The advertising industry is on the threshold of a watershed moment. Privacy legislation is reshaping ways of advertising, while technology has permanently changed how business is done.
Artificial Intelligence is a game changer that brings incredible opportunities – as well as risks. The risk for agencies that don’t embrace AI and automation technologies is that they may become irrelevant. The opportunity is to embrace AI as a smart solution for realising personalisation at scale, without compromising customer privacy.
Personalisation at scale
Digital marketing’s holy grail is personalisation and targeting – getting the right message in front of the right eyes in the right channel at the right time. But, when creating this kind of content, there’s a constant need for optimisation, given that consumers are increasingly filtering and ‘tuning out’.
Marketers now need to access first-party data to create personalised campaigns. This approach allows for more accurate targeting and enhances the relevance of advertisements, fostering stronger connections with consumers.
The privacy imperative
When reaching out to customers, the main obstacle marketers meet is privacy. The big question: How do we reach our customers but respect their confidentiality?
Apple’s approach has addressed this with on-device processing. By using Private Cloud Compute, data never leaves the user’s device unless explicitly permitted. Ads that resonate deeply with individual preferences can still be achieved within this framework. Marketers can now achieve the advertising and customer privacy balance required by legislation.
Micro trends: Subtle, impactful changes
In the Attention Economy, everyone needs to focus on multiple things. Interruptive marketing no longer works, and strategies like email campaigns have increasingly lower click-through rates.
To counter this, Apple Mail now uses AI to create summaries. Target audiences can now receive concise, context-rich summaries, instead of lengthy previews. This marks a pivotal change in email marketing. We expect that other mail providers will follow suit, so marketers need to adapt by creating high-impact messages with precise, value-driven language that is relevant and resonant.
Macro trends: A new advertising paradigm
Marketers need to create personalised content. AI is the key to fulfilling the goal of getting personalised, engaged messages to potential customers effectively, while maintaining privacy.
Apple addresses this challenge with Apple Intelligence, a suite of AI tools built into iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Designed to be task-focused, Apple Intelligence processes human data in a way that prioritises privacy – even Apple cannot access this data.
With the integration of OpenAI’s advanced language model, users can now perform more complex queries. However, this integration is designed with strict safeguards: user data is protected, requests are not retained, and the service is accessed only with the user’s explicit consent. Additionally, Apple has implemented Private Cloud Compute technology, ensuring that communications between devices and servers are secure and subject to public scrutiny.
Apple Intelligence enables marketers to analyse user behaviour and preferences within Apple’s ecosystem, while maintaining user privacy. This shift can lead to greater relevance and resonance when doing content and creative work, which could lead to deeper audience engagement.
Mega trends: The future landscape
On-device power
Analysts at Canalys predict that 60% of PCs shipped in 2027 will be AI-capable, with dedicated neural processing units (NPUs). For marketers, these on-device AI capabilities power faster content generation, instant analytics and more dynamic, real-time advertising.
Apple is leading the way with Neural Engines embedded in all its M-series processors, as well as in its A-series chips used in mobile devices.
These Neural Engines are specialised NPUs that are designed specifically to accelerate AI tasks, including machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and computer vision.
Show me!
Increasingly, marketers are including video in their campaigns, with short form video (e.g. TikTok) showing a higher ROI than influencer marketing, selling on social media apps, and mobile-friendly websites. The same report states that 56% of marketers using TikTok aim to increase their investment in 2025, the highest of any platform. And 30% of marketers who don’t use short-form video are starting to do so.
Speak to me!
We are now having natural, conversational exchanges with our devices. Not only does this enhance user convenience, but it opens pathways for direct product placement and seamless ad targeting.
For instance, the updated Photos and Siri systems enable users to interact with their content using natural language descriptions, like: “Find red sneakers from my saved items.” This means that SEO strategies will need a comprehensive overhaul. Forget keyword stuffing; the future of search marketing lies in the authenticity and nuances of real human conversation.
See me, touch me!
New technology allows brands to integrate augmented reality (AR) tools and visual ad elements. For example, a tourist scanning a location through their iPhone could get AR-based recommendations for local attractions.
Marketers need to start thinking in three and four dimensions: flat, static advertising is out. Immersive and experiential is the new norm.
Actionable strategies
These trends provide challenges and opportunities for marketers to future-proof advertising strategies. In this evolving landscape, marketers must learn to craft concise, AI-friendly messages that seamlessly integrate across platforms, and leverage conversational content, immersive technologies like AR and privacy-first strategies, to build trust and captivate audiences.
Digicape: enabling transformation
At Digicape, an Apple Premium Reseller and Apple Consultants Network member, we don’t just sell Apple devices – we empower businesses to harness the full potential of Apple’s AI-powered ecosystem. From integrating AI into workflows to providing expert consultation and ensuring privacy compliance, Digicape helps businesses innovate and optimise operations effectively.
In today’s competitive landscape, having a trusted partner like Digicape is essential for navigating Apple’s evolving ecosystem – transforming how businesses work, collaborate and grow in the digital age.
