Customer experience has faced serious challenges during the pandemic. Now, there’s no looking back. Customers want it all and there really is no excuse not to get it. Digital, in-store, blended “phygital” journeys — they’re all on the table in 2025. The key to customer success will be maintaining a strategy to cover all the bases.

Many of this year’s predictions include specific areas where CX will get a boost. The main message for marketers is to bring it all together. In this way, customers can choose how they want to learn more and buy.

More flexibility and no clear winner

User experiences will continue to evolve according to the same principles established in recent years with the goal of seamlessness and flexibility. Don’t expect big changes in what customers expect. Instead, retailers should continue to diversify across multiple digital and physical touchpoints and support a range of delivery methods. These experiences should be connected with data, providing a layer of personalization that recognizes the preferred channels and interests of individual customers or segments.

“There won’t be a clear ‘winner’ when it comes to where and how people shop — sales will spread across brick-and-mortar retail, online stores, marketplaces and social media platforms,” ​​predicts Katie Moro, global director of managed services at store experience platform Productsup . “This will be reflected in different delivery options, including home delivery, street pick-up and even in-store pick-up. The traditional concept of the ‘holiday shopping spree’ will continue to evolve, with consumers having a more flexible, expanded approach to their shopping, using a combination of online and offline touchpoints.”

“Expect more sophisticated in-store media networks that enable multi-channel campaigns, with personalized offers appearing on digital screens as the customer walks through the store,” said Megan Harbold, vice president of strategy and growth for multi-channel marketing platform Skai. “This will redefine and continue to increase the complexity of multi-channel media strategies and measurement.”

Affordability to meet stricter standards

Web and mobile app accessibility will be strengthened through specific rules for government agencies and broader commercial standards. This will lead to greater demands for all digital experiences to be available in 2025.

In 2024, the Ministry of Justice updated chapter II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to require state and local governments to ensure accessibility of government websites and digital services. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also announced updated guidelines for hospitals and healthcare providers in accordance with Chapter II. Compliance deadlines for both of these updated accessibility guidelines begin as early as April 2026.

“While these specific updates are aimed at government entities and healthcare providers, they set a precedent that other industries should take seriously,” said Chad Sollis, CMO for web accessibility platform AudioEye. “For marketers in the healthcare and government sectors, this is a serious wake-up call and increases the urgency to embed accessibility into every aspect of their digital strategies – not only to meet legal requirements, but also to ensure they serve a wide and diverse audience.” . who rely on their services.”

Sollis added, “As accessibility standards tighten in 2025, marketers will need to demonstrate not just intent, but action, building accessibility into every campaign, channel and touchpoint.”

Dig deeper: How to make web accessibility part of your digital marketing efforts

Improved live experiences with AI

Live events like sports and the Oscars are becoming increasingly personalized. For example, this March the 2025 Academy Awards will be broadcast live on Hulu for the first time. Many of these experiences will offer viewers a new level of personalization. These experiences will be powered by AI.

“In live event production, AI will automate captioning, analyze real-time video and engage viewers,” said Sujatha Gopal, chief technology officer of the communications, media and information services business unit at TCS. “Real-time translation will help reach a global audience. AI will also drive engagement and sales through gamification and predictive analytics, helping to dynamically create and moderate content.”

Gopal added, “Real-time personalization will tailor experiences based on user behavior and preferences, making interactions more relevant. AI-powered virtual assistants will provide real-time support during live events, answer queries and offer recommendations. For sentiment analysis and social listening, AI will analyze audience reactions in real-time, tailoring content to match interests.”

Image recognition will drive interactive experiences

Shoppers will depend on image recognition to learn more about the products and ads they come across. When they see something in the world, including ads on out-of-home displays or on TV, they’ll take a picture of it and expect more information to pop up on their phone screens through search or a mobile app.

“In 2025 will be the year that brands fully embrace the true potential of image recognition technology, fundamentally changing the way brands connect with their audiences, turning everyday visuals into actionable touch points,” said Matty Beckerman, CEO of the interactive IRCODE experiences. “The change will make the connection between brands and consumers more seamless and intuitive, setting a new standard for engagement, personalization and simplification of experiences and commerce across all platforms.”

Dig deeper: An alternative to the QR code introduces a tool for shoppable video ads

Channel diversification to reduce brand safety risk

Marketers are understandably concerned about brand safety on digital channels. Brand safety tools are doing more than ever to assess and rate content to avoid placing ads in the wrong context. However, entire platforms have become suspect to certain audiences. The government’s attempt to shut down TikTok didn’t help the site. That could change depending on the company’s appeal to the Supreme Court, which will be heard in January. However, X/Twitter’s lax approach to content management drove away advertisers and users. It will be interesting to see if Elon Musk’s role in the new administration makes any difference.

Dig deeper: TikTok appeals to the Supreme Court

“In 2025, the advertising industry’s dependence on social media will continue to raise concerns about brand safety and channel concentration,” said Jonathan Neddenriep, CTO and co-founder of Postie. “While social media platforms offer strong performance, the risk of ads appearing next to inappropriate content will force brands to explore more diverse advertising channels.”

Fasting is a platform for data-driven direct mail. Don’t be surprised if some brands look to bypass the internet noise and invest more in offline channels like direct mail.

“Despite the rise of digital, direct mail will remain a steadfast marketing tool in 2025,” said Neddenriep. “Its tangible nature and measurable ROI will be particularly attractive in a climate where efficiency is paramount. While physical catalogs will retain their appeal for certain brands, the focus will be on exploring different and more cost-effective direct mail formats, such as postcards.”

Personalizing experiences through loyalty

In the new year, brands will look for new ways to gain an advantage over the competition. This will prompt many to review and strengthen their loyalty programs. Efforts to improve the overall customer experience will also apply to loyalty experiences. And retailers will leverage loyalty programs to do more than simply encourage current customers to buy more to get additional benefits.

“In hyper-competitive markets, brands will increasingly use loyalty programs not only to retain customers, but also to acquire new ones and gain market share,” said Tara DeZao, director of product marketing for adtech and martech at Pega.

Marketers will seek partnerships to expand the dimensions of loyalty programs and enhance the experience.

“Companies are building affiliate networks within their loyalty programs, offering exclusive deals and benefits to lure customers away from the competition,” DeZao said. “This is particularly true where competitors are selling similar offerings with little differentiation. An example of this would be telecommunications companies where offers and prices are similar across brands and consumers can switch easily and often [incentivized] do it.”

DeZao added: “This will be especially valuable for brands that have a first-party data gap. By leveraging this data, companies can further personalize customer experiences, driving engagement and long-term loyalty.”