AI, retail media, and loyalty: the new pillars of Brazilian digital marketing in 2025.

The end of the era of easy media and the strategic leap.

In just a few days, the Brazilian marketing ecosystem found itself at a radical turning point. It’s not just Black Friday — in 2025, the traditional discount window will evolve into a season where winners are defined not by media volume, but by their ability to operate data, artificial intelligence, and experiences with confidence and agility. What was once battleground territory for cheap CPM has now become a race for relevance, operational predictability, and healthy margins. According to ABComm, e-commerce is expected to generate over R$13 billion in revenue on Black Friday alone, but brands that treat AI as strategic infrastructure, not a one-off gimmick, are standing out and preparing the ground for sustainable growth[1].

Structural changes: AI, retail media, and the efficiency crisis.

The digital marketing sector is facing an unprecedented efficiency crisis. Acquisition costs are rising and conversion rates are plummeting, forcing companies to abandon volume-based logic in favor of personalization, automation, and loyalty as healthy growth drivers[2]. Intelligent messaging tools, such as WhatsApp automations, are no longer operating on “automatic” and are prioritizing context, individualized journeys, and intensive use of AI for segmentation and relevance. In parallel, the boom in retail media is striking: driven by generative AI (with projected investment of +50% in 2025), the format consolidates the presence of large retailers and publishers investing in activations within and beyond the “triopoly” of Amazon, Meta, and Mercado Libre – personalizing ads, optimizing creatives, and adapting offers in real time according to profile and channel[3][4].

Systemic consequences and new opportunities for Brazilian brands.

This scenario demands a change in the mindset of teams. The new marketing requires mastery of data analysis, predictive intelligence, and multichannel automation to retain consumers and increase customer lifetime value (LTV). Case studies and reports point to a significant increase in data-driven repurchase programs and an explosion in the search for expertise in retail media and operational AI[2][4]. Thus, a new game emerges: professionals who build communities and genuine experiences stand out, while generic campaigns lose traction. Channel diversification and data unification will be essential weapons in the face of a fragmented consumer who is increasingly demanding personalization, privacy, and transparency—factors that will separate resilient brands from those that only “show up.”

References

• [1] ecommercebrasil.com.br – Black Friday 2025: how digital marketing and artificial intelligence will separate those who sell from those who only show up
• [2] terra.com.br – Brazilian digital marketing faces efficiency crisis
• [3] meioemensagem.com.br – A look at digital advertising in 2025
• [4] cndl.org.br/varejosa – Highlights of the year and trends for digital advertising in 2025, according to Criteo