The world is swaying. Both in a figurative and literal sense.
Customs walls are rising, advertisements are about to be taxed, consumers are closing their wallets while nervously staring east, and marketing budgets are not just being cut – they are being put on pause with applause.
It is 2025, and marketing for many companies is in a shallow economy, where the expensive click has become a luxury that one barely feels guilty about avoiding.
But in the silent vacuum, where screaming offer ads fade out, a space emerges. A space for something else. Something more sustainable. Something with consent. Permission marketing.
From hunt to invitation
Where traditional marketing has often been a battle for attention, permission marketing is about something as untrendy as permission. Instead of interrupting, you invite. Instead of turning it up, you lean in. And in 2025, that is precisely what works.
Consumers do not want more messages. They want meaning. They want relevance. And they want it on their own terms.
This makes permission marketing more than a tactic. It makes it a shift in mentality in the way we build relationships.
When “no thanks” becomes the new default choice
Regulations like GDPR and ePrivacy have made “no” the new starting point. Users are finding it increasingly difficult to be tracked, and third-party data is quietly fading away. Meanwhile, platforms and browsers have tightened their grip further, and even large tech giants are now taking privacy seriously (or pretending to).
The result? The only data you can rely on is the data people voluntarily give you. With consent. And this makes permission marketing the very foundation of your future data strategy.
When the buying journey becomes a marathon
