This Week in Marketing: 11/21/2025 – 11/30/2025
As November 2025 wraps up, two forces dominate the marketing arena: escalating privacy restrictions reshaping targeting, and AI’s growing influence in creative development and media buying. If you’re managing campaigns, these trends aren’t theoretical-they’re impacting your costs, reach, and results right now. This week’s insights reveal what’s breaking, what’s working, and what you need to recalibrate immediately.
Privacy Push: Apple’s Updated ATT and Your Targeting Playbook
Apple’s latest iOS update tightens App Tracking Transparency (ATT), further limiting cross-app data sharing. Early data shows opt-in rates dipping another 5-10% among key demographics, shrinking the pool of users you can target with precision.
For performance marketers, this isn’t a minor inconvenience-it’s a fundamental shift. Campaigns reliant on deterministic data have seen cost per acquisition (CPA) spike 15-25% in just the past two weeks. Brands like Peloton and Glossier, early adopters of ATT-compliant strategies, are reallocating budgets toward contextual and first-party data channels.
Actionable Adjustments for Your Campaigns
- Revisit segmentation: Reduce dependency on third-party and device IDs. Prioritize first-party signals-website behavior, CRM insights, and in-app activity.
- Test contextual targeting: Shift focus from user IDs to environment and content cues. Target content categories or page types instead of individual users.
- Shorten attribution windows: Narrower windows reduce noise and better align with fragmented data realities.
Critical Questions for Your Team
- What percentage of our targeting relies on now-restricted cross-app identifiers?
- Which first-party data assets can we activate immediately to fill targeting gaps?
- Have we updated attribution models to mirror privacy-driven changes?
AI in Creative: Beyond Buzz to Business Impact
AI-powered creative tools have moved past novelty status-they’re becoming core to media buying workflows. This week, Snapchat launched an AI-driven ad builder that generates multiple ad variants from minimal inputs-headlines, images, calls to action-in minutes. Early adopters report a 20% boost in engagement thanks to rapid iteration and tailored personalization.
Speed is just the start. The real edge comes from smarter testing and budget shifts. AI identifies which creative elements resonate with specific segments, then reallocates spend to top performers automatically.
Integrating AI Without Losing Control
- Leverage AI for ideation and iteration: Use AI to generate variants but keep human oversight on messaging and brand voice.
- Set firm guardrails: Embed brand and compliance rules into AI workflows to prevent off-brand or risky outputs.
- Monitor performance closely: AI may optimize short-term KPIs, but safeguard long-term brand health metrics.
What to Watch Next
- Performance differences of AI-generated creatives across platforms (TikTok vs. LinkedIn).
- Emerging AI tools that integrate creative generation directly with media buying platforms.
- New privacy or transparency regulations governing AI-generated content.
The Holiday Rush: Early Black Friday Campaign Insights
Black Friday 2025 launched with mixed signals. Online spending rose 8% year-over-year, but conversion rates tell a more complex story. Retailers prioritizing mobile-first, video-rich campaigns-like Best Buy and Wayfair-maintained or improved conversions. Brands relying on static display ads saw flat or declining results.
Dynamic creative optimization (DCO) is a standout trend. Brands using DCO to tailor offers and visuals in real-time are outperforming peers by 12-15% in ROAS.
Holiday Campaign Priorities
- Prioritize mobile video: If your creative mix is still static-heavy, pivot now.
- Implement or scale DCO: Real-time creative adaptation is essential during peak shopping.
- Operate with speed and agility: The holiday window is tight. Establish rapid feedback loops and be ready to shift budgets daily.
Questions to Keep Your Team Sharp
- Are we capturing and acting on real-time campaign data effectively?
- Do our creative assets support dynamic optimization?
- Have we allocated sufficient budget to mobile video channels?
Programmatic Media Buying: The Rise of Private Marketplaces
Programmatic buying evolves as Private Marketplaces (PMPs) gain ground, offering a middle path between open exchanges and direct buys. This week, major DSPs reported a 30% jump in PMP spend since Q3.
Why the shift? PMPs deliver better transparency, higher-quality inventory, and stronger brand safety-critical as advertisers grow risk-averse post-privacy changes. For example, Unilever recently moved 40% of its programmatic budget into PMPs, citing improved predictability.
Refining Your Media Buying Strategy
- Build PMP relationships: Don’t wait for agencies or platforms. Seek premium PMPs aligned with your audience and brand.
- Demand transparency: Insist on clear reporting and inventory sourcing details.
- Test PMPs against open exchanges: Run side-by-side comparisons to validate performance and cost differences.
What to Track
- New PMP offerings from major publishers and platforms.
- Pricing trends for PMPs versus open exchanges.
- Technology advances enhancing PMP targeting and measurement.
Stay Ahead: Questions to Drive Strategic Focus
- How are privacy changes reshaping our entire customer journey, beyond just targeting?
- What internal processes do we need to overhaul to integrate AI effectively and responsibly?
- Are we structured to move budgets and creative assets on a daily basis during peak periods?
- How can we deepen partnerships with PMP providers to unlock exclusive inventory and data advantages?
Practical Takeaways for Performance Marketers
- Privacy-proof your data strategy: Double down on first-party data and contextual signals before privacy constraints tighten further.
- Experiment with AI but keep humans in control: Use AI for speed and scale, but own your brand voice and compliance.
- Double down on mobile video and DCO for holidays: Static creative won’t cut it in 2025’s crowded marketplace.
- Shift programmatic spend to PMPs: Transparency and quality inventory will outpace cheaper, riskier open exchange buys.
- Stay agile: The marketing environment is shifting fast. Set up daily or weekly reviews to pivot quickly.