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Now the first week back after the festive break is done, 2025 is officially in full swing. This week, we’re highlighting some of the ideas shaping the year ahead – whether it’s brands stepping up their content game, the return of explainer videos or why older entrepreneurs might just be the next big thing for startups. So dive in and get inspired.

Enjoy!

Taking employee advocacy to the next level

I’m an evangelist for authentic, short, direct-to-camera videos, mentioning them on a previous newsletter (Dec 22). They’ve been useful for me in terms of promotion and engagement and, according to this LinkedIn News story, that trend is set to accelerate. Companies are now hiring in-house influencers to promote the culture that drives their organisation – or simply empowering employees to create relatable social content that humanises the business. Polished press releases and boring blogs could soon be a thing of the past.

The explainer video renaissance

Staying with filmed content, explainer videos are making a comeback, and major publishers are leading the charge. Once seen as a niche tool, they’ve re-emerged as a powerful way to break down complex topics into engaging, digestible formats. The BBC’s Ros Atkins, for example, does this brilliantly. This Tripp Associates story highlights how platforms like The Economist and Vox (one of the early champions of the explainer model) are using these videos to simplify issues like global politics and economic trends. Their resurgence isn’t just about accessibility – it’s a savvy move to engage younger audiences who favour quick, visual content over traditional articles. For businesses and entrepreneurs, the lesson is that investing in concise video content can amplify your message, clarify what you offer and capture attention in a noisy digital world.

Why brands are building newsrooms (again)

For years, brands have been building in-house newsrooms, hiring seasoned journalists to create content that rivals traditional media outlets. This shift has accelerated, with companies like Carta and Robinhood producing high-quality (often millennial-focused) reports and news platforms that fill the void left by declining trade publications. In this thought-provoking LinkedIn post, Noah Greenberg, CEO of Stacker – a content distribution service – notes that brands can invest more in journalism due to superior unit economics, enhancing their authority in specific domains. This trend challenges traditional media models and could reflect a significant transformation in content creation and distribution.

From mood boards to “worlds”: a new era in creative strategy

Forget mood boards; the creative industry is stepping into “world-building.” This shift isn’t just a change in terminology – it’s a revolution in how brands think about storytelling and identity. As designers explain in this New York Times article, creating brand ‘worlds’ goes beyond visual cues, weaving together sights, sounds, smells and emotions to create immersive experiences. In other words, brands are evolving from static ideas, like a logo and colours, into dynamic ecosystems filled with evocative touchpoints. If you’re still pinning swatches and magazine cutouts, it might be time to embrace the multiverse.

A guide to brand guidelines

While we’re on branding, here’s a helpful collection of brand guideline decks – from Starbucks to Discord to OpenAI and many more. I know from painful experience just how long these assets can take to create, so hopefully this gives some useful inspiration to anyone currently in guideline hell.

Is SEO becoming AEO?

It’s been fascinating to note the rise of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) – AI search, basically. With AI answers now getting top billing on page one of any Google search, businesses are scrambling to optimise for AEO. That’s why AI answers will be one of the hottest topics for communicators in 2025. The science of influencing AI-created narrative answers (AEO) vs. a list of search links (SEO) shares some similarities, but there are significant differences that must be considered in all comms strategies – from press releases and social posts to web pages and videos. The traits that earn a brand top rank in Google do not necessarily impact the answers created by ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot and others. There’s a good primer on AEO from Forbes here, while Neil Patel has some actionable AEO strategies to share here.

Can you trust your ad data?

A study from the Journal of Marketing reveals a hidden flaw in A/B testing on digital ad platforms: these tests aren’t truly randomised. This means that the “winning” ad might not have the best creative—it simply resonated more with the specific audience it was served to. In other words, your A/B test results could be shaped more by audience composition than by the creative effectiveness of your ads.

The implications for marketers are profound. Many rely on these low-cost, seemingly scientific tests not only to choose ad creatives but to shape broader marketing strategies. However, when platforms fail to disclose the non-randomised nature of their tests, they inadvertently give marketers a false sense of security about their data-driven decisions. Find out more (and how to address this challenge) here.

Why retirement homes could be the new start-up accelerators

Think entrepreneurship is a young person’s game? Think again. This Forbes article reveals why older adults are increasingly embracing the startup life. With years of experience, deep networks and the financial stability to take calculated risks, older entrepreneurs are thriving in industries ranging from consulting to e-commerce. Plus, studies show that businesses started by older founders are statistically more likely to succeed. It’s a compelling read for anyone rethinking what the “prime of life” truly means.

Nine ways to make 2025 one for the books

This handy aide-mémoire will help you get the year off to a great start and keep you on the right track for the next 12 months. Number nine is one of my favourites – it’s so easy to forget to give yourself credit for little daily wins.

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Drop me a line

That’s a wrap for this week. Remember to stay curious, embrace the unexpected and celebrate every win – big or small. If there’s a story, trend or idea you’d like to see covered in future editions, please do let me know. Until next Sunday, here’s to making this a year of happiness and success.

Cheers!
Adam

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