According to Gartner’s 2025 CMO Spend Survey, digital isn’t just having a moment, it’s taken over the marketing menu. A juicy 61.1% of all marketing budgets are now being poured into digital channels.

And no, this isn’t just chucking a few quid at a boosted Facebook post and hoping for the best. It’s a full-blown shift in how brands show up, where they show up, and how they actually connect with real people in the real world. Which, funnily enough, is exactly what Soop does best.

So what’s behind the pivot? And how can savvy marketing teams make the most of it?

CMOs are betting on precision, not guesswork

Say goodbye to blanket billboards and fingers-crossed ad buys. Today’s marketing leaders want results they can prove.

That’s why over two-thirds of digital spend is going straight into paid channels like search, social, and digital display. It’s all about being laser-focused. Talking to the right people, not all the people.

Local reach is having a moment

Your audience doesn’t live in ‘the funnel’. They live in towns, cities, and postcodes, and they have habits, routines and hangouts. That’s why top marketers are focussing on local, hyper-targeted approaches.

With tools like geofencing and retargeting, you can show up at the gym, the high street, the open day, wherever your people already are. 

Email’s not dead, it’s just grown up

Gartner says email is one of the top five digital performers, especially for warming up leads, bringing people back, and giving them reasons to stick around. Done right, email is personal, practical and powerful.

Don’t just go digital, go smart

The winning teams are the ones using data to guide creative, location to steer targeting, and tech to make every penny of spend go further. They’re sharp, focussed and precise. 

Final thought

Marketing is levelling up. CMOs are behaving like performance pros. Teams are thinking like growth hackers. And digital is more than a tactic, it’s the whole playbook.

If you're sitting on smart data, ready to get personal, local and strategic with your marketing… guess what? We know a team who can help!

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