A Look Ahead at CRM in 2025
As the quotes below make clear, artificial intelligence continues to have a huge impact on the CRM industry; its influence permeates the predictions that industry insiders have for CRM in 2025. Read on to see which technologies and strategies will loom large this year.
Generative AI is still the buzziest type of AI (though some would remind you it’s not the only kind).
“In 2025, the market will shift focus from the shiny new object—generative AI— to the business impact and results AI is or isn’t delivering. The buzz around genAI will continue to be loud, but the pendulum will begin to balance on genAI being supplemental, not necessarily supplanting existing efforts of people, process, and technology. Efforts will continue to refine the ease of collaboration of genAI with existing AI technologies to drive speed to insight, analysis, and action.” —Jodi Searl, chief experience officer of Medallia
“Generative AI will transition from being a buzzword to a tool delivering measurable value, reshaping how users interact with the open web. After years of hype and trial-and-error applications, the industry is shifting toward focused, practical uses of the technology. These include powering personalized content, enabling smarter ad targeting, and streamlining campaign automation.” —Mateusz Jedrocha, chief product officer of Adlook
“In 2024, the [generative artificial intelligence] hype machine was in overdrive. In 2025, we’ll see a softening of interest in and hype around genAI and a renewed focus on more traditional AI technologies, particularly for front-end customer experience applications. More and more organizations will apply natural language processing, text analytics, sentiment analytics, speech-to-text AI, and good-old predictive analytics to power chatbots, virtual assistants, automated ticketing and support, and more.” —Jon Moran, head of martech solutions marketing at SAS
“At this time last year, our expectations for LLMs were high, but we are slowly sobering up and looking toward the real-world impact of this technology in the coming year and beyond. As we move into 2025, we’ll start to see major differences between those who have adopted AI early and those who are still in wait-to-see mode. Early adopters will have demonstrated or begin to show measurable advantages like faster product development cycles, more efficient operations, enhanced decision-making capabilities, and improved customer experiences. The holdouts, on the other hand, will face mounting challenges as they attempt to contend with AI-enhanced competitors. Those who lag behind will be forced to face a harsh reality: they’re entering a Formula One race with a bicycle, and the cost of catching up will grow steeper by the day.” —Nikola Mrkšic, CEO and co-founder of PolyAI
“2025 is when we’ll really start to see the gap widen between AI adopters and AI laggards. Contact centers that take full advantage of AI with an intentional focus on driving tangible business outcomes will start to see significant impacts. Companies are already saving tens of millions of dollars with AI deployments. Laggards will not be able to compete with AI adopters and will start to experience lower CX scores and attrition.” —Dave Singer, global vice president of go-to-market strategy at Verint
“Expect to see the sunsetting of traditional IVR solutions. They are too costly to maintain and evolve too slowly to stay relevant. Instead, we will see a genAI transformation in call centers that will be driven by business process outsourcing (BPO) partners. They need to adopt new approaches to stay competitive. GenAI-native solutions support faster and more cost-efficient implementation of customer care automation.” —Maik Hummel, principal AI evangelist at Parloa
“Automate, optimize, and systematize! Now is the time to streamline marketing and sales systems by eliminating redundancies, minimizing unnecessary human touchpoints, and integrating AI to lay the groundwork for significant growth opportunities expected in late 2025. Assuming the trends of 2024 hold, AI and automation create more successful marketing campaigns that lead to increased marketing budgets.” —Susan Thomas, CEO of 10Fold Communications
“Taking your help center, feeding it into a model, and creating an expert AI agent is easier than ever. The next big step is moving beyond answering basic questions to performing real tasks. In 2025, AI agents won’t just provide answers; they’ll connect to other systems to take actions like changing delivery addresses, sending password reset links, booking appointments by integrating with calendars, and even acting as sales agents to suggest products and services. This shift will expand their impact on the bottom line, transforming AI support agents into tools that not only resolve issues but also drive sales and generate leads.” —Marius Laza, chief customer officer of Tidio
“In the coming year, voice AI agents are set to become more prevalent and increasingly sophisticated, offering seamless and more natural interactions with customers. These voice AI agents will be capable of understanding and retaining context, providing more accurate responses and integrating more deeply into daily tasks and environments across the business.” —Tim Shi, cofounder and chief technology officer of Cresta
AI will intensify the trend toward automation.
