This year, Cologne once again became the meeting point for Europe’s digital marketing world. More than 40,000 people were in the expo halls at DMEXCO 2025, and the atmosphere was electric—crowded stands, busy corridors, and countless conversations over coffee. Amid the structured chaos, a few trends began to stand out, pointing to where the industry is heading.

1. Creativity Still Matters (Even More Now)

While AI was everywhere at DMEXCO — from strategy sessions to Hall 6 tech demos — the marketers getting real results are those who use technology to amplify creative ideas, not replace them. 

 

"Creativity and original ideas are still driving real success. AI, automation, and data are incredibly useful, but without fresh, unconventional thinking, they don’t reach their full potential. It’s exciting to see creative automation being used everywhere and technology helping to support creative workflows rather than replace them. At the end of the day, the strongest campaigns still rely on human strategy and insight."

Anna Petrusenko, Head of Marketing

 

2. Stop Pretending to Be Something You're Not

Authenticity becomes the difference between connecting with people and losing them. Audiences quickly pick up on empty messages, and they tune out fast. The brands getting real traction are the ones sharing honest stories and showing what they actually stand for.

Several talks at the conference highlighted this: campaigns built on straightforward, genuine storytelling consistently drove stronger engagement. In a space crowded with loud claims, honesty is what people respond to.

3. AI Is Here and Actually Working

AI dominated every conversation at DMEXCO. Conference speakers shared statistics showing 53-194% sales uplifts with AI-powered tools. But here's what's interesting: the successful implementations aren't replacing humans—they're making them more effective.

 

"At DMEXCO 2025, it was clear once again: data is still the foundation of the industry. What AI adds is the ability to draw deeper meaning from that data and turn it into tangible results."

Yelyzaveta Bohaichuk, Business Development

 

4. Influencers, Retail Media, and Where the Money's Moving

Influencer marketing has grown up. It's moved beyond simple product placements to strategic partnerships and corporate ambassador programs. The focus shifted from reach metrics to genuine engagement.

Retail media, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH), and Connected TV (CTV) are where smart money is going. 

 

“It was great to see so many more DOOH publishers at DMEXCO this year compared to previous events. That alone says a lot about how the industry sees this channel now. The conversations weren’t about traditional outdoor ads anymore — these publishers are focused on programmatic buying, audience targeting, and updating creative in real time. DOOH is finally being recognized as a meaningful part of marketing strategy.”

Olena Dokova, Head of SSP

 

These channels offer what every marketer wants: reaching the right people at the right moment with clear attribution.

5. Simple Wins Over Complicated

The industry is tired of overcomplicated solutions. Marketers want tools that make their work easier, not harder.

 

"The automation tools that stood out at DMEXCO weren’t the ones with the most features—they were the ones that made workflows simpler. Some platforms reduced processes that usually take fifteen steps down to three or four, while keeping precise targeting and optimization intact. It was a reminder that usability and solving real user problems matter more than adding every possible feature."

Liz Tokareva, SVP of In-house Products

 

The companies gaining ground are those focusing on doing more with less—powerful capabilities through clean interfaces and streamlined workflows. Now, success comes from "focusing and developing a small bunch of partners, rather than spreading your attention on a huge bunch of different campaigns."

6. Privacy-First Actually Works

The conference showed how the industry has moved beyond just reacting to privacy changes. Companies are building privacy-first solutions that improve performance.

 

“More and more players are already integrated with identity solutions, and the variety out there is pretty wide. What’s clear is that privacy-focused strategies are proving their value—helping advertisers reach the right audiences, improve measurement, and set a new standard for modern advertising. The real question is: which solution do you think works best?”

Olesia Dunaichuk, Account Manager

 

The attribution puzzle keeps getting more interesting with all the privacy changes, but the solutions are getting more sophisticated too.

7. First-Party Data Gets Creative

Publishers and advertisers are finding clever ways to use first-party data. 

The best implementations combine sophisticated data collection with respect for user privacy, creating better targeting that leads to more relevant ads.

8. Human Connections Still Win

Even at a tech-heavy conference like DMEXCO, one thing stood out: business is still about people.

 

"It’s easy to connect online through LinkedIn, but the real breakthroughs happen when you meet face-to-face. A quick chat in the hallway often tells you more than weeks of online messages."

Inna Hodyna, Head of Partnerships

 

Networking is cool, but more important is understanding client needs, building trust, and creating partnerships that technology can't facilitate alone.

 

“At DMEXCO, many client conversations circled back to one thing: outcomes. Instead of asking whether ads were delivered, clients wanted to see how each step in the customer journey connected to business results. Sometimes a 15-minute chat over coffee solves what weeks of emails cannot. The strongest partnerships we notice are built on shared KPIs and open reporting, with both sides equally invested in pushing past the baseline targets.”

Anna Lukasheva, Customer Success Manager in Product Strategy & Growth

 

What This Means

DMEXCO 2025 showed us an industry that's finding its balance. We're not choosing between human and artificial, creative and analytical, innovative and authentic. We're figuring out how to do all of it at once.

For us in programmatic, that means building tools that feel human, strategies that respect privacy, and partnerships that go beyond transactions.

The conference was a mix of emotions—exhausting at times and inspiring. But above all, it felt reassuring. For all the talk about technology and disruption, at its core, this is still a business built on people.

What's Next for Us

DMEXCO gave us a lot to think about. The conversations our team had with industry folks highlighted some gaps we hadn't considered before, and honestly, some areas where we could do better.

We're taking these insights back to the drawing board—especially around privacy-first solutions and workflow simplification. Our partners and clients deal with enough complexity as it is, so if we can make their lives a bit easier while staying on top of industry shifts, that's time well spent.