3 Must-Know Strategies to Target Your Best Customers in 2025

6/23/2025 Lindsay McFarlane

Digital media is surging. Dentsu is projecting a spend growth of 9.2% this year — reaching $513 billion and accounting for nearly 63% of global ad spend. But growth doesn’t always guarantee results. Juniper Research found that 22% of digital ad dollars (around $84B) were lost to fraud in 2023. That figure is expected to double to over $170B in five years. Additionally, ongoing challenges with addressability and measurement, as noted in Basis Technologies’ 2025 Advertising Trends Report, continue to shrink digital media ROI.

That’s why precision targeting is no longer optional — it’s essential. As budgets come under greater scrutiny and traditional targeting loses effectiveness, marketers need smarter, more efficient ways to reach the right customer. By combining first-party data with predictive analytics and advanced consumer insights, marketers can model real behavior, identify high-value audiences, and engage buyers before they even begin searching. 

Ready to reduce waste and boost results? Here are three must-know targeting strategies for 2025.

1. Rethink targeting: Why traditional methods are losing effectiveness

The digital age has reshaped consumer behavior. Consumers are now active, not passive, and broad-brush tactics like mass media and one-size-fits-all strategies miss the mark. Today’s consumers expect personalized, relevant content tailored to their interests and behaviors. 

Shift to precision targeting by leveraging advanced analytics and behavioral insights that help identify and engage audiences more effectively. In 2025, it’s adapt or fail — data-driven targeting is the only way to connect.

2. Reduce waste: Use data science to optimize ad spend

Data science is a must-have for marketers looking to maximize ROI. By turning raw data into actionable insights, brands can eliminate wasted spend and guide smarter decisions by analyzing consumer behavior across time — past, present, and predictive.

The key question is: How can you effectively apply data science to sharpen your targeting strategy? Consider the below impactful approaches:

• Predictive analytics allow marketers to spot trends early and adjust campaigns before competitors catch on.
• Look-alike modeling pinpoints new customers who mirror the best existing ones.
• Real-time behavioral insights help optimize ad placements across multiple touchpoints.

3. Build efficient customer audiences: Lowering cost of acquisition

Understanding and optimizing Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is key to profitable growth. As advertising costs continue to rise, measuring paid media performance and adjusting strategies in real time is critical.

One of the most effective tactics? Look-alike modeling. By using a seed file of high-value customers — past buyers, high-intent leads, or engaged prospects — marketers can identify new audiences with similar attributes who are far more likely to convert.

To get the most out of look-alike modeling:

• Start with accuracy: Confirm your seed file reflects the audience you want to scale.
• Trust proven models: Use validated data science models or work with trusted partners for enhanced precision.
• Rely on a reliable data universe: The more accurate the consumer data, the better the insights — and the stronger the audience matches.

By combining first-party data with precision targeting, marketers can find their best customers before they even realize they’re ready to buy — boosting ROI and lowering acquisition costs.

Intelligence is your edge

The future of digital advertising belongs to brands that move beyond outdated tactics and lean into precision marketing powered by data science. With the right strategy and tools, marketers can zero in on high-value audiences, engage them at the right moment, and drive better results with less waste.

Choose a partner with a precision marketing solution that combines advanced data, audience insights, and media activation to help you connect with your best customers — faster, smarter, and more efficiently.

As Director of Strategy and Planning at RRD, Lindsay McFarlane combines strategic vision and creative problem-solving to help marketers thrive in today’s fast-changing, multichannel landscape. Connect with Lindsay for more information on elevating your audience targeting strategy.