“2025 will be the year when the automation plateau will finally be addressed. We expect to see the dial shift on automation toward more advanced use cases as customers crave personalization, self-service, and the ability to resolve their issues quickly without waiting for a human and brands crave scalability and reduced operational costs.” —Dvir Hoffman, CEO of CommBox
“In 2025, the concept of digital twins—virtual replicas of customers built from vast amounts of data—will become a cornerstone of customer experience strategy. Data-rich, these digital twins will allow organizations to simulate, predict, and optimize customer experiences in ways that were previously thought impossible. In practical terms, they will allow businesses to test and refine CX designs before launching them in the real world, offering a risk-free environment to experiment with new strategies.” —Radi Hindawi, senior vice president of enterprise success and services at InMoment
“[Contact center-as-a-service] is dead. In 2025, companies still relying on traditional call centers will be as relevant as a fax machine in a smartphone world. Consumers simply do not want to call an 800 number anymore, and can you really blame them? With digital channels seeing far more traffic than phone lines, the writing is on the wall. The future belongs to businesses that provide seamless, omnichannel experiences.” —Gaurav Passi, founder and CEO of Zingly.ai
“Over the past year, generative AI sparked a major shift in the business world, offering leaders a powerful opportunity to rethink operational strategies. In 2025, scaling generative AI and machine learning won’t just be an option; it will be a must-have strategy. When combined, generative AI and machine learning help organizations go beyond basic data analysis into predictive and prescriptive intelligence. This lets them stay ahead of market shifts, optimize operations, and design innovative products and services with unmatched precision and speed.” —Partha DeSarkar, CEO of HGS
And AI will both enable and require better approaches to information management and discovery…
“Knowledge management becomes a customer service priority. Strong knowledge management is foundational to delivering and maintaining AI capabilities. Despite years of underinvestment in knowledge management specifically, many businesses will have a renewed focus on it in 2025.” —Daniel O’Sullivan, a senior director analyst in Gartner’s Customer Service and Support Practice
“As consumer behavior diversifies across platforms, encompassing social media, chatbots, and reviews, traditional notions of search engines are no longer sufficient. This shift demands a different approach to how brands appear and are evaluated across the digital landscape. To get humans to trust your brand, you must first convince the machines. Brands are at the mercy of the algorithms on these platforms to choose what is trustworthy long before it is ever shown to a human. The factors that help machines calibrate levels of trust with your brand data should be your absolute focus for 2025.” —Christian Ward, executive vice president and chief data officer at Yext
“Despite the decision not to sunset third-party cookies, 2025 is going to be the year that brands finally turn away from them and lean in hard to first-party and contextual data. We’re going to see many brands finally submit to the facts that personalization is nuanced and customers don’t just want personalization, they want personalization that adds value to their journeys. That can only be accomplished by leveraging first-party data that is fresh, well-organized, and unified.” —Tara DeZao, product marketing director of adtech and martech at Pega
“The ongoing transition from on-premises to the cloud for contact center will continue to accelerate, driven by the need to adopt AI quickly. This may come as a surprise to many. While most other software stacks have already moved to the cloud, the contact center has remained on premises. The implication of this shift is a greater need to integrate cloud contact center systems with cloud-based CRM to both orchestrate interactions and the work that needs to happen during and after the call.” —Terence Chesire, vice president of customer and industry workflows at ServiceNow
“In 2025, the traditional search engine will begin its slow decline as the primary gateway to the internet. AI-powered, interactive interfaces will emerge as the dominant force in how consumers discover and engage with content. Brands that solely rely on SEO and paid search to reach their audiences will be left behind. Instead, the brands that prioritize building strong relationships and delivering compelling narratives through these new interactive experiences will win the hearts, minds, and wallets of consumers. The future of marketing is not just about being found; it’s about being chosen.” —David Fink, cofounder and CEO of Postie
… as well as robust means for measurement.
