Was I wrong?

Hello everyone,

First of all: sorry for the delay. Christmas messed with my schedule too, so you’re getting this newsletter at the start of the week.

The last newsletter of 2025.

Once a year, I make predictions about what’s going to happen in the marketing and content world – which trends and business strategies will dominate.

And then, a year later, we look back and see what actually came true.

I talked about this topic at Trendcon 2024. Watch on YouTube

1. No great content piece without a good story. ✅

Great shots and photos aren’t enough anymore. You need a story that excites, surprises, or triggers emotion. Without a story, content feels random and boring.
2. Hollywood is dead, lean productions are rising. ✅

Budgets are shifting and big Hollywood-style productions are becoming less common. Instead, mid- and low-budget productions are winning – in marketing and at the box office.
3. Marketing budgets won’t grow in 2025. ✅

The fat years are over – and everyone in the industry feels it. Agencies, marketers, and CMOs. Budgets have been shrinking since 2021. At least they stayed flat from 2024 to 2025. Read more
4. Annual contracts win over project-based biz. ❌

In theory, annual retainers are great for both sides: the agency knows what it can plan with, and the client saves money. Downside: it’s a pretty big commitment. And in times of crisis and uncertainty, many prefer to keep budgets flexible.
5. Communities = underpriced value. ✅

I’ve written about this so many times: communities are one of the strongest branding tools out there. They create connection to the brand, commitment, and emotional buy-in. This year, we organized 9 events with The New Trend Society – including 7 private dinners for thought leaders in Germany and the US (message me if you want to join one).
6. Long-form content is back: YouTube. ✅

Not much to add here: content needs story – and a good story often needs time. And when it’s told well, long-form wins.
7. The AI revolution will wait another year. ❌

AI caught on faster than I expected. Now it’s about using it strategically and creatively – not just producing some random AI slop.