Our 2025 predictions series continues today with a look at what the next 12 months holds in the contextual space. Dive in to see what the industry thinks...

As we approach 2025, the advertising landscape is evolving at breakneck speed, with contextual advertising emerging as a cornerstone of digital marketing strategies. In a world where privacy-first initiatives and regulatory pressures continue to reshape the industry, advertisers are increasingly prioritising context over cookies. 

Contextual advertising has become a critical tool for delivering effective, privacy-compliant campaigns. As brands adapt to these changes, new trends and technologies are set to redefine how context is understood, measured, and utilised across channels. From the rise of generative AI to improvements in semantic analysis and real-time content recognition, the possibilities for personalisation within a contextual framework are growing exponentially.

In this piece, we’ll explore key predictions for contextual advertising in 2025, examining how marketers can leverage innovation to stay ahead of the curve. 

What the industry thinks...

We'll likely see a rise in curated publisher marketplaces

Demand for positive change – that supports publishers and unlocks inventory for advertisers – will see contextual targeting continue to mature beyond blunt URL keyword targeting and into technology able to read content like a human, which can target truly suitable content at scale. Momentum is already growing towards brand suitability, and against over-zealous blocklists, in favour of nuance and personalisation that varies by brand. We can expect further, beneficial disruption as we look towards momentous events next year such as the Women’s Euros. 

To afford greater scalability, we'll likely see a rise in curated publisher marketplaces, enabling reach and precision. Agencies heading into 2025 should be encouraged to embrace developments in contextual technologies that optimise campaign delivery but also future-proof against potential privacy changes from Google.

Fiona Salmon, Managing Director, Mantis

Advertisers will explore the broader potential of contextual insights

In 2024, interest in cookieless, privacy-focused contextual targeting grew as the industry continued moving away from behavioural advertising. This trend is set to accelerate in 2025, with advertisers exploring the broader potential of contextual insights beyond brand safety and audience targeting. 

Advanced contextual tools can analyse vast amounts of web content, helping advertisers spot emerging trends and cultural moments. These insights can be used to optimise campaigns in real time, uncover new audiences and verticals, or track live sentiment around products. The possibilities for contextual intelligence are immense and largely untapped, and 2025 promises exciting opportunities for advertisers to embrace this innovation.

Peter Wallace, General Manager, GumGum

The adoption of authenticated and consented ID frameworks will continue to grow

Heading into 2024, the industry primarily focused on responding to Google’s planned third-party cookie deprecation, and although that didn’t go to plan, I think we end up at the same destination – third-party cookies will no longer be relied on as a scaled infrastructure asset.  

Adoption of authenticated and consented ID frameworks will continue to grow and alternative data strategies, such as advanced contextual, will be relied upon for supplementary precision targeting at scale.   

As more eyeballs, and subsequently, spend, move towards CTV, there will be an arms race for innovation in this space. While advertisers are hoping to use similar, if not consistent, addressability tactics from their current programmatic strategies, media companies have largely been reluctant to share fully transparent data signals, which is unsurprising and understandable.  

Media-agnostic technologies that offer advertisers sophisticated solutions, while enabling media companies to protect their data and inventory, will come out on top.

Ryan McBride, CSO, Illuma

Publishers will shift from broad contextual categories to hyper-precise, real-time targeting

In 2025, contextual video recommendations will advance significantly, driven by breakthroughs in machine learning and large language models (LLMs). Publishers will shift from broad contextual categories to hyper-precise, real-time targeting that dynamically aligns with user behaviour and content in a more synergetic way. This evolution will not only elevate UX but also drive higher engagement and ROI.

We’ll also see AI-generated video content gain momentum, enhancing both editorial strategies and branded storytelling. These advancements will empower publishers to seamlessly align their editorial integrity with user expectations, delivering a more engaging and personalised experience – one that not only captivates audiences but also redefines the way publishers and advertisers connect – well beyond 2025.

Tom Pachys, Co-Founder, EX.CO

Advertisers should develop, test, and roll out a range of targeting strategies

As the application of cookies continues to decline, alternative methods to reach audiences, with or without full cookie deprecation, will be essential in 2025, especially as privacy regulations and user choice continue to grow. To continue to reach their audiences effectively, advertisers should develop, test, and roll out a range of targeting strategies, from using their own first-party data, to sharing data in privacy-compliant ways, and contextual targeting – using these as standalone or combined targeting solutions.

Jana Eisenstein, SVP EMEA, Seedtag