS.
The learning here as we start a new year is to continue to refine this approach. Make clear decisions about the metrics and align these to your goals with unified dashboards.
5. What’s the biggest mistake brands are still making?”
Throughout 2025, one theme stood out many brands were over-automating and under-listening. While speed and personalisation are important, humanisation is far more important. Technology made marketing faster, but some teams forgot that great marketing starts with understanding people. Remember some key rules. Keep your customer at the heart of everything you do, balance data with empathy and innovate based on feedback not trends.
2026 is the year that human-centred marketing will win.
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on 2025 reminds us that marketing success in 2026 won’t come from chasing every new tool. Don’t be tempted to jump on the latest bandwagon. A robust strategy comes from integrating technology, creativity, and human connection. While the world around us continues to evolve at pace, stay true to what marketing should deliver. That is, in a nutshell, meaningful connections between brands and people.
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