Iris Americas boss Jill Smith on what agencies need to succeed in 2025
Years are like appetites. When one ends there’s another coming right behind it. With 2025 just days away, Iris Americas CEO Jill Smith spotlights three agency considerations for the year ahead.
What three things do agencies need in 2025?
Futurists are in demand this time of year, but the only way to truly predict what will shape the agency world in 2025 is to use what we already know. For starters, change is coming. How do we know? Almost 80% of senior marketers told a CMO Outlook global survey that they’re planning reviews next year…
Creative agencies and tech platforms are likely to face the most scrutiny. Although media agencies are far from safe, with 43% of brands hinting at reviews (don’t call it a mediapalooza just yet, though).
The best way to weather this storm? Ensure partnerships are built on solid foundations of shared goals and trust. Sounds cliché, but it’s true! The clients that trust in you and your expertise will stay with you.
That’s why we’re laser-focused on helping our brand partners stay curious and ask questions relevant to tomorrow’s media world – such as ‘Are we listening to audiences in new ways?’ ‘How are we using technology responsibly?’ ‘Is the work we produce inclusive and purposeful?’
Want to go deeper? Ask The Drum
Listening = winning
When agencies truly listen, they stay empathetic and relevant, ready to jump on opportunities. Case in point: an order mix-up at California Pizza Kitchen became a nationwide sensation, reaching over 10 million people. A customer who ordered mac and cheese but only got cheese ended up with free pizza for a year. Then, the brand leaned in – offering 50% off mac and cheese for a month and turning a blunder into a viral win.
Tackling the media crunch
Media costs are soaring, so how we adapt will be key. Rates have shot up 20% in just two years, and grabbing audience attention is nine times pricier than it was in 2000. Meanwhile, the battle for eyeballs is fiercer than ever. TV is now a blend of linear, streaming, and connected platforms, while TikTok and generative AI are rewriting the rules of search and discovery.
The key to cutting through? Authentic creativity and bold strategies that are rooted in participation.
Take Samsung’s First Flips campaign for the 2024 Paris Olympics. We put the Galaxy Z Flip5 in the hands of Gen Z creators, paired them with skateboarding influencers, and let them document their journeys on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. It wasn’t just an ad; it was a movement, sparking meaningful engagement and encouraging new skaters.
Participation activations like this will dominate 2025, bringing audiences closer to the brands they trust. Our Participation Brand Index has proven that brands that prioritize interactive, two-way relationships crush those relying on old-school ads.
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AI: Friend, not foe
AI will continue to reshape creativity and erode cultural barriers. The smartest agencies will use it as a tool to boost ideas, not replace them. Yes, AI makes tailoring content for algorithms easier than ever, but it also blurs the line between real and fake – 60% of consumers are already worried tech is pulling us away from reality.
The solution? Stay authentic. The ideas that win will have human-driven values, spark cultural participation, and create genuine connections.
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Legacy brands will need to balance innovation with heritage, while others will have to prove they can stay relevant in a world that demands more.
The 2025 agency landscape is already unfolding, so let’s use what we know to fuel success by acting decisively to embrace all this exciting and inevitable change.