“The era of experimental AI budgets is over. Companies must now demonstrate meaningful ROI to justify AI investments. While efficiency gains are often emphasized, the real value of AI is its direct impact on revenue, though measuring this remains a challenge. Businesses will need layered approaches to capture AI’s value, such as improving conversion rates that drive revenue opportunities, enhancing decision-making accuracy in areas like demand forecasting and inventory management, and optimizing customer interactions through personalized experiences that boost retention.” —Omri Allouche, vice president of research at Gong
“The feedback survey gets its biggest update in a generation. The way businesses collect and analyze feedback from customers and employees will change dramatically, as brands use AI to personalize feedback questions in real time. The questions being asked will immediately adapt based on the answers provided, helping uncover deeper and more nuanced insights that drive impactful and actionable outcomes.” —Brad Anderson, president of product, user experience, and engineering at Qualtrics
“The era of growth at all costs is over. In 2025, successful companies will adopt precision growth strategies, aligning every function—sales, marketing, finance, customer success—around shared metrics and goals. Companies that achieve this will not only grow predictably but will redefine operational efficiency as a competitive advantage, earning outsized investor confidence.” —Andy Byrne, CEO of Clari
“With cookies being phased out by major platforms, advertisers need new methods for tracking and performance metrics. Alternative solutions include third-party measurement tools such as market mix modeling and incrementality testing.” —Mitsunaga Kikuchi, founder of Shirofune
“In 2025, marketers will turn their focus from attention to engagement. Many are realizing that while measuring attention is better than measuring viewability, this still doesn’t accurately reflect whether consumers are engaging with ads. There’s a difference between looking at something and really seeing it. Advertisers want to move beyond attention and measure what helps consumers connect with the brand. Not only will this shift help advertisers develop a comprehensive and realistic view of their audiences, but it also has the potential to create more impactful campaigns.” —Graham Page, global managing director of media analytics at Affectiva
“With privacy regulations tightening and the death of vanity metrics like opens and clicks, emailers will need to embrace attribution as the new benchmark for success. Measuring real business outcomes like conversions and customer retention will take center stage. It is time to stop chasing flashy numbers and start focusing on the metrics that truly matter.”—Arin Reyna, senior vice president of email solutions at Stirista
Marketing strategies will also grow more sophisticated.
“While supply path optimization was a major focus in 2024, with spending going through the same one or two [demand-side platforms], 2025 will see a shift toward the demand side, with new technology enabling marketers to optimize the entire supply chain, including demand-side operations. Operational bottlenecks will be eliminated, allowing marketers to become truly DSP-agnostic. This will enable budgets to flow to the best-performing combinations of DSPs and SSPs.” —Mike Hauptman, CEO and founder of AdLib
“With over 15,000 martech solutions currently in the market, marketers have hit a tipping point, driving a consolidation of the market that will accelerate in 2025. Marketers are looking for marketing outcomes today, not to license yet another platform. Demand-as-a-service will emerge as a key trend, shifting the market away from more tech platforms to solutions that deliver scalable and impactful outcomes that drive business growth.” —Tony Uphoff, CEO of Pipeline360
"AI and interoperability will transform the digital experience stack. In 2025, digital experience platforms (DXPs) will be powered by AI at their core, enabling businesses to organize, manage, and recommend content at an unprecedented scale. AI-driven personalization engines will analyze performance data to refine content strategies and optimize user engagement in real time. Additionally, the evolution of modular architecture, open standards, and API-driven ecosystems will enhance interoperability across tools like AEM, OPTI, and Sitecore. This shift will pave the way for seamless integration, the growth of microservices, and the rise of AI-driven data integration. This will create a flexible, future-ready digital experience stack that meets the demands of an increasingly dynamic market." —Gabe Bridger, global head of design and strategy at Rightpoint
“AI, and generative AI in particular, will continue to dramatically change the face of marketing to help marketing teams deliver more personalized and targeted campaigns to customers, whose buying preferences are constantly changing. Marketers who adapt and figure out how to use generative AI in the most impactful way throughout their organizations will thrive, while those who don’t risk being left behind.” —Christine Royston, chief marketing officer of Wrike
“Digital business cards will revolutionize lead generation and tracking for sales teams, eliminating manual entry and capturing contact exchanges in real time. By integrating seamlessly with CRM systems, these tools will enable companies to measure ROI from networking events and enhance the efficiency of mobile sales teams. Companies will gain actionable insights into lead generation effectiveness, transforming real-world interactions into measurable outcomes for the first time.” —Ravi Pratap, cofounder and chief technology officer of Uniqode
“In 2025, connectivity will further unify online and in-store experiences for large retailers, allowing real-time inventory checks, personalized recommendations, and even geo-targeted ads as customers move through store aisles. Retailers will prioritize advanced cellular networks to support seamless app functionalities and streamline shoppers’ journeys from online browsing to in-store purchasing.” —Michiel Lotter, CEO of Nextivity
