WPP Media experts reassess advertising’s path to 2030

Halfway through the decade, industry experts are revising their expectations for how media, commerce and technology will transform by 2030. The findings come from the updated Advertising in 2030 study, originally conducted in 2020 and 2021, which gathers insights from more than 60 experts across marketing, publishing, media and technology.

The panel was asked to revisit 15 scenarios outlined in the earlier research and evaluate five new ones, covering areas from artificial intelligence and robotics to regulation and consumer behavior.

Growing role of AI, slower adoption of VR

A key shift since the original study is greater confidence in generative AI as a creative tool, reflecting rapid advances in the technology. In contrast, expectations around virtual reality have cooled, with experts noting that consumers have yet to embrace VR and AR at scale and the metaverse has struggled to gain traction.

The research also highlights a partial return to in-person work, despite the rise of virtual collaboration tools. While digital communication remains common, many companies have brought employees back to physical offices.

Consumer focus returns to price

Expert responses point to a shift in perceived consumer priorities. In the initial study, sustainability was expected to become a central factor in purchase decisions, rivaling price. In the updated findings, price is once again viewed as the dominant driver, with sustainability maintaining relevance but taking a secondary role.

Looking ahead to 2030, experts continue to expect strong progress in technological integration, particularly in biometrics and AI assistance. However, they are less confident about the likelihood of sweeping regulatory or behavioral changes, such as the introduction of a single global privacy law.

The findings suggest that while technology-driven transformation is accelerating, consumer behavior and policy shifts may unfold at a slower pace than predicted at the start of the decade.

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