Digital marketing in 2024 looks nothing like it did in 2022. Two major European regulations, the Digital Services Act and the Artificial Intelligence Regulation, are redefining what a company can do to reach its audience. The marketing trends that matter this year are not gimmicks: they respond to new legal constraints and rapidly changing purchasing behaviors.
European Regulation and Digital Marketing: What Changes in 2024
Since February 17, 2024, the Digital Services Act requires clear identification of each online advertisement, naming its sponsor, and specifying the main targeting parameters used. Advertising targeting based on sensitive data is prohibited, as is advertising profiling of minors.
At the same time, the European regulation on artificial intelligence, which came into effect on August 1, 2024, prohibits AI systems using subliminal or manipulative techniques that could significantly alter behavior. It also requires informing the user when interacting with an AI or viewing AI-generated content.
Do you use a chatbot on your e-commerce site? A personalized recommendation tool? These two texts directly concern you. Fines under the DSA can reach a significant percentage of global revenue. The resources available on marketing on Blog Business help understand how to adapt your strategy to this new framework.
Content Strategy in 2024: Transparency as a Driver of Engagement
The temptation to produce massive amounts of content with generative AI remains strong. The problem: consumers are increasingly detecting standardized texts, and regulations now require labeling AI-generated content.
The most productive trend is to use AI to structure and accelerate, then add an identifiable human layer. A real customer testimonial, a review signed by a team member, data from your own activity: these elements create a difference that AI alone does not produce.
Why does this choice work better than 100% automated production? Because social media algorithms favor content that generates authentic interactions. A LinkedIn post written by an executive in their own voice outperforms in organic reach a generic text published by a company page.
Short Formats and High-Value Content
Vertical videos under 60 seconds remain the most shared format on social media. Their effectiveness is based on a simple principle: one idea per video, a clear call to action.
Combining these short formats with long-form content (in-depth articles, white papers, webinars) allows for quick attention capture, then converting the most engaged visitors. This complementarity between snack content and in-depth content is a pillar of successful marketing strategies this year.
Retail Media and First-Party Data: The Growth Driver Outside Social Networks
Retail media is advertising displayed directly on the websites and applications of retailers (marketplaces, grocery chains, specialized sites). This channel differs from social media by a decisive advantage: the purchase intent is already present at the time of ad exposure.
According to IAB Europe’s projections, retail media in Europe could reach €32.7 billion by 2030. This growth is explained by the gradual disappearance of third-party cookies, pushing advertisers toward environments where first-party transactional data is available.
For an SME, leveraging retail media does not necessarily mean investing in Amazon Ads. Retailers’ networks specialized in your sector often offer lower acquisition costs and a more qualified audience. Here are the criteria to check before testing a retail media channel:
- Does the platform provide detailed performance data (conversion rates by product, cost per sale, and not just impressions)?
- Is the targeting based on real transactional data or behavioral estimates?
- Can you cross-reference the results with your own CRM data to measure sales incrementality?
AI Compliance and Personalization: Finding the Right Balance for Your Campaigns
Personalization remains a powerful lever for enhancing the customer experience. AI tools allow for real-time adaptation of messages, product recommendations, and purchasing journeys. However, the regulatory framework of 2024 requires rethinking how this personalization is constructed.
In practical terms, this means:
- Integrating an explicit consent mechanism before any algorithmic personalization, in compliance with GDPR and DSA.
- Documenting the AI models used in your campaigns, especially if you are using automated generation of advertising texts or images.
- Clearly inform the user when content has been generated or manipulated by AI, as required by the European AI regulation.
- Exclude minors from any advertising profiling, including on your own channels (newsletter, mobile app).
These constraints do not hinder personalization. They make it more reliable. A customer informed about the recommendation logic trusts the brand more than a customer exposed to opaque targeting.
Auditing Your Existing Marketing Tools
Before launching a new campaign, review your current tools. Does your email platform segment based on sensitive data categories (health, political opinions, orientation)? Does your chatbot inform the user that they are interacting with an AI? These checks, once optional, are now legal obligations with penalties.
The marketing trends of 2024 can be summed up in an operational principle: regulatory compliance is no longer a barrier to creativity; it is the foundation on which sustainable strategies are built. Companies that integrate the DSA and AI regulation from the design of their campaigns gain a competitive advantage that their less rigorous competitors will take months to catch up with.
