Sifting Through the Noise: What HeroConf 2025 Revealed About PPC’s Next Chapter
By Stacey Pendrich, PPC Director
If there’s one thing Hero Conf 2025 made abundantly clear, it’s that digital marketers are facing an overwhelming amount of choice. Rather than being a showcase of groundbreaking new tactics, the event served as a timely validation of a reality we already know well: the sheer volume of available tools, strategies, and opinions can make it difficult to know where to focus. With so many options – often contradictory – around tools, automation, campaign types, measurement, and media spend, the real challenge isn’t finding something new, but figuring out what’s actually right for your business.
AI perception: Marketers vs. customers
The hot topic this year was, unsurprisingly, the growth of AI and the evolving relationship between AI and trust in digital marketing. As AI adoption accelerates, marketers are increasingly challenged to balance automation with transparency and ethical data use. Speakers emphasized that while AI can drive efficiency and personalization, it’s essential to communicate clearly with customers about how their data is used and to maintain a human touch in brand interactions. Building trust isn’t just a compliance issue – it’s a competitive differentiator as consumers become more discerning about AI-driven experiences.
A recurring theme was the growing gap between how marketers and customers perceive AI. Marketers are rapidly adopting AI-driven solutions to streamline operations, personalize campaigns, and optimize performance. According to one speaker, over 69% of marketing professionals have integrated some form of AI into their workflows, with adoption rates climbing each year.
However, customer sentiment hasn’t kept pace. Another talk highlighted that while 77% of marketers have a positive perception of AI, only about 38% of consumers report feeling the same, and 41% say they do not trust companies using AI in their interactions. While this number is growing concerns around privacy, data usage, and the loss of human touch remain high among customers, with many expressing skepticism about AI-driven personalization and automated communications.
This disconnect underscores the importance of transparency and balance: while businesses can benefit from AI, it’s crucial to ensure that customer trust and comfort aren’t sacrificed in the process.
Breaking down silos: Integration for impact
A recurring challenge discussed was the fragmentation of data, teams, and tools. Leading marketers shared strategies for breaking down silos – integrating platforms, aligning cross-functional teams, and ensuring that creative, data, and media work together seamlessly. The most successful organizations are those that foster collaboration, share insights across departments, and build unified customer journeys.
One area where this integration is especially powerful is in the collaboration between PPC and SEO teams. Rather than operating in isolation, these disciplines can work together to maximize visibility on search engine results pages, combining the immediate impact of paid ads with the long-term benefits of organic rankings. Insights from PPC campaigns, such as high-performing keywords and tested ad copy, can inform SEO strategies, while SEO research can highlight new opportunities for paid targeting. This two-way flow of information helps both teams refine their approaches and ensures that messaging is consistent across channels.
Additionally, using PPC to retarget visitors who first arrived via organic search can help close the loop and drive conversions. Ultimately, organizations that encourage regular communication and shared reporting between PPC and SEO are better positioned to create a seamless, effective marketing strategy that leverages the strengths of both.
Contradictory advice: Adopt or avoid?
One of the most striking takeaways from Hero Conf 2025 was the sheer volume of conflicting recommendations facing today’s marketers. For every new tool or tactic, there seemed to be both enthusiastic advocates and cautious skeptics. This abundance of options – often accompanied by bold claims – can make it difficult to know which innovations are worth your time and which might simply add unnecessary complexity. The challenge is to cut through the noise, weigh the pros and cons, and make choices that align with your business’s unique needs and resources.
Tools and automation
Tools and automation have been part of advertising platforms for years, but their capabilities are advancing fast. Now, there’s a growing ecosystem of add-on solutions promising even smarter targeting, optimization, measurement, and analysis. These can help marketers work more efficiently, automate routine tasks, and uncover deeper insights. However, they can also add complexity, require training, and come with a price tag. The key is to choose tools and features that genuinely support your goals, rather than adopting every new platform or add-on that comes along.
Measurement & attribution
Advanced measurement – like multi-touch attribution and AI-driven analytics – can clarify what’s working and enable smarter budget allocation and campaign optimization. Many new tools promise to automate reporting and make data more accessible, but complex measurement systems require investment and expertise. For many businesses, simple, actionable metrics are more practical than enterprise-level analytics. It’s important to avoid “tool overload” and focus on measurement solutions that fit your team’s capacity and your business’s actual needs.
