Tech trends that will shape 2025 – and what they mean for your brand 

Feb 25, 2025

As we move deeper into 2025, the tech world is buzzing with possibilities. AI continues to steal the spotlight, after 2024 was marked by new model announcements, major improvements, and fresh launches. But there’s much more on the horizon, from crypto and social media to spatial computing and gaming. Is blockchain best kept for “behind the scenes” operations? Is the next focus in spatial computing on operating systems or the devices themselves? Have we reached AGI, and is AI killing SaaS? Here is a selection of key takeaways that will shed light on these questions and more. 

The text-to-everything revolution

From Mango and Paris Saint-Germain to Toys 'R' Us and Coca-Cola, brands continue to embrace GenAI to deliver highly cost-effective and resonant campaigns. In particular, Coca-Cola's widely discussed viral AI campaign was revealed to have been produced in about three weeks and powered by 17 artists and other experts. It showed that, while AI can bring cost savings, human creativity and emotion remain essential for crafting authentic, resonant campaigns. And it’s a balance that brands are learning to strike. 
However, a new wave of AI-driven image and video hoaxes is flooding social media, alongside extreme AI regulations in Europe, and legal uncertainty around usage. As a result, brands are divided - – 
some stay away entirely, and others fully embrace it, disclosing its use in their marketing materials. 

Blockchain for transparency and traceability

Bitcoin surging above $100,000 may have grabbed the headlines in 2024, but recent events such as memecoin launches, Microsoft rejecting proposal to add Bitcoin to the balance sheet, and Nike's withdrawal from RTFKT are signaling moving away from blockchain collectibles towards real-world utility. For instance, Silal Fresh records fruit from farm to table, and luxury brands LVMH, Prada, and Cartier have registered over 50 million goods to date on the blockchain to ensure they can be authenticated. It's evident that blockchain technology is proving to be more than simply a financial tool, it’s transforming industries by ensuring transparency and building trust.s Eighty six per cent of supply chain executives cite it as a competitive advantage. 

Social media landscape changes and regulatory pressures

Albania has shut down TikTok for a year after a tragic incident, and Florida has introduced a ban preventing children under 14 from using social media. Meanwhile, the potential nationwide ban in the US,  eventually scrapped by Trump, led many to prepare for it by migrating to Lemon8 and RedNote.  
 
Across the board, social media platforms are changing fast due to AI content, which is  now required to be labeled. This shift is also bringing virtual influencers to the fore, from clones of celebs to completely virtual humans. However, the growing dissatisfaction with the introduction of AI humans highlights a need for brands to rethink their approach. Instead of focusing on influencing or manipulating audiences, brands should consider creating virtual personas that provide ongoing assistance and value to their audiences.  

Altogether, these developments paint a picture of a rocky and changing social media ecosystem. Brands must stay informed and react quickly to emerging platforms or upgrades to existing platforms, such as direct Amazon purchase  integration with Pinterest and TikTok. 

Focus on XR operating system changes, rather than hardware

With a hefty price tag, enterprise-grade devices like Varjo have held a premium benchmark for years, but Apple's Vision Pro emerged in 2024 as an equally capable yet more reasonably priced mixed-reality headset. Meanwhile, although Meta's headsets don’t match the performance of Varjo or Vision Pro, they continue to dominate the market with affordable alternatives, such as the newly launched Quest 3S. 
 
These hardware advancements come with advancements in operating systems. In 2024, Apple launched VisionOS, Google has announced Android XR, Snap Snap OS, while Meta has HorizonOS. This indicates that the devices themselves are far from the end of visions, and that the real focus is on building up and populating the ecosystems with apps. Therefore, despite speculations that Apple may discontinue the Vision Pro, forward-thinking brands like LSEG that continue to develop apps for VisionOS are positioning themselves to gain an early advantage when Apple eventually introduces a more affordable successor, as rumors suggest.  
 
Beyond headsets, the AR ecosystem and hardware is also advancing fast. In location-based AR, Niantic's Spatial Platform has emerged as a strong competitor to Google's Geospatial Creator, with notable cases in 2024 such as Moodometer and Remote Assistance.  
While truly seamless AR glasses may not dominate in 2025, the approximately 50 AI-powered AR glasses presented at CES 2025 alone give a strong indication that the future will require brands to build multi-dimensional experiences seamlessly virtual overlay on top of the real world. 

Games as brand engagement playgrounds

From Adidas' record-breaking $20,000 digital necklace on Roblox to cross-franchise promotions like Dead by Daylight x FNAF, gaming continues to prove that it’s more than just entertainment – it’s a playground for brand engagement. Moreover, the upcoming game release from Naughty Dog, Intergalactic, is featuring branded assets from Adidas and Porsche. These collaborations demonstrate how gaming studios can provide brands with platforms to seamlessly integrate into the narratives and worlds that billions of gamers experience daily. 

