Leverage AI and Tech Trends to Drive Innovation in 2025

It’s no secret that advancements in AI and technology are impacting industries ranging from financial services to healthcare and more. Public relations professionals will continue to leverage these innovations to drive efficiency, enhance customer engagement and navigate a changing regulatory environment. Leaders across Padilla are monitoring AI and tech trends that will influence marketing and communications strategies in the new year.  

Creativity/Innovation
There’s a large ecosystem of factors that will influence our creative landscape in 2025. Heath Rudduck (CCO) shares that “AI will inevitably continue to develop at an ever-accelerating pace and will continue to be a game changer, presenting tools for us to expand and activate our thinking like never before. But that doesn’t mean we can then discount our effort! What it does is gift us time back to focus on better strategies and ideas for our clients. In the face of this artificial universe revealing itself, we will see a dramatic increase in the desire for authenticity and more emphasis on connectivity.  

Look to the future, lean on the past – I think work that taps technology but leverages things that are more traditional and familiar will gain momentum. I think there is a craving for stability, familiarity, and simpler comforts that is influencing many categories. For example, Ikea is re-introducing some of its classic designs, typography seems to be making a comeback, vinyl record sales continue to grow, and reductionism is on the rise.  

There are a lot of headwinds influencing these adjustments in consumers’ thinking – the loneliness epidemic, fragmented media, financial pressures, divisive politics and global conflicts. This puts pressure on every system that is not only changing POVs but shaping new ones.”

Consumer
“As consumer marketing teams begin to leverage AI in their programs, we are going to see more and more attempts to use it to engage with customers,” said Rosalie Morton (SVP-Channels). “This won’t be an easy feat. We’ll see some early wins (Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bear holiday window) and some missteps (Coca-Cola’s AI-generated holiday spot) as brands grapple to use this fundamentally inhuman tactic to build relationships and connect with consumers.”

Heath adds, “I absolutely agree, and I believe we will end up seeing an acceptance of AI-generated content. I do hope we can legislate somehow to label and identify it. Protecting authenticity feels fundamental to carrying a flag for the truth. We are not quite to Blade Runner territory, but we are definitely entering a paradigm-shifting era.”

Food, Beverage, Nutrition and Agriculture
Erin DeSimone (EVP-Padilla) shares that “whether it’s analyzing scientific research and consumer data or implementing blockchain technology to ensure transparency and traceability, technology can greatly improve efficiencies and functionalities – and it’s here to stay.”

Health
Jen Dobrzelecki (SVP-Health) advises that “building flexibility and adaptability into our 2025 plans will help us stay ahead of shifts in policies, priorities and market dynamics. To help navigate the uncertainties to come, we’ll lean more on technology like AI, machine learning and predictive analytics – tools that help us spot trends, personalize our outreach and pivot campaigns quickly as things evolve. It’s all about staying responsive in an ever evolving post-election landscape.”

Corporate Communications
Given the continued uncertainty and change, ranging from an acceleration in M&A and public-offering environments, reconsideration and refocusing of DEI and ESG positions and platforms, and AI adoption to help facilitate faster reaction to both reputational opportunities and challenges, Dave Heinsch (SVP-Corporate Advisory Group) is counseling clients “to identify, significantly limit and then concentrate their brand-reputation and ‘impact’ narratives and platforms on topics and issues that are most sympathetic to their businesses – only the things that matter most and that will be durable over the long term.”

“In 2025, the financial services industry can expect technological disruption, economic uncertainty as well as shifts in consumer behavior and client demographics,” said Ryan Smartt (VP-Financial Services). “In addition, we’ll see changes in regulatory requirements and tax changes. Technology-led digital transformation will connect banking and financial services companies, and AI, machine learning, blockchain and conversational analytics will become more sophisticated and drive innovation.”  

If you want to ensure your organization keeps pace with AI and tech trends to support marketing and communications plans in 2025, reach out.