What the First Half of 2025 Has Revealed About the New Media Landscape

If the past few years have felt like a series of rapid pivots, 2025 has doubled down. As consumers settle into post-COVID habits and Gen Z continues to reshape what “engagement” even means, media, marketing, and creative agencies are being forced to rethink fundamentals. For those paying attention, there are clear lessons, emerging best practices, and some warning signs of what happens if you don’t adapt.

Key Shifts We’re Seeing

Acceleration of AI / Automation in Creative & Media Workflows

AI is no longer an experiment. Brands are using it to scale creative, localize content, personalize at speed, and even generate ads end-to-end.

Earlier this year, Nedbank published an entirely AI generated ad showcasing two futuristic scenarios, a concept that ordinarily would have required a vast production budget. 

The takeaway: AI is economizing production and fast-tracking workflows. If you can deploy creative quickly, you can test and iterate faster. Complexity no longer has to slow you down.

Gen Z’s Media Habits Are Reshaping How Brands Tell Stories

The younger audiences are not just on new platforms, they expect different kinds of content, different pacing, more authenticity. They value creators and real-people voices; polished ads are only part of the picture. They want content that feels lived-in and responsive.

Case study / Trend: Gen Z and Social Media / Meal Inspiration (Publicis Commerce)

A recent study found 72% of Gen Z (aged 18-27) rely on social media (not cookbooks, etc.) for meal inspiration, particularly via TikTok and Instagram. 

What this means: inspiration itself is commerce now. Content that entertains and informs becomes a direct driver of behaviour (and purchase). The boundary between “content” and “shopping journey” is even blurrier.

Short-Form Video & Shoppable, Interactive Formats Continue to Dominate

Video isn't new, but the speed and stakes around short formats, live-shopping, and interactive video have kicked into overdrive. Consumers are spending more time watching, but with ever shorter attention spans.

South Africa Digital Trends & Video Marketing Surge

Local data shows that short-form video content has increased significantly. One source reports that South African viewers are watching about 40% more video content now vs two years ago. 

Also, shoppable video/live commerce and integration of social commerce (buy-through-social) are growing. 

First-Party Data, Privacy, Voice Search, and Multilingual / Localised Content

With privacy regulation tightening (eg POPIA in South Africa), and third-party cookies being phased out widely, brands that rely on clean, directly-collected data are seeing an advantage. At the same time, voice search and local / vernacular content (speech, dialects, etc.) are becoming more important in SEO and discoverability.

Brands are increasingly investing in first-party data collection, audience segmentation, and trust (for example through loyalty programs or gated content). 

Multilingual voice search and vernacular optimization are particularly relevant in SA, given the language diversity. 

Purpose, Authenticity, and Social Value Are No Longer Optional

Consumers, especially younger ones, don’t just ask “what does this brand offer?” but “what does it stand for?” Sustainability, purpose, social impact, representation, transparency — these are now expectations, and ones that can change brand favourability if handled well or poorly.

Local Insights: SA Trend Studies

Studies show 67% of local consumers say they prefer brands that demonstrate real commitment to sustainability/social responsibility. 

Authentic, "behind-the-scenes" content, UGC (user-generated content), and influencer or micro-influencer collaborations are being used to build trust and connection. 

What We’ve Learned & What It Implies

From where we sit, these shifts aren’t just trends, they’re mandates. Our approach has changed in response, in order to help brands stay ahead. Here are lessons we’ve internalized:

Don’t overproduce one perfect execution. Rather, deploy ideas, measure, iterate. Speed matters.

Be platform-aware (and sometimes platform-native). What works on TikTok won’t always work on LinkedIn, so customize formats and tone.

Build creative systems that allow for localization, vernacular, varied content formats, while maintaining brand consistency.

Use first-party data as the foundation: collect feedback, measure behaviour, respect privacy. Those who do become more resilient.

Keep purpose central. Campaigns that align with social values or show transparency tend to foster long-term loyalty, not just short-term buzz.

Conclusion: What This Means Going Forward

As we move through the second half of 2025, the media landscape will likely continue to fragment. New platforms will rise, algorithms will shift, regulations will tighten. But there is opportunity: brands that are agile, that embed empathy, that can move fast, these will be the ones who earn both attention and trust.

For agencies like ours, adapting isn’t about jumping on every shiny trend. It’s about reading the signals, investing in a flexible process, centring human connection, and making impact measurable.