Marketing Operations mid-year reality check: Where we nailed it, where we didn’t, and what’s blindsiding us

Remember when we published our “Marketing Operations in 2025: Top Trends & Predictions” article back in January? We had big ideas, bold predictions, and a touch of wishful thinking. Fast forward to now: Mid-year. Time to see what actually stuck, what faceplanted, and what new forces are reshaping the game.

Spoiler: The year’s been less about sticking to forecasts and more about staying nimble.

Here’s the raw truth:

AI isn’t a buzzword anymore - it’s the boss

Prediction status: Hit, but underestimated

When we said AI would “dominate” Marketing Ops, we meant it figuratively. Turns out, it’s literal. CMOs from Mercedes-Benz, Salesforce, and Unilever revealed at Cannes Lions that their AI budgets are now pushing $10 million+ annually, and not just on experimental pilots. They’re embedding AI across creative workflows, predictive analytics, and customer journey orchestration.

But here’s the reality, ROI is still murky for most. Scaling AI from cool demo to reliable profit-driver takes more than tech spend. It takes clean data, adaptive processes, and teams who can bridge creative, operational, and analytical disciplines.

Bottom line: AI isn’t optional anymore, but it’s not turnkey either.

AIO platforms are finally pulling their weight

Prediction status: Overachieving

Back in January, we said marketing tech stacks were ripe for simplification. Enter AIO (All-In-One) platforms, and suddenly the dream of a consolidated, AI-powered operating system for marketing doesn’t feel like science fiction.

The AIO platform market is now valued at nearly $27 billion, with projected growth of 25% annually. Marketers are tired of playing “tech Jenga” with 20 disconnected tools. Instead, they want end-to-end ecosystems where data, creative assets, and automation live together without the constant headache of integration.

Still, there’s a risk: Too much consolidation can breed complacency. An AIO platform isn’t a strategy, it’s an enabler. Companies adopting them blindly may simply centralise inefficiency.

Video commerce and affiliate channels are blowing up

Prediction status: Underestimated

We saw social commerce rising, but we didn’t expect it to accelerate like this. Video-first commerce is exploding, shoppable livestreams, TikTok Shop, Instagram Shopping, and even Twitch-based product demos are reshaping how audiences discover and purchase.

In Europe, social commerce is up 30% year-over-year. In beauty, fashion, and niche luxury sectors, influencers and affiliate marketers are driving direct conversions at record low CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost).

The shift is clear: Static images are out, scroll-stopping shoppable videos are in, and they’re setting the pace for how brands tell stories and sell products.

Developers think AI will eat marketing alive

Prediction status: Not on the radar

This wasn’t in our January playbook. But a recent TechRadar survey revealed nearly 75% of developers believe AI will wipe out most or all marketing jobs in the next five years.

Is that realistic? Probably not. AI may automate repetitive tasks like ad copy iteration, email segmentation, A/B testing etc. but the strategic, creative, and human aspects of marketing remain stubbornly resistant to full automation.

The takeaway? Marketers must claim their seat at the AI table, not as passengers, but as architects. The future belongs to teams who combine AI’s processing power with uniquely human judgment.

Consumers are craving reality, not automation

Prediction status: Missed the mark

In January, we celebrated automation, hyper-personalisation, and frictionless funnels. But mid-year data tells a different story: Consumers are craving authentic experiences, messy, human, and refreshingly analogue.

From luxury brands experimenting with print magazines to high-end retailers offering immersive in-store activations, “realness” is in demand. Digital fatigue has made audiences skeptical of AI-driven “perfect” messaging. They want storytelling with grit, voice, and vulnerability.

Automation still matters, but authenticity has become a differentiator.

Personalisation and AI still matter, but ethics matter more

Prediction status: Partially right

Personalisation was supposed to be 2025’s superpower. And it is - when it’s done responsibly. Audiences are hypersensitive to privacy boundaries, and creepy tracking (looking at you, cookie-based retargeting) can kill brand trust in seconds.

Ethical, transparent AI-driven personalisation, where users feel in control, wins. It’s about showing people what they want without making them feel surveilled.

MarTech stacks are still chaotic

Prediction status: Underplayed

Even with AIO platforms rising, MarTech chaos persists. Over 3,000 new tools hit the market in the past 12 months, further fragmenting ecosystems.

The operational challenge isn’t just integration, it’s upskilling teams to leverage these tools effectively and knowing when to say, “No, we don’t need another dashboard.”

Perfect data? Doesn’t exist. Actionable data? That’s the hill worth dying on.

New disruptors are emerging - fast

Prediction status: Didn’t see this coming

Voice search optimisation, LLM-powered data assistants that let marketers “ask” dashboards for insights, and real-time decisioning engines that personalise offers on-the-fly - these aren’t futuristic anymore. They’re already creeping into mainstream use.

The rate of innovation has gone feral. What felt like bleeding-edge in January now feels baseline.

The uncomfortable takeaway

Marketing Ops isn’t about forecasting anymore. It’s about adaptation. Rapid, strategic, and unapologetically human.

January’s predictions weren’t wrong, but the speed, scale, and side effects of these shifts are outpacing expectations. AI is reshaping everything, but human creativity and ethical oversight are steering the ship.