Looking back to look ahead

How often do you think about the future?

A ton of year-end recaps and reflections are about to start rolling out (from organizations, brands and individuals).

There’s also going to be plenty of predictions, and lots of goal-setting, as we plan ahead for next year.

This past week I was on a panel called Reflections and Roadmaps: Insights for 2025 at Toronto Marketing Hub’s Year-End Marketing Summit. The conversation was around the trends and strategies shaping the marketing landscape, but even if you’re not in marketing or working for a brand, there are a lot of valuable considerations.

So in this edition of The Intersection, you’re getting a bit of my perspective on how we as individuals and organizations can think about and prepare for 2025. It’s a bit of a long, but useful one.

Taking a brand-first approach

I've spoken about how I take a brand-first approach when it comes to marketing, whether working with an emerging startup, a charity or a big B2B brand.

What I’ve noticed lately is that legacy brands are trying to reclaim their core identities through bold, brand-first campaigns and sometimes dramatic redesigns. Many of these iconic brands are reasserting their presence, relying on their brand equity to reconnect with audiences and regain trust.

At the same time, personalization has become an essential part of the equation. Thanks to advancements in AI, even smaller brands now have the tools to create hyper-personalized experiences, interacting with customers on a level that makes them feel like they’re part of an inner circle.

Taking a brand-first approach includes investing upfront in long-term success for your business by clearly defining your mission, vision, and values and investing in brand from day one — something I’ve found essential for building trust and creating connections with audiences. (This can get overlooked with a push for immediate ROI and performance marketing, which unfortunately is often focused on short-term wins only).

Note: Brand building activities make brands less reliant on short-term performance marketing that can lead to declines in base sales if it is relied on too heavily. This is based on an analysis of more than 14,000 brands in Kantar’s Blueprint For Brand Growth report.

PS — I’ll be speaking more about taking a brand-first approach at the SocialNext conference in January.

Staying ahead of trends and looking to the future

In a fast-changing environment, reacting to trends isn’t enough—brands need to look further ahead. Scenario planning allows organizations to create frameworks for potential futures, preparing them to adapt to multiple outcomes.

None of us know the future, but when brands take the time to forecast 5, 10, or even 25 years ahead, they’re able to position themselves strategically rather than reactively. It’s about taking a long-term look at your business, your industry, and the world, posing thoughtful questions about the possible consequences of some current (and possible future) trends.

This is a strategy I teach in my Future Brand Strategy course at George Brown College’s School of Design. By forecasting multiple potential futures, brands can prepare for what’s next rather than reacting to what’s current.

This isn’t just for large corporations. Startups and smaller organizations should adopt this mindset to plan their own growth and stay ahead of emerging challenges.

If you’re interested in more on this, there’s a whole book called Scenario Planning here, which I reference in my course.

Leveraging AI without losing your brand

AI tools are transforming the way marketers work, enabling creativity and efficiency at levels previously out of reach. For example, tools like Perplexity help writers and marketers find credible, real-time research insights, while tools like OpusClip simplify the process of repurposing long-form video into short, tailored clips for different platforms. These are both tools I use regularly.

Having worked in agencies and in-house, along with using them for some of my own personal brand content, I can see how tools like this empower teams (especially smaller ones) to focus resources on developing better ideas. But as AI becomes more widely used, it’s important not to rely on it for quick fixes or mass-produced content. Authenticity and human-centred creativity are what will continue to set brands apart.

If you’re curious about specific AI tools, wrote about a few of the ones I use specifically for meetings (notes and tasks) and recording thoughts earlier this month — if you missed that, you can find it here.

One important thing to mention here is that if teams within different companies are using the same AI tools and tech for key brand messaging and strategy, over time, they’ll all start to sound the same. This is where human institution and insight remains critical (and I think it will long-term). 

The intersection of creators and community

You’ve seen and probably follow both “influencers” and “creators”. If you don’t follow them, you’ve seen their content.

As a strategist, I think the shift from traditional influencer marketing to creator partnerships is one of the most interesting evolutions of how brands connect with their audiences. While influencer marketing once relied heavily on transactional relationships — paying individuals with huge followings to promote products regardless of their personal connection to the brand — creator partnerships focus on authenticity and genuine enthusiasm.

