Digital Marketing campaigns soar in popularity for Feb 2025
Digital Marketing campaigns soar in popularity
Demand for digital marketing campaigns has increased dramatically this year so far, our latest data has shown.
StudioSpace is an agency/client matchmaking platform, monitoring real-time briefs we receive from chief marketing officers (CMOs) and brand owners. This information gives us a unique perspective on what’s hot and what’s not each month – data which is then distilled into our monthly Marketer’s Most Wanted report.
This month, 13% of our total briefs from clients were looking for support with campaign-specific Digital Marketing, a huge rise from Q4 last year, where this category peaked at 6.1% (7% was the biggest volume in 2024 overall). It currently sits in fourth place, its highest position yet.
“We’re seeing this increasing demand across multiple channels and touchpoints,” our CEO Pete Sayburn told us. “Our clients are looking for external partners to bring their experience from target markets and industries, as well as seeking external creativity for their brands.”
Social Media & Content and Creative & Production retain their top-of-the-table positions
Our Social Media & Content category remains top of the table, but continues to decrease from its 21.1% peak in June 2024, now representing 15.7% of total volume share.
We believe that this downward trend in volume is likely driven by an increase in demand for other categories (and a more even mix in our volume table), though we have seen some brands moving core Social & Content in-house, and supplementing with agencies primarily for larger or more strategic campaigns.
Second place once again belongs to Creative & Production, which this month has seen its highest volume share yet - 14.8% - as well as a jump from third on the table.
Interestingly, this month shows the smallest gap between first and second place since this category took the crown back in February last year: could this be its last month topping the table? We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for new developments in 2025.
Software Development and Research & Insight remain categories of strong investment.
Despite falling one place this month, Software Development has jumped an impressive 6% since the beginning of Q4 2024. It now makes up 13.9% of our briefing total - its highest proportion yet. This increase has been driven by demand for website development from mid-sized companies.
“This category sat in an identical position this time last year, so it will be interesting to see whether it will be subject to the same sporadic demand on the platform this year,” said Sayburn.
Research & Insight is another strong performer this month, sitting in fifth place and representing 10.4% of January’s StudioSpace briefs. Projects in this category are wide-ranging, with all kinds of research methods being sought. These include segmentation, early-stage concept testing, personas, UX testing of new features and innovations, detailed market sizing, and specific competitor digital journey analysis.
We are loving seeing the range of approaches in this category, and really enjoy introducing our clients to the growing number of cutting edge Research & Insight agencies on the StudioSpace platform.
Proposition Design finds stability in the middle of the table, whilst PR & Comms makes an exciting jump
Our Proposition Design category has retained its 6th place position since late 2024. We have found this category having a tendency to rise and fall in the table throughout the year, depending on budget available for innovation. Last year, this category picked up with the beginning of the new financial year, so we may find this to be the case again in 2025.
PR & Comms has had a resurgence of its own this month. It dropped out of the table in September last year, and has since hovered in the table’s bottom quartile. It now sits in 7th place - its highest position yet, with a volume share of 7% - double its average.
Although often seen as a traditional marketing campaign type, we’re seeing brands revert to PR & Comms support either to be the leading force of a campaign, or in tandem with digital marketing campaigns.
Brand Strategy also picks up in 2025
“After dropping to 4.1% in late 2024, it is encouraging to see Brand Strategy’s growth to 6.1%,” Pete said.
A fresh year is perhaps bringing the drive for a fresh perspective on established brands, both large and smaller. We look forward to seeing where the demand in this space goes.
UX/UI Design sees its lowest positioning so far
It’s been a sorry story for UX/UI Design, where since summer 2024 it has fallen from 2nd down to 9th place. This category dominated the table this time last year - indeed, it was our highest value and volume category - but has suffered an unfortunate fall. It remains to be seen whether this category will pick up again in 2025.
SEO & PPC remains back and forth on our table
This category jumped up and down all of last year, but continually made an entry into the top 10. At our end-of-year StudioLive event, we heard from BuiltVisible - one of our top SEO & PPC agencies - that in 2025 brands will likely dedicate greater focus on strategy, as well as considering alternate search journeys.
We’re seeing demand for specialist agencies in this space, and find that when our agencies are invited to pitch against incumbent agencies in this category, they will win: so if you want to invite them along to your next pitch, let us know!
Conclusions
Overall it has been very interesting to see a real spread in the volume share this month, which is causing categories that we’re used to seeing in top positions to lose their established footing as other categories gain traction.
“It seems that 2025 is already shaking up the status quo, and we can’t wait to see who the movers and shakers will be this year!” concluded Pete.
Some of our StudioSpace project highlights this month:
- Brand identity refresh for a global financial services organisation
- Social media strategy for the UK’s fastest growing insurance group
- Recruitment proposition sales collateral for a Mortgage, Protection & GI network
- 2025 SEO retainer for national solicitors
- Media brief for a real estate conglomerate
- Customer promise film for a UK retirement product provider
We’ll see you next month for March’s report! In the meantime, if you’ve got any questions, please do reach out to hello@studiospace.com and we’d be happy to help.