“The era of simple personalized banners is behind us. The next wave of retail media will blend real-time shopping behavior with predictive AI to create truly intelligent advertising moments.… The winners won’t just be those who personalize; they’ll be the brands that use retail media as a real-time market research tool, gathering instant feedback on which messages and offers resonate and then adjusting their entire marketing strategy accordingly.” —Randy Mercer, chief strategy officer of 1WorldSync
“As audiences increasingly demand relatable and meaningful content, brands must reimagine their approach to storytelling. Moving away from traditional, scripted advertisements toward authentic, engaging narratives can foster trust and emotional resonance. This shift toward audience-driven content creation will enable brands to connect with their customers on a deeper level, inspiring long-term loyalty.” —Joseph Perello, founder and CEO of Props
“In 2025, email data will become a more critical cornerstone of every forward-thinking marketing strategy. As consumer expectations for relevance and authenticity grow, marketers must harness email address intelligence to precisely target audiences, ensuring every message reaches a real individual and resonates with their wants and needs. By reducing inefficiencies, optimizing spend, and delivering stronger ROI, this will define success.” —Tom Burke, CEO of AtData
“The endless channel debates are finally over. Forget SMS vs. email. The future isn’t about choosing winners but about orchestrating a context-first strategy. Leading enterprises are shifting their focus from open rates and cost-per-message to creating seamless multichannel experiences tailored to geography, message urgency, and customer preferences. Sophisticated decision engines and fall-back strategies are critical to ensuring smooth communication across platforms, keeping customer experiences front and center.” —Jonathan Bean, chief marketing officer of Sinch
“In 2025, advertising budgets will continue to shift toward social media platforms, and those platforms will compete for advertiser dollars by offering more advanced tools that improve outcomes and ease of use. We should expect to see trends like algorithm-driven bid optimization, dynamic ad creatives, simplified toolsets, and KPI-focused programmatic thinking expand across the social media advertising space as these platforms compete with one another.” —Marissa McArdle, senior vice president of product management at DoubleVerify
“In 2025, content creators will embrace a dynamic, multi-platform approach to reach audiences effectively. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all strategy, creators will tailor their content to match each platform’s specific audience behaviors and format requirements. This means content will feel authentic and native to the platform, whether it’s a 15-second TikTok video, an in-depth YouTube story, or an Instagram Reel. —Linda Villani, chief revenue officer of Daily Mail
“Marketers will shift their focus from short-term ROI to long-term [customer lifetime value]. This will help to ensure that they are making decisions that are in the best interests of their customers and their businesses.” —Shoshana Winter, CEO of Converge Marketing Agency
“One area set for disruption in 2025 is the analysis of content and related data, with better data management and measurement as key factors to unlocking full marketing potential. AI-driven dynamic ad experiences will transform brand engagement with audiences. AI-powered content analysis and delivery offer several advantages, including personalized ads and optimized ad placement. This technological advancement, coupled with better measurement, can revolutionize how brands interact with their target audiences.” —Verl Allen, CEO of Claravine
“Expect to see streaming audio and TV increasingly deployed in digital marketing efforts with decreased reliance on traditional outlets like linear TV. These platforms offer hyper-targeting, creative flexibility, and real-time insights—exactly what brands need to connect with today’s on-demand audiences. As more people ditch traditional media for personalized, on-the-go content, marketers will follow, shifting budgets to streaming to create campaigns that resonate and drive results.” —Bryan Whitaker, CEO of Statara Solutions
Security and trust will remain paramount issues.
“The new year will bring new challenges for marketers as the FCC’s [Telephone Consumer Protection Act] explicit consent rules go into effect Jan. 27, requiring brands to have express written consent from consumers before connecting via phone or text. This affects lead generators and comparison-shopping websites as well as multiple brands they serve. While brands will need to put new contact-level workflows and guardrails in place, individual, explicit consent will help ensure that consumers are more receptive to marketing outreach and more likely to be ready to engage.” —Ryan Johnson, senior manager of Verisk Marketing Solutions
“We are witnessing a significant shift from traditional passwords to biometric and AI-driven identity verification methods as we approach 2025. These technologies are not just about security; they enhance the user experience and build greater confidence among businesses and their customers.” —Blair Cohen, founder and president of AuthenticID
“In 2025, customer-led growth won’t just be a strategy; it will define how businesses operate. Every product, decision, and interaction must be intentionally designed to help customers succeed. The reality is that today’s customers are more cautious than ever, expecting to see value upfront before making important decisions. To meet these expectations, businesses must tailor their messaging to address the diverse needs of buying groups, building trust with each persona involved.” —Jennifer Herbison, interim chief marketing officer of Exclaimer
“2025 is set to redefine what’s possible in CRM, blending innovation, security, and customer-centricity to empower businesses to forge deeper and more meaningful relationships with their audiences.” —John Cheney, CEO of Workbooks
As always, as much as technology constantly progresses, companies won't lose sight of the human factor.