Many brands are now moving beyond simply targeting influencers with large followings and instead sourcing people who are already passionate fans of their products. These creators, who naturally align with the brand’s values and offerings, are being elevated as the face of campaigns.

This approach is about fostering deeper connections and building trust through authentic storytelling (lots of buzzwords there, but that sums it up well). You’ve seen it in your feeds — the move away from the polished, scripted feel of traditional influencer content and taps into a creator’s organic love for a product or service. When a creator truly understands and appreciates what a brand offers, that enthusiasm is contagious — it feels real because it’s (mostly) real.

For smaller or emerging brands, this strategy is even more impactful. Small businesses or nonprofits may not have the budget to compete with celebrity or large-scale influencer campaigns, but they do have the ability to identify and work with their super-users. These are individuals who are not only customers but also advocates, those who naturally promote the product because they genuinely believe in its value. Partnering with their existing “super-users” can allow brands can build advocacy that feels genuine and resonates more powerfully with niche or highly targeted audiences.

This model also creates a virtuous cycle. By elevating creators who are already fans, brands aren’t just reaching an audience — they’re embedding themselves into communities. This community-driven approach allows brands to grow alongside their customers, fostering loyalty and deeper relationships that go beyond mere transactions. It’s not about shouting the loudest; it’s about being part of the conversation in an authentic and meaningful way.

From all of this, we get stronger connections, greater trust, and a marketing strategy that not only engages audiences but also sustains long-term brand equity.

Balancing intuition and data

While data plays a critical role in marketing strategy, relying solely on it can limit a brand’s ability to innovate. People often don’t know what they don’t know. They’ll tell you what they want today, but they can’t always articulate what they’ll need tomorrow.

Some of the most groundbreaking products and campaigns — the kind that redefines entire categories — have come from focusing on future possibilities instead of today’s demands. The iPhone is a good example. If Apple had asked consumers what they wanted before its invention, they might have said a smaller flip phone or longer battery life, not necessarily a pocket-sized computer that combines phone, email, and music in one device. They quickly became the category leader, and many competitors followed.

Founder-led brands often excel in this. Trusting their instincts and leveraging their deep connection to their audience allows founders to uncover insights and opportunities that broader market research can miss. (Founders, if you’re reading this, trust your gut!)

Intuition and data shouldn’t exist in silos though — some of the best strategies combine both, using data to validate ideas and measure results while leaving room for forward-thinking experimentation. Data can help confirm or refine instincts, ensuring that innovative ideas are grounded in reality. Scenario planning can also help bridge the gap between what the data says today and where intuition believes the market is heading tomorrow.

It’s about being informed by what’s happening now while envisioning what could happen next. I think this balance can allow brands to not only meet current needs but also create future demand, positioning themselves as leaders.

Playing the long game

The fundamentals of marketing remain rooted in trust, authenticity, and human connection, even as the landscape evolves rapidly. Yes, investing in brand is a long game — I believe you can end up ahead if you commit to intentional brand-building from the beginning. Combining creativity with strategic foresight can help brands and organizations position themselves for sustainability.

Balancing AI-powered tools with human creativity, prioritizing meaningful creator partnerships, and planning for the long term will ensure brands not only keep up but thrive in 2025 and beyond.

Here are a few key takeaways for the future and tips on building brands that last, going back to the panel discussion:

• Combine creativity with strategic foresight.

• Focus on human connection and authenticity.

• Embrace innovation while staying true to your core identity.

• The future belongs to bold, visionary brands prepared for the challenges ahead.

• Trust and personalization are central to successful strategies in 2025.

• Authenticity through creators, super-users, and fans drives engagement.

• Long-term thinking and scenario planning prepare brands for an uncertain future.

• AI tools amplify capabilities but should be used with intention and creativity.

• The balance of intuition, data, and experimentation is the foundation for innovation.

The people, organizations and brands that are bold enough to innovate while staying true to their values will resonate and be more likely to stick around.

Let’s focus on providing real value, solving problems, and building brands that last.

Thanks for reading (or scrolling) through to the end! 👋

PS — I’ve recently updated my speaking page. You can find a new video and more about the workshops and keynote topics I cover. I’d love your thoughts!

If you’re looking for some advice when it comes to marketing, branding, social good or entrepreneurship, I’ve also opened up some more slots for one-on-one calls.