2024 brought transformative changes to the marketing landscape, from AI's fast integration to a shift toward more authentic, human-focused content. At Arctic Leaf, our team of experts—spanning copywriting, creative design, technical strategy, and content marketing—worked closely with these trends, using them to sharpen and adapt client strategies. With insights from key team members and our CEO, we’re here to outline what’s ahead. This is how marketing will continue to evolve in 2025—and how we’re prepared to lead the way.
Key Takeaways:
- AI tools are here to stay. Use them to automate tasks, but always add a personal touch to maintain authenticity and performance.
- Focus on authenticity. Consumers want real, unpolished visuals over staged or edited content. Be transparent with your brand message.
- Headless and composable architectures are changing e-commerce. Embrace flexibility and speed to meet your customers’ evolving needs.
- Speed is essential. Optimize your website for fast loading times, improved user experience, and higher conversion rates.
- Full-service agencies are rising. Partner with one to keep your brand messaging consistent and streamline all aspects of your strategy.
1. AI in Creativity and Personalization
In 2024, AI-driven tools have accelerated content creation, editing, and personalization across copywriting, design, and development. Holly Kindzierski, copywriter at Arctic Leaf, notes, “AI tools are transforming copywriting by enabling quick content generation and analysis. However, the human touch is needed for refining, personalizing, and authenticity, making collaboration important for copy that actually performs well.” By automating repetitive tasks, AI has allowed creators to focus on strategic, high-level work that requires a personal touch, from campaign workflows to personalized messaging.
For Natalie Pucacco, Creative Director, the challenge is ensuring AI is integrated thoughtfully so brands don’t lose their authenticity. She points out that while “AI can be harnessed to generate brand relevant imagery to great success, adding personalized human touches to a website makes it more relatable and trustworthy.” Integrating hand-drawn elements and high-quality photography, for instance, helps balance the efficiency AI offers with the warmth that connects with users.
On the technical side, Matt Coy, Technical Director, remarks on AI’s role in improving development efficiency: “There were definitely trends towards using AI to help write code or copy.” Yet, he emphasizes the need for an expert touch to refine AI’s output, especially as development trends push speed and adaptability. AI's continued evolution in 2025 will likely bring even more tools to support—but not replace—the distinct contributions of human creativity.
2. Authenticity and Transparency in Branding
Over the last year, brands moved away from polished, overly-produced imagery in favor of a more authentic, real-life aesthetic. Kelsey Missel, Content Marketing Director, observes the trend toward “unedited or not overly posed images,” explaining that “people are over the perfection rhetoric with brands.” Today’s consumers want to see products as they really are—just as expectations for models have shifted to embrace authenticity, product marketing is now following suit, with real, relatable imagery preferred over staged, edited visuals.
Holly adds that transparency builds trust and boosts credibility, especially in a digital landscape that demands E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness). “Brands that prioritize transparency and straightforward communication will foster trust and improve SEO performance,” This observation shows that the authenticity trend isn’t just about appearance—it’s integral to building authority and reliability in the long run.
3. Shift to Headless and Composable Storefronts
The shift toward headless and composable architectures has gained significant traction as e-commerce platforms and brands look for greater flexibility and control over their content and user experience. These architectures separate the front-end presentation layer from the back-end systems, allowing brands to use multiple platforms and services without being locked into a single CMS or traditional “head.”
Matt highlights this evolution, stating, “we have started to throw more resources into preparation for the new headless/composable approach to building.” Moving away from traditional platform-specific themes, his team now prioritizes headless builds, resulting in improved performance and adaptability.
Beyond technical improvements, composable storefronts offer a tailored approach to meet specific customer needs. However, adopting these systems requires substantial resources and expertise to integrate, customize, and maintain properly. With more agencies and clients recognizing the value of these advanced systems, companies can now achieve precise, high-quality design and performance that previously required an “Apple-level budget,” as Natalie explains.
4. Emphasis on Site Speed and Optimization
With 2024’s push for faster, more engaging web experiences, brands have doubled down on site speed as a major factor for boosting user engagement and conversion rates. Natalie discusses how technology has made optimization easier, while still allowing for visually rich, unique sites. “Advances with technologies such as threeJS, composable commerce and generative AI mean creatives, developers and brands have a lot of ways to make memorable websites and unique brands IF the tools are used thoughtfully,” Natalie explained, emphasizing that balanced use of new tech can improve speed while maintaining quality design.
