#BizTrends2025: Novus Group’s Joe Hamman - Media monitoring trends to watch in 2025

Joe Hamman, the founder and director at Novus Group, examines some trends set to reshape media monitoring and further strengthen its role in driving decision-making in 2025 (Image supplied)

Here are some trends set to reshape media monitoring and further strengthen its role in driving decision-making.

AI predictions

It should hardly come as a surprise that artificial intelligence (AI) is making a significant leap forward in media monitoring.

The size of the AI market in South Africa is projected to reach $900m by the end of 2024.

In the coming months, AI will be used to assist companies with predictive analytics.

By analysing historical data, sentiment, and audience engagement, AI enables organisations to anticipate media trends and public reactions before they happen.

This proactive approach gives businesses a competitive edge by preparing them to respond effectively to emerging narratives and opportunities.

Customisation and targeted alerts

The demand for highly customised and near real-time alerts continues to grow.

With the sheer volume of information generated daily, businesses need tools that allow them to filter relevant data quickly and efficiently.

South Africa compares favourably to other countries on the continent when it comes to the availability of economic, financial, and socio-economic data sets.

Platforms like Novus Group’s tailored media monitoring services will also help businesses focus on what is important to them. For example, tracking specific keywords, monitoring competitors, or gaining insights into audience sentiment.

Turning data into insights

Of course, the abundance of data is one thing.

Getting actionable insights from it to help drive decision-making is something else.

In 2025, media monitoring will put increased emphasis on extracting meaningful insights that inform business strategies.

Whether this happens through customised reports or detailed analytics, the ability to transform raw data into actionable intelligence will be crucial.

Expanding media monitoring to sponsorships

Media monitoring is also expanding its scope to include different tracking segments, for instance, sponsorship tracking.

Companies can optimise their sponsorship strategies by analysing metrics, like brand exposure, audience engagement, and financial impact.

This highlights how media monitoring is evolving beyond traditional coverage to support diverse business objectives.

Cross-platform analysis

Text, video, audio, and image analysis integration across diverse platforms is becoming a standard expectation in media monitoring.

As social media, podcasts, and livestreams grow in popularity, comprehensive cross-platform analysis will be essential for businesses to gain a holistic understanding of their media presence.

This multi-format approach ensures no valuable insight is missed, regardless of where it originates.