By: Simon Cetin
Companies that still fail to recognize the importance of digital will face declining market presence, efficiency, and visibility. Even though market conditions remain unpredictable and subject to rapid change, digital advertising stands as one of the few constants. Its value does not stem from momentary popularity but from the ability to connect data sources, advanced technologies, and business objectives in real time. Compared to traditional communication channels, digital allows for significantly faster response, greater flexibility, and more precise targeting. Today, it is a key tool for resilience and long-term growth.
Growth of Digital Media Investment as a Mirror of Strategic Maturity
According to a study conducted by iPROM in collaboration with the research agency Valicon for the fifth year in a row, Slovenian companies are expected to increase their digital advertising budgets by an average of 14% in 2025. An increasing number of companies view digital advertising as an integral part of business strategy rather than just a supplement, which is also confirmed by the continued growth of investment – even during budget optimization periods.
The highest growth is observed in sectors that, until a few years ago, were less active in digital but have now made significant progress – pharmaceuticals, real estate, construction, and home equipment are increasing budgets by an average of 41%. This growth indicates that it’s no longer just about switching to digital channels but marks the beginning of comprehensive digital restructuring and transformation.
A different trend can be seen in sectors where digital is already the standard. Retail is experiencing a moderate but steady growth of 3%. Companies are investing more thoughtfully, focusing on optimizing existing solutions. The services sector is growing by around 20%, but here too, there’s a shift from expansion toward efficiency and strategic planning.
Changing Priorities: From Volume to Alignment
Alongside growing budgets, the investment structure is also shifting. Companies are investing slightly less in content production and more in media buying, which may suggest partial automation and tech-driven content production. In 2025, investments in media buying are set to increase by 12%, while content production budgets will decrease by an average of 3%. However, this is not a sign of withdrawal, but rather a shift in approach to digital content creation and distribution.
Digital content is no longer about quantity but about a carefully considered combination of creative ideas and technological execution. It is becoming selective, personalized, and strategically placed. Companies are focusing on better use of existing content, improving integration with media buying using data, testing different creative executions through dynamic advertising tools, and building coherent stories across multiple data-driven channels. In companies where a content strategy is already established, consolidation and multichannel integration of tools is taking place. Where digital is only now becoming essential, companies are first seeking measurable results, then broader strategies that enable brand building.
Data as the Foundation of Modern Efficiency
Today’s competitive edge no longer lies in who has more data, but in who knows how to use it better and turn it into value. Most Slovenian companies (83%) use their own first-party data for targeting. In addition, they enhance their strategies with partner databases, social media data, and public sources. But that’s not enough. The key lies in knowing how to connect, interpret, and apply that data to support sales and brand building. At iPROM, such companies are referred to as “digitally empowered.”
They are often early adopters of advanced technology solutions for managing their data, such as iPROM Private DMP, which enables centralized collection and real-time data usage. This allows companies to more accurately target known users, create additional segments through lookalike algorithms, and automate the creation of relevant ads. Given users’ limited attention, the ability to automate data-driven advertising has become a crucial component of modern approaches – as demonstrated by the example of the Ljubljana Airport Fly 2.0 platform.
Technology as the Foundation, Not Just a Tool
Today, marketing technology is no longer just a support tool for advertising campaigns – it has become the core infrastructure of digital advertising. In 2025, Slovenian companies will invest an average of €70,000 annually in such solutions, with individual investments ranging from €2,000 to €300,000 per year. The highest spenders are companies in consumer-facing sectors, such as retail and services. Tourism is currently somewhat lagging behind.
The most common use of technology today is in analytics, communication automation, and social media management. In the future, technology will play a key role in strategic decision-making, channel optimization, team alignment, and improving user experience. Companies that manage to fully harness this potential will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of marketing.
Digital as a Test of Strategic Readiness
In 2025, digital advertising is no longer just a tactical response to change or crisis – it reflects a company’s strategic readiness. Companies that can connect business goals, teams, data, and technologies into a unified system understand that mediocrity in digital means losing competitive advantage.
Today, the question is not whether to invest in digital, but whether we will be among those creating the future – or those trying to catch up. In that context, digital is no longer optional. It is a strategic necessity and a key tool for strengthening market position, through which a company asserts and secures its role in the marketplace.