“The future of customer experience in 2025 will hinge on blending personalization, proactive technology, human connection, and accessibility to create meaningful, enduring customer relationships. By focusing on improving the employee experience first, leveraging tools like agentic AI and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to enhance decision making and reduce cognitive load, businesses can ensure consistent, exceptional outcomes while setting the stage for enduring customer relationships.” —Brian Higgins, chief customer experience officer of Verizon’s consumer group
“As customer interactions grow more complex, the demands on frontline employees are rising as well. Customers now expect personalized, thoughtful service, yet many frontline workers lack the training and tools needed to meet these heightened expectations. This widening skills gap is one of the biggest challenges in CX today. In 2025, many organizations will focus on investing in meaningful upskilling programs, including AI-driven coaching and simulation-based training. Closing this gap is critical not only for employee success but also for growing customer loyalty.” —Mario Matulich, president of Customer Management Practice
“Influencer marketing will hold less clout. In the new year, social commerce will continue to boom; however, we will see less overt influencer marketing. Brands that prioritize authenticity will come out on top, as consumers are increasingly turning to real product reviews and ratings to inform their buying decisions. Retailers should focus on gathering and showcasing genuine customer feedback to help build trust and allow potential buyers to relate to the experiences of real customers.” —Bobby Meixner, senior director of industry solutions at UserTesting
“In 2025, social media will dominate the customer service game. Everyone, especially younger generations, is turning to platforms like Facebook and Instagram first to get their customer service questions answered quickly. And the expectation for speed and personalization has never been higher. To meet these rising expectations, brands will have to learn to strike a balance between automation and human touch, dispersing AI to handle routine inquiries while leaving customer care teams to focus on complex issues.” —Scott Morris, chief marketing officer of Sprout Social
“2025 is set to redefine what’s possible in CRM, blending innovation, security, and customer-centricity to empower businesses to forge deeper and more meaningful relationships with their audiences.” —John Cheney, CEO of Workbooks
“An increasing number of companies are utilizing CRM systems to oversee post-sales tasks, such as order fulfillment, delivery, onboarding, and project management. CRM has evolved beyond mere deal closure. In 2025 and beyond, it will emerge as the essential tool for maintaining customer relationships and managing continuous work post sale.” —Jeff Rosenthal, head of CRM go-to-market for North America at monday.com
“As marketing tech and retail tech converge, we predict that marketing teams will increasingly take on responsibilities traditionally associated with retail operations and CX. In industries like retail, consumer goods, and hospitality, this will lead to a more integrated approach, where marketing is not just about promotion but also about shaping the entire customer experience.” —Chad Shuford, partner at Silicon Foundry
“To build lasting loyalty and keep shoppers coming back in the new year, brands need to focus on more than just a single transaction. By delivering value beyond that immediate purchase, they can foster deeper connections and encourage ongoing interactions with their customers. Consistency is key, as is the ability to influence behaviors that extend beyond typical buying cycles.” —James Herridge-Leng, retail and consumer packaged goods program lead at Braze
“AI-driven personalization at scale will increase conversion rates. As B2B buyers expect more tailored and contextually relevant information, AI-driven content and ads that dynamically adjust based on intent data and behavioral signals will become the norm.” —Karl Van Buren, CEO and co-founder of Audyence
"In 2025, AI chatbots will have dramatically disrupted traditional SEO traffic, forcing marketers to go back to their roots — relationship building. The most successful brands have forgone mass-market approaches and aggressive sales tactics in favor of establishing genuine connections with their clients. This strategy doesn't always deliver immediate results but aiming to offer something of real value to prospects or customers without expecting an instant return creates stickier, more meaningful relationships. Brands need to be more upfront about what they are trying to achieve. This new landscape will reward human connection and specialized expertise over traditional digital marketing metrics, fundamentally changing how brands connect with their audiences." —Andrew Clark, SEO content specialist at CallTrackingMetrics
“As AI pervades internal workflows but customers still express caution around the tech, fostering CX soft skills within internal teams will be a key focus for business leaders. As the market moves to adopt widely available AI, functions like customer service will become increasingly valuable differentiators. Employees who can meaningfully connect with customers outside of contact center settings will go a long way in building loyalty, especially if they track, analyze, and optimize these interactions to provide maximum customer value and a blueprint for success to other workers.” —Damon Covey, general manager of GoTo Connect.