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As the new year begins, it is a moment to reflect on the shifts that shaped the past year and anticipate the trends that will emerge in the months ahead.”
As part of our annual Three Trends series, we continue speaking with industry leaders about the year just passed and the trends they see shaping what comes next.
Next up, we speak with Jessica Miles, Country Manager ANZ for Integral Ad Science.
Jessica shares with us her favourite and least favourite trends of 2025, her take on what to look for in the coming year, and how things went with her 2025 New Year’s resolution.
Looking Ahead
What are three trends to look for in the coming year?
1. CTV Becomes Australia’s Most Accountability-Driven Video Channel
Connected TV is entering a defining era in Australia. As premium long-form viewing continues shifting to large screens, marketers are increasingly prioritising CTV as both a performance and brand-building channel.
In 2026, the focus will move beyond the migration from linear toward a deeper understanding of what truly drives outcomes. Australian marketers want clarity on content suitability, viewability, and fraud exposure, and they expect CTV to deliver the same level of accountability they have come to demand from other digital channels.
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The growth of streaming platforms and increased inventory diversity is creating new complexity, which heightens the need for transparent and trusted measurement. Advertisers want confirmation that their ads were actually seen and placed within high-quality content, not simply delivered in bulk.
AI will accelerate this shift. Machine learning will transform how content is understood at a frame-by-frame level, while the rise of attention analytics will allow advertisers to optimise both creative and placement based on genuine audience engagement.
CTV is no longer just a premium video environment; it is evolving into the country’s most accountability-focused channel, where premium storytelling is expected to be matched with uncompromising proof of impact.
2. Retail Media Networks Become Australia’s New Battleground for Performance and Brand Protection
Retail Media Networks (RMNs) in Australia have quickly evolved from an emerging opportunity to an essential component of the performance mix. With retailers expanding both on-site and off-site offerings, RMNs now sit closer to purchase intent than almost any other channel. As investment grows, marketers are demanding far more rigour around how ads appear, how they are measured, and how these environments maintain brand suitability.
The focus for 2026 will be striking a balance between performance and protection. Rapid expansion and dynamic formats introduce risks such as MFA-style inventory, AI-generated content and inconsistent suitability standards across retailers. In practice, this inconsistency means that different Retail Media Networks apply different rules for what constitutes safe, suitable or contextually appropriate adjacencies.
The focus for 2026 will be striking a balance between performance and protection.
For example, some retailers may allow product ads to run next to unmoderated user reviews, AI-generated descriptions or content with high ad density, while others apply stricter controls.
Australian brands will expect core media quality metrics such as viewability, IVT and Attention to remain non-negotiable standards across all retailer-owned and operated environments.
AI will drive the next stage of RMN evolution. Smarter algorithms will assess product pages, reviews and recommendation modules with greater precision. 2026 will be the year when RMNs evolve from test-and-learn channels into trusted, high scale environments where spend can increase with confidence because outcomes are measurable and media quality is assured.
3. Social Media Reinvents Itself Around Trust, Attention, and AI Governance
Social media remains one of Australia’s most influential digital environments; however, 2026 marks a shift from participation to accountability. As short-form video continues to dominate feeds and influencer marketing expands in reach and relevance, marketers are prioritising attention, suitability and transparency. The IAS Industry Pulse shows that social media is a top environment for innovation, but also the one where concerns around inaccurate information, harmful content, and AI-generated media are accelerating the fastest.
In the year ahead, social platforms will be shaped by new expectations around governance. With AI making content creation faster and less predictable, marketers want confidence that branded posts and ads appear within safe, relevant, and high-quality contexts across creators, reels, and live formats.
Measurement, AI content detection, and multimedia classification will become foundational tools rather than optional safeguards.
Influencer marketing will continue to grow, but selection criteria will shift. Audience authenticity, suitability alignment and engagement integrity will outweigh follower count. Social will remain the cultural engine of Australia’s digital landscape, but in 2026, it’ll further evolve into a channel where creativity is supported by transparency, measurement and responsible content frameworks.
Looking Back
Favourite trend of 2025:
My favourite trend this year has been the great Millennial pivot from “work hard, play hard” to “work smart, rest smarter.” We were the generation that thought +12-hour days, back-to-back social plans and three iced long blacks counted as personality traits. Now my group chats are full of people comparing supplements and running times. The glow-up is real. And don’t worry, I still love a good night out and a glass of wine. Balance is a sport, too.
This was also the year I committed to longevity in a proper, grown-up way. I joined Everlab (the longevity experts!), underwent every scan imaginable, and shifted my entire mindset from aesthetics to strength, mobility, and long-term health. I still run, lift, and box, but now I care about being strong enough to keep up with my kids, my work, and my future 60-year-old self, who absolutely refuses to age quietly
If you could sum up 2025 in one emoji:
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A fast year that proved time will not slow down just because you are trying to keep up with tech evolving every five minutes, trying to stay healthy and attempting to raise two small humans who believe sleep is optional.
One of your favourite campaigns of 2025:
I love Tourism Australia’s “Come and Say G’Day” spot, the one with Robert Irwin. It’s cheeky, charming and just the right mix of Aussie-local swagger and international humour. The ad doesn’t scream “tourism brochure”. Instead, it feels like a mate sharing wild holiday stories in a pub back home, and you can’t help but want in.
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For me, it works because it doesn’t promise sunsets and spas. It promises stories. Real, outrageous, unpretentious stories that only Australia could deliver.
What was your 2025 New Year’s Resolution, and did you keep it?
My New Year’s resolution was to take AI seriously and skill up properly. Mission accomplished! I completed two Vanderbilt AI specialisations and am finishing an eCornell certificate in AI for Digital Transformation.
I have also joined IAS’s global working group, which is shaping our enterprise AI strategy. For a “simple resolution,” it turned out to be one of the most impactful things I did all year.
Would you like to share your calls on the year ahead and your take on the year past? Drop us a line.
