The Digital, Marketing & eComm in Focus 2025 study in 10 charts: the biggest trends shaping the industry
- Kat Matthews
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
The latest Digital, Marketing & eComm in Focus report lands at a time of growing pressure - and growing potential.
2025 is shaping up to be a critical year for Australian brands, marked by widening capability gaps, AI disruption, and mounting pressure to adapt or fall behind.
So what’s really going on inside marketing, digital and eComm teams across Australia?
We’ve rounded up the top 10 charts that tell the story.
1. Emerging technologies has overtaken data & analytics as the #1 skills gap
For the first time in four years, data and analytics is no longer the top skill gap within digital and marketing teams across Australia. Instead, 51% of leaders identified emerging technologies - GenAI, conversational commerce, and voice - as the biggest gap in their teams.
The growing skill gap is driven by urgency. As GenAI accelerates, leaders are realising they’re behind the capability curve. While content generation is a common use case today, with 86% of brands using GenAI for content creation & generation, the goal is broader: to use AI for strategy, personalisation, optimisation, insight and workflow efficiency.
So what?
Marketing and digital teams need more than tools - they need time, training and trust to build new competencies. Building AI fluency across the org is now essential to stay competitive.
2. The ambition-resource gap is real - and widening
Only 27% of leaders say their budget increased over the past year. That means that 73% are working with flat or shrinking budgets even as expectations continue to rise.
Restructuring and right-sizing efforts are widespread, with 74% of leaders stating their business is either currently resizing or has recently done so. More than four in 10 say driving efficiencies is now a key operational priority.
This is a critical moment. Leaders are being asked to deliver short-term results, build long-term capability, and transform the way work gets done — all at once.
In this environment, leadership looks different. It’s not about chasing shiny objects - it’s about sharpening commercial acumen, prioritising ruthlessly, and balancing immediate impact with strategic patience.
So what?
Expectation management, clear demonstration of outcomes and value from efforts and driving alignment and buy-in are even more critical if marketing and digital teams are to help lead the organisation through more challenging times.
3. Brand-building is back on the agenda
After years of performance-led focus, brand-building is making a comeback. This year, 45% of leaders named brand development and brand building as a strategic priority - up from 36% in 2024.
The shift reflects growing disillusionment with performance-only models and rising acquisition costs. In today’s environment, long-term value matters, so too does differentiation and brands are rebalancing accordingly. But this isn’t about going “back to brand” at the expense of ROI. It’s about building equity and recognition while also driving performance in market.
So what?
Leaders must build business cases that connect brand investment with future value, clearly articulate impact to the C-suite and demonstrate how focus and emphasis on brand building delivers overtime to instil confidence and pave the way for future investment.
4. CX is a priority - but only 37% say their org is aligned around it
82% of leaders say CX is a strategic priority. But only 37% feel their organisation is aligned around a shared vision. The result? Teams working in silos, misaligned priorities and fragmented delivery.
Clarity is everything in CX. The best-performing brands are 270% more likely to have a clearly defined CX vision. They’re also more likely to have established ownership, governance, and cross-functional collaboration.
So what?
To improve CX maturity, brands must move from talk to traction. That means defining ownership, embedding KPIs, and aligning teams with clear roadmaps - not just vague aspirations.
5. Data ambition is high - capability is not
67% of brands are prioritising first-party data strategy, but 53% say their capability still lags the market. Only 14% believe they are advancing towards a unified customer view. And when it comes to predictive analytics, 87% say their maturity is “emerging at best.”
Despite years of effort, data remains an Achillies heal for many. While unification and activation top the list of investment priorities, many brands still lack the foundations - from integration and identity resolution to data literacy across teams.
So what?
To move the needle, data activation must be treated as a capability in its own right. Unification efforts also should be viewed as an ongoing investment-built overtime as we activate not before.
6. Privacy has changed - but brands have not
Only 40% of brands have a clear plan for privacy reform, and just 47% say their teams understand the implications of changes to the Privacy Act.
This matters. Legislative change is already here. Enforcement powers are in play. And with more reforms coming, including stricter consent guidelines, brands need to move quickly.
So what?
Privacy is now a strategic issue, not just a compliance one. Marketing and digital leaders must educate internally, build understanding of consent practices, and ensure data strategies are future-fit.
7. eCommerce maturity is the new growth divide
Online sales hit $69B in Australia last year - but the growth is not being experienced evenly. 28% of brands experienced 20%+ growth over the past 12 months, and brands with stronger eCommerce maturity were 70% more likely to see significant growth (20%+) than their counterparts.
So what?
eComm maturity is now a performance lever which is often overlooked. Leaders must invest building effective foundations and skills - or risk share overtime.
8. Retail media is booming - but trust is still low
Retail media has taken off - but not without hesitation from Australian brands. Brands cite ineffective measurement, limited transparency, and confusion around performance attribution. Many still view RMNs with caution, despite rising spend.
With more networks launching, the landscape is fragmented. And the dynamic is shifting, retailers are no longer just customers, but media suppliers too.
So what?
To get value from retail media, brands need stronger internal capability, clear robust reporting frameworks and more sophisticated attribution models. Retailers, in turn, need to earn brand trust by lifting standards.
9. MarTech stacks are growing - but only 1 in 5 are well used
Only 19% of brands report strong or semi-strong marTech utilisation. That drops to just 15% for brands under $100M in revenue. Meanwhile, 49% of leaders say they’re under growing pressure to demonstrate ROI from their marTech investments.
Stack size doesn’t equal stack success. The study also shows a strong link between best-of-breed stack adoption and higher utilisation, with 76% of brands seeing better outcomes when tools are composable and fit-for-purpose.
So what?
It’s time to sweat the stack. Procurement is no longer the end goal – operationalising the tools, adoption and value realisation is where the real wins lie.
10. Flexible work is still here but expectations are shifting
45% of organisations now require employees to be in the office at least three days a week, with the main motivations stated as lifting collaboration, rebuilding culture, and improving productivity.
But it’s a balancing act. Professionals want autonomy, trust-based leadership, and flexibility embedded into how work is done - not just where. Hybrid is here to stay, but how it works matters more than ever.
So what?
Flexible work isn’t going away, but the model needs intention. Leaders must invest in systems, rhythms, and norms that support culture and performance across hybrid teams.
For more insights, benchmarks, and practical takeaways across CX, data, MarTech, privacy, eCommerce and retail media, download the full report here.
