Technology for Marketing (TFM) 2024 felt like a major turning point for the industry.
Unlike last year, where fear of AI and the looming “cookie apocalypse” dominated the conversation, this year’s conference took on a more grounded tone. Attendees were no longer anxiously scribbling notes about the “end of marketing as we know it.” Instead, they were looking forward, confident in their abilities to embrace new technologies and eager to share actionable insights.
This article dives into the key insights from TFM 2024, highlighting how digital marketing trends are evolving and offering valuable inspiration for marketers. From AI and personalisation to community-building and strategic simplification, the insights gained at this conference will shape marketing in 2025 and beyond.
From the “What” to the “Why”
When generative AI tools like ChatGPT first appeared, they were celebrated for their ability to churn out content quickly and efficiently. However, as Heather Murray, Founder of AI for Non-Techies, pointed out, the novelty soon wore off.
Now the challenge is using AI in a way that adds value. According to Murray, we’ve all become familiar with “AI-ese,” the predictable, robotic language that can weaken brand credibility. As AI-generated content becomes more common, consumers are increasingly discerning and can recognise the lack of human touch. For example, certain words like “delve”, “tapestry” or “landscape” are now clear giveaways of AI-generated text.
But here’s the thing: AI isn’t a passing fad. The real issue isn’t the use of AI but how it’s used. 65% of consumers still trust brands that effectively integrate AI, signalling that the problem lies not with the technology but with its inauthentic application. And content that feels inauthentic can still harm a brand.
Now, the conversation has evolved from exploring AI’s capabilities (the “what”) to understanding its strategic role in reinforcing a brand’s core values (the “why”). This shift reflects a deeper alignment of AI with long-term brand purposes, moving beyond trend-following to crafting meaningful, value-driven customer interactions.
Nick Graham, Senior Director of International Growth at Pluto TV, and Phil Clark, Senior Director of Digital Marketing at Canada Goose, both emphasised that AI needs to support a brand’s mission, not distract from it. Their message was clear: AI should be used strategically to help brands stand out in a crowded digital space, rather than as a shortcut to producing bland content. Connor Gould, Brand Manager at Cadbury, shared a great example of Lacta’s “AI Love You” campaign, which used AI to generate personalised love letters, a creative approach that resonated deeply with its audience because it stayed true to Lacta’s brand identity as a symbol of love.
For digital marketers looking ahead to 2025, the takeaway is clear: AI isn’t going anywhere, but to succeed, you must use it with purpose and intention. AI can be an incredible tool for streamlining and scaling processes, but it must always align with your brand’s values.
Building trust and personalisation at scale
Trust and personalisation emerged as recurring themes throughout TFM 2024. And if you’ve read my retrospective on last year’s conference, you’ll know this is nothing new.
Consumers increasingly expect personalised, seamless experiences across every channel, but personalisation must go beyond using someone’s first name in a message — it needs to reflect a deep understanding of their needs and values as an individual.
Personalisation is now a baseline expectation and consumers are now savvy enough to know that AI is crucial to making it happen. However, the challenge lies in ensuring that this personalisation is authentic. The real danger comes when brands use AI to generate shallow interactions that feel detached from their core message. To build trust, brands must offer personalisation that resonates with their customers on a deeper level, reinforcing their brand purpose.
Furthermore, Sophie Miller, founder of Pretty Little Marketer, and Elinor Honigstein of LinkedIn also spoke about the power of community engagement in building long-term customer loyalty. They stressed that personalisation isn’t just about individual interactions; it’s about building a sense of community around your brand. For example, LinkedIn’s algorithm prioritises rich comments and genuine conversations over vanity metrics like likes and shares. This means that for smaller brands to grow on social media, they must move beyond broadcasting messages and instead actively engage with their audience. Commenting, collaborating, and sparking meaningful conversations will drive trust in a world where consumers value authentic, two-way dialogue.
Simplifying strategies for better results
One of the standout messages at TFM 2024 was the importance of simplifying marketing strategies. Many marketers have found themselves trapped in what B2B marketing influencer and guru Jade Tambini referred to as the “marketing task wheel,” an endless loop of disjointed tasks driven by stakeholder demands. This approach not only leads to burnout but also results in lackluster outcomes.
Marketers are often under pressure to do more, whether it’s posting daily on social media, sending out frequent newsletters, or jumping on every trending hashtag. But at the conference, the consensus was that less is often more. Simplifying your strategy by focusing on a few key objectives that align with your business goals can yield far better results than trying to be everywhere at once. This is especially true in B2B marketing, where efforts can be easily spread too thin across platforms that may not offer the best ROI.
As we look ahead to 2025, marketers are encouraged to focus on quality over quantity. Streamlining content production, narrowing our focus to key channels, and targeting metrics that matter to your business will lead to better, more sustainable results.
Bridging the AI skills gap
While AI has the potential to revolutionise digital marketing, a common concern at TFM 2024 was the skills gap preventing marketers from fully leveraging these tools. A survey revealed that 35% of businesses worry about their lack of technical skills in using AI to its full capacity to scale the production of quality content. Heather Murray’s session on how to prompt AI tools effectively was particularly enlightening. She broke down the “3 Cs of Prompting”: Character, Context, and Clarity, explaining how these elements are key to generating high-quality AI content.
Murray also highlighted the limitations of AI, such as perplexity (how random or predictable content is) and burstiness (the variability in sentence length and structure). These are common issues that result in AI-generated content sounding repetitive or uninspired. The solution lies in human oversight — marketers need to treat AI as a powerful assistant, not a replacement. Success with AI requires marketers to refine the content, prompt thoughtfully and ensure it aligns with brand identity and tone of voice.
As we approach 2025, bridging the AI skills gap will be critical. Marketers who can master the art of prompting and refining AI outputs will be able to produce content that is not only efficient but also engaging and on-brand.
The ethical use of data in personalisation
Another hot topic at the conference was the ethical use of data in driving personalised experiences. As brands collect and analyse more customer data to fuel personalisation, there is a growing need to ensure that data strategies support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Several speakers emphasised the importance of using data ethically — not just to improve marketing performance but to avoid bias and ensure that all customers feel represented.
The focus on data ethics aligns with a larger trend in digital marketing toward more inclusive practices. Marketers must be mindful of the biases that can creep into AI algorithms, especially when they are trained on historical data. As brands become more data-driven, ensuring fairness and equity in their use of AI and data analytics will be a key priority for 2025.
Key Takeaways for 2025
- AI will remain a cornerstone of digital marketing, but it requires strategic, purpose-driven use to ensure authenticity and avoid cheapening your brand.
- Personalisation is essential — but it must be meaningful, rooted in a deep understanding of your audience, and aligned with your brand’s values.
- Community engagement is critical for building trust and long-term customer loyalty. Social media success in 2025 will depend on genuine interactions, not just content volume.
- Simplification is key — marketers should focus on a few core objectives that drive results, rather than spreading themselves too thin across multiple platforms.
- Bridging the AI skills gap will be crucial. Marketers who master AI prompting and refine their strategies will gain a competitive advantage.
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Conclusion
As we move toward 2025, digital marketing will continue to be shaped by AI, data, and personalisation. However, the fundamentals of authenticity, trust, and community-building will remain just as important. For brands, the challenge lies in balancing technology with a human touch, using AI to support — not replace — genuine connections.
At Dusted, we guide brands through the ebbs and flows of marketing trends, embracing innovative technologies while preserving each brand’s distinct identity. As digital marketing continues to evolve, maintaining your authentic voice will set you apart from the competition.
This balanced, forward-looking approach ensures that your brand will continue to thrive in 2025 and beyond.