On the development front, Matt has seen firsthand the impact of these tools on site performance, noting, “seeing the PageSpeed scores on some of these new Catalyst/Headless BC builds compared to the old Stencil (BC head) builds is very exciting.” Improvements in load time and optimization have enabled Arctic Leaf to create immersive experiences that not only look impressive but also load faster, providing clients a crucial edge in user satisfaction and search engine ranking.
5. Demand for Integrated, All-in-One Service Agencies
As the market becomes increasingly competitive and interconnected, the trend toward full-service agencies has accelerated in 2024, continuing strong into 2025. More brands are looking to partner with agencies that can handle every aspect of their strategy—from paid media to design and customer retention—under a single roof. This approach minimizes the complexity of managing multiple specialized agencies and enables clients to streamline their workflows with fewer handoffs and more aligned goals.
Arctic Leaf CEO Josh Garellek sees this trend as a strong competitive advantage. “Companies are seeking a ‘one-stop-shop’ agency that can seamlessly handle everything from strategy and paid media to design, development, and customer retention,” he notes. Clients benefit from unified strategic planning, which fosters consistency in brand messaging across all channels and provides a more cohesive experience for their customers.
Arctic Leaf has leaned into this trend by integrating services across departments, providing clients with coordinated support that drives efficiency and maintains brand alignment. This full-service model positions agencies like Arctic Leaf as not just vendors but strategic partners, helping clients navigate an evolving landscape with a single, cohesive strategy.
Additional Insights
Kelsey Missel (Content Marketing Director)
Diverse Payment Solutions (BNPL, Amazon Pay)
More merchants are adopting flexible payment options like Amazon Pay and BNPL to attract cost-conscious consumers: “More merchants are incorporating Amazon Pay and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options to streamline the checkout experience.”
Decline in Marketing Budgets and Economic Adjustments
The drop in marketing budgets has become a significant factor shaping decision-making this year. “The biggest factor impacting decision-making this year has been the drop in marketing spend across all industries.”
Blockchain and Decentralized Marketing
Looking to 2025, Kelsey sees growth in decentralized marketing: “Web3 and blockchain are gaining traction...we could see a shift toward decentralized marketing platforms that allow consumers to have more control over their data.”
Natalie Pucacco (Creative Director)
Interactive and Immersive On-Site Experiences
A rise in engaging, interactive website features has been observed, with brands increasingly implementing immersive experiences. “From the fully immersive journey of Longines to the simple but fun 'shop by color' section on Method Products, there has been a rise in immersive and interactive on-site experiences within e-commerce... Brands we work with that have implemented these types of features have noticed increased onsite engagement.”
Tip: Gifs Over Static
A standout success in VisionPros’ email marketing has been attributed to effective split testing. “The team has done a great job split testing and found that gif emails always outperformed static.” The consistent work has led to:
- Revenue increased by 39% year-over-year
- Click-through rates surged by 287%
- Open rates improved by 24%”
Matt Coy (Technical Director)
Micro-Apps and Specialized Services for Development
In 2025, Matt predicts a shift toward more targeted solutions in development: “I think we will see more of a push for micro-apps and services to accomplish needs, rather than trying to find large apps, which may do more than needed.” This trend suggests a move away from monolithic applications in favor of specialized micro-apps tailored to specific functionalities.
Holly Kindzierski (Copywriter)
If you're concerned about SEO moving into 2025, Holly advises focusing on user intent, especially for voice search. “Creating engaging, conversational content that feels personal is key to connecting with audiences. Optimizing for voice search and ensuring a clear structure improves readability and accessibility, catering to shorter attention spans while driving deeper engagement.” She predicts that SEO strategies will shift from keyword-centric to intent-centric approaches, with businesses prioritizing high-quality content that answers specific user queries. Voice search will be a major driver of this shift, requiring a focus on conversational language and long-tail keywords.
Conclusion
As we look to 2025, it's clear that staying ahead in marketing requires adaptability. The trends highlighted—AI-driven creativity, immersive user experiences, headless and composable architectures, and a focus on user intent—are shaping the future. By incorporating these shifts into your strategy, brands can stay competitive, ensuring they meet evolving customer expectations. At Arctic Leaf, we’re ready to help you navigate these changes and optimize your approach. If you’re looking to adjust your marketing strategy for the future, reach out to us today to start making these trends work for you.