Adopting AI for content
Nowhere was the divide in expert opinion more apparent than in the debate over using AI to generate ad copy, landing page content, and images for PPC. Some speakers championed AI as a game-changer, arguing that it enables rapid content creation, more testing, and greater personalization at scale. Others, however, warned that over-reliance on AI risks producing generic or off-brand messaging and that human creativity and oversight remain essential for authentic connection. The result is a landscape where marketers must decide for themselves how much to trust AI with their brand’s voice.
For some, AI-generated content is a valuable tool to boost productivity and experimentation; for others, it’s a resource best used with caution and careful review. As with so many areas in digital marketing, the right approach depends on your goals, your team’s strengths, and your appetite for risk.
PPC & data: Smarter targeting, smarter spend
Sessions on PPC strategy at Hero Conf 2025 emphasized the need to move beyond generic targeting and embrace more creative, data-driven approaches. Marketers are increasingly looking at alternative targeting methods—such as contextual targeting, interest-based audiences, and predictive modeling—to reach users in new and unexpected ways. Rather than sticking to the same audience segments and exact keyword match types, there’s a growing willingness to experiment and uncover untapped opportunities.
Alongside this, there’s a clear focus on concentrating budgets where they have the most impact, whether that’s on top-performing services, audiences, or channels, instead of spreading spend too thinly. Adapting to platform changes, such as using negative keywords in Performance Max campaigns to protect brand traffic, is also seen as essential for driving incremental growth. By staying open to new targeting strategies and making data-driven decisions about where to invest, marketers can achieve greater efficiency and stronger results from their PPC efforts.
Be customer-centric, strategic & realistic
Don’t try to do it all. The most successful marketers at Hero Conf were those who honestly assessed their resources and focused on what would move the needle for their specific goals. Allocate budget based on objectives, not just by jumping on trends or the latest tool. Regularly review and adjust -what worked last quarter may not work now.
It’s also essential to remember the perception gap between marketers and customers when it comes to AI and automation. While it’s tempting to adopt the latest innovations, always consider how these changes will be received by your audience. Striking the right balance between efficiency and customer trust is key – transparency and a human touch still matter.
Start with clear, measurable goals. Involve all stakeholders to ensure alignment. Focus on high-impact channels, using data to identify where your audience is most engaged, rather than spreading yourself thin across every possible platform or tool.
Final thoughts: Find your own path
Hero Conf 2025 reinforced that the world of digital marketing is full of shiny new tools, bold predictions, and conflicting advice. The real challenge – and opportunity – is to cut through the noise. Don’t chase every trend or tool. Instead, be honest about your budget, your team’s capacity, and your business objectives. And as you innovate, keep your customers’ perceptions and comfort front and center – transparency and trust are just as important as efficiency.
The right digital marketing strategy is the one that fits your business, your customers, and your goals. Stay focused, stay flexible, and keep learning. That’s how you’ll turn conference inspiration into real-world results.
Key Takeaways
What is the main challenge facing digital marketers in 2025?
The biggest challenge is not the lack of new tools or tactics, but the overwhelming amount of choice. Marketers must sift through a crowded landscape of tools, strategies, and opinions to find what actually works for their business.
How are marketers and customers perceiving AI differently?
While over 60% of marketers have adopted AI and 77% view it positively, only 38% of consumers share that optimism, and 41% do not trust companies using AI. There’s a growing gap between marketer enthusiasm and customer trust, driven by concerns over privacy and loss of human touch.
How can breaking down silos benefit marketing teams?
Integrating data, teams and tools-especially between PPC and SEO- enables more unified customer journeys, maximizes search visibility, and ensures consistent messaging across channels, leading to better results.
Why is it important to be realistic and customer-centric in PPC?
Success comes from strategically assessing resources, focusing on high-impact channels, and regularly reviewing activity. Marketers should prioritize customer trust and user experience, not just efficiency or trend adoption – this will ensure longevity in marketing efforts.
What is the ultimate takeaway from Hero Conf 2025 for PPC marketers?
Don’t chase every trend. Find a path that fits your business, customer, and goals. Stay focused, flexible and keep learning. Balancing innovation with transparency and trust will support in both efficient marketing practices and driving real business value.
