Today, the question is no longer whether to advertise on digital channels, but whether to do so as a first and deliberate strategic choice. The focus has shifted from justifying digital advertising to evaluating the maturity and targeting of the digital approach. Businesses that do not yet recognise the importance of digital today risk losing visibility, market presence, and effectiveness tomorrow. Although market conditions are unpredictable and change rapidly, digital advertising remains a rare constant. Its value is not derived from its current popularity, but from its ability to connect data sources, advanced technologies and business objectives in real time. Compared to traditional channels, digital advertising offers faster response times, a higher degree of flexibility and more precise targeting. Today, it is a key tool for resilience and long-term growth.
Growth in digital media investment as a mirror of strategic maturity
According to a survey conducted for the fifth consecutive year by iPROM in cooperation with Valicon, Slovenian companies are increasing their digital advertising budgets by an average of 14% per year in 2025. More and more businesses are treating digital as an integral part of their strategy rather than an add-on, as evidenced by the steady growth in investments, even at a time when budgets are being optimised.
The biggest growth is seen in industries that were less active in digital a few years ago, but have since embraced it. Pharmaceuticals, real estate, construction and home furnishings are increasing their budgets by 41% on average. This growth indicates that this is not just a shift to digital channels, but the start of a broader digital presence or an active digital transformation.
It is a different story in sectors where digital is already firmly established. Retail is experiencing moderate but stable growth of 3%. Here, companies are investing more cautiously and focusing primarily on optimising existing solutions. Growth in services is slightly higher, at around 20%, but here too, we see a shift from expansion to efficiency and strategic planning.
Shift in priorities from volume to consistency
As budgets grow, the structure of investment is also evolving. Companies are investing slightly less in new content production and more in media buying, perhaps indicating partial automation and technological content production. In 2025, investment in media buying is up by 12%, while spending on content production has declined by an average of 3%. However, this is not a sign of retreat, but of a shift in the approach to content production and distribution through digital channels.
Digital content is no longer about volume, but about the thoughtful combination of creative ideas and the use of technology. It is becoming selective, personalised and strategically positioned. Companies are focusing on making better use of existing content, improving its connection with data-driven media buying, testing different creative solutions with tools to build dynamic creatives and building coherent narratives across multiple data-driven channels. Where content strategy is already firmly established, we are seeing consolidation and multi-channel integration of different tools. Companies, where digital is just becoming a priority, are looking first for measurable results and only then for a broader content consistency that allows them to build a story.
Data as the foundation of modern efficiency
Today’s competitive advantage for businesses is no longer about who has more data, but who can use it more effectively. The majority of Slovenian companies (83%) use their own first-party data for targeting. But that is not enough. The real value lies in the ability to integrate, interpret and use these data sources in a way that supports both sales and brand growth. At iPROM, we refer to companies that know and do this as digitally empowered.
They are also often among the first adopters of advanced technologies for managing their own data, such as iPROM Private DMP, which enable them to collect and use data centrally and in real time. This allows companies to target known users more accurately, create additional segments with look-alike algorithms and automate the creation of relevant ad creatives. As users’ attention spans are becoming increasingly limited, the ability to automate data-driven advertising is becoming a core element of modern advertising strategies. This is also demonstrated by the example of the Ljubljana Airport Fly 2.0 platform.
Technology as a foundation, not just a tool
Marketing technology today is no longer a tool to support advertising campaigns. It has become the core infrastructure of digital advertising In 2025, Slovenian companies are investing an average of €70,000 annually in such solutions, with amounts ranging from €2,000 to €300,000 per year. The largest investments are made in industries with direct contact with consumers, such as retail and services, while tourism is currently trailing slightly behind.
Technology is primarily used for analytics, communication automation and social media management. In the future, however, its key contribution will be mainly in strategic decision-making, channel optimisation, team coordination and enhancing the customer experience. Companies that are able to harness this potential in a holistic way will play a key role in shaping the future of marketing.
Digital as a test of strategic readiness
Digital advertising in 2025 is no longer just a tactical response to change or crisis – it has become a reflection of a company’s strategic readiness. Businesses that are able to align business objectives, teams, data and technologies into a unified system realise that mediocrity in this area means losing their competitive advantage.
Decision-makers today are no longer debating whether to invest in digital, but whether they will be among those who shape the future or left catching up. In this context, digital is no longer optional. It is a strategic imperative and a key tool for strengtheing a company’s position in the market.