Marketers Most Wanted June 2025

Lights, camera, briefs: Video Production hits top spot for the first time ever

This month’s Marketers Most Wanted report sees a shake-up at the top of the table, as Video Production surges to first place - the first time this category has ever reached this position. With 12.2% of briefs submitted in May falling into this category, it’s clear that brands are putting their money where the moving image is. From high-end creative campaigns for major names to product launch support and educational content, the breadth of video demand is bigger than ever.

“Video briefs this month are covering the full funnel,” said StudioSpace CEO Pete Sayburn. “We’re seeing big-brand TV spots and online ads, but also explainer videos, influencer edits and campaign content that slots neatly into wider digital strategies.”
This growth in video also reflects an increasingly audience-led shift: from social platforms to ecommerce, the visual-first web is here to stay. Browse our curated list of agencies that specialise in Video Production here.

UX/UI Design climbs back into the spotlight, whilst Social Media holds strong

Another big mover this month is UX/UI Design, jumping four spots to third place (9.5%). This category has seen a welcome return to the top three after a period in the lower half of the table throughout late 2024.

As brands launch new platforms, upgrade customer journeys and refresh digital experiences, the need for external UX/UI expertise is climbing. We’re seeing more briefs that demand design thinking at pace – to bring to life new products, streamline customer flows or create standout branded content.

Social Media has retained its second-place position, rising slightly to 10.1% of briefs. This category remains a consistent performer on the StudioSpace platform, with brands continuing to invest in engagement-led marketing. Influencer marketing appears to be a growing component of these briefs – especially for campaign-based work and younger-targeted audiences.

Software Development slides – but could bounce back

After a strong run in first place for the last two months, Software Development has taken a notable dip – now sitting in fourth place, down from 11.2% to 8.8%. While it’s a significant drop, it’s worth noting the potential interplay here with the surge in UX/UI briefs.

“Design work often precedes development,” noted Sayburn. “If brands are investing in new experiences, we may well see a rebound in development projects to build and scale them over the coming months.”

Content-led categories hold their ground

Digital PR & Content Marketing sits in fifth place, representing 8.1% of briefs. This marks a small 0.3% dip from last month, but the category remains robust. From editorial and PR outreach to graphic design, copywriting and content editing, brands are clearly still outsourcing heavily in this space.

Meanwhile, Digital Marketing Campaigns (Integrated) sits just behind, now tied in sixth (7.4%). While down slightly by 0.3%, this category continues to be a key area of investment. Cross-channel campaigns, market-specific activations and audience segmentation remain recurring themes.

Research & Insight dips – seasonality at play?

Research & Insight has dropped from fourth to seventh place, now also tied at 7.4%. This category often reflects seasonal planning cycles – with many briefs geared around annual strategy, audience segmentation and pre-campaign validation. It’ll be one to watch as we head into summer and closer to Q3 planning.

Product & Proposition steady, Paid Media holds on

Product & Proposition remains stable in eighth place, holding its 6.1% share. Briefs here vary widely – from launching new concepts and MVPs to refining existing offers and value props. We continue to see this as a flexible category that rises or falls with innovation budgets.

In ninth, Digital Paid Media holds its ground despite a 0.9% drop in share (now at 4.7%). Having debuted in the top ten just last month, this category may yet prove to be seasonal in demand – particularly as ecommerce and D2C brands scale up campaign activity in the second half of the year.

Experience Strategy & Design rounds out the top ten

Finally, Experience Strategy & Design clings on to the tenth spot, but with an encouraging 0.5% increase in share (now tied at 4.7%). While it slipped a spot last month, this growth could signal early momentum for the summer. This is typically a category that picks up pace as brands gear up for seasonal activations, event planning and CX refreshes.

Conclusion
With video taking centre stage and design climbing back into favour, it’s clear that brands are putting creative quality and digital experience high on the agenda. As always, the StudioSpace data reflects not just where marketers are spending – but where they’re planning to go. Keep following our monthly reports to track the trends, anticipate demand, and see where your agency could fit next.