Chinese gaming studios have had a remarkable year. Games like Black Myth: Wukong showcased the abilities of the region to produce AAA games, while Infinity Nikki achieved massive success by attracting 10 million players within four days and 20 million shortly after. Its success stems from appealing to a wider audience, focusing on aesthetics and the cozy aspects of gaming instead of fighting or shooting, and incorporating gacha mechanics that genuinely don't require real money spent for a fully enjoyable experience. Monitoring these releases is essential as Chinese studios continue to influence global gaming trends and redefine player expectations. 

AI is not killing SaaS in 2025

Many are afraid of the emergence of AI agents that can do tasks on their own, with some even assuming the end of SaaS. Despite the incredible AI advances in 2024, and individual users finding AI agents useful, these tools remain limited by narrow context, high power requirements and high operating costs. Watching experts interact with AI agents like Devin, for example, shows how far they still fall short of capturing the skills of even the junior employees. 

When it comes to intricate business processes that need reliability and scalability, AI agents frequently fall short by themselves and may therefore shine only in 2026 and beyond. In 2025, the emphasis will be on AI-powered SaaS solutions that combine human oversight with end-to-end business value, like Adobe's new GenStudio. These systems will consistently produce high-quality solutions at scale from concept to output, highlighting SaaS's ongoing importance in an AI-driven environment. 

We didn’t reach AGI and we won’t do so in 2025

Announcements of AI achieving near-human scores on tasks flooded 2024 news and social media feeds. Specifically, when OpenAI's most recent model o3 aced the ARC AGI benchmark test, it fueled speculations of near-human AI. However, those speculating failed to disclose o3 was trained on the ARC AGI data. Worse yet, each ARC AGI task took approximately $3,000 per task, when the level of complexity would have taken a human a few minutes. 

It's evident that AI isn't something that will easily replace half of the workforce, since AI companies keep redefining artificial general intelligence (AGI) to suit their narratives. The AI technology has had a relatively small economic impact thus far, highlighting the need for focus on making it work in synergy with irreplaceable human skills. 

What Deepseek means for Europe, US & China 

In a surprising turn of events, China's DeepSeek's R1 model outperformed OpenAI's o1 on key reasoning benchmarks at a fraction of the cost and compute. By leveraging novel architectures such as multi-head latent attention (MLA) and DeepSeekMoE, the company has dramatically reduced inference costs, forcing global AI leaders to rethink efficiency and pushing them to continue innovating rather than simply scaling existing models. Meanwhile, in Europe, stringent AI regulations are driving companies towards home-grown solutions that ensure compliance while maintaining competitive performance. Deutsche Telekom, for example, will use FLUX by German Black Forest Labs, while Stellantis is turning to French Mistral AI models. 

What does all this mean going into 2025?

#1 Trust insights over industry criticism 
Although many marketers criticized Coca-Cola's AI-powered advertisement as being gimmicky or unoriginal, actual consumer data revealed that viewers emotionally connected with it. The lesson? Marketers need to get out of their echo chambers. A willingness to test AI-driven campaigns and measure real audience response will separate evolving brands from stagnating. 
 
#2 Have a healthy dose of skepticism 
From generative design to advanced analytics, AI continues to open new doors for efficiency and creativity. But AI alone won't replace half your workforce overnight. With all the buzz about near-human AI test results, it's tempting to assume that AGI is just around the corner. However, exaggerated claims often obscure critical details, such as specialized training data or astronomical operational costs. Marketers and business leaders must ask tough questions, demand transparency, and not let hype overshadow reality. 
 
#3 Monitor XR ecosystem developments closely 
XR headsets such as Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3S, or the new XR operating systems and location-based platforms, are just the tip of the iceberg. Brands that invest early in creating XR apps or location-aware campaigns can build consumer loyalty and gain a headstart in this evolving area. 
 
#4 Build resilience through adaptation 
Constant changes in social media regulations, consumer expectations, and emerging technologies require a willingness to adapt. Brands that aren't afraid to experiment – whether by testing AI tools and solutions, piloting new social platforms, or exploring XR solutions – will stand out and remain relevant in this space defined by continuous change. 

Conclusion

As we move through 2025, brands will need to stay agile and open to embracing emerging technologies. The key to success lies in balancing innovation with a thoughtful, human-driven approach. Whether it’s harnessing AI, navigating blockchain’s evolving role, or exploring XR, the brands that adapt, experiment, and remain attuned to their audience’s needs will be the ones that thrive. Keeping a healthy dose of skepticism and an eye on the horizon will ensure your brand is ready to take on whatever the tech landscape brings next. 
 
If you’d like to start a conversation about how we can help you navigate what’s to come, please get in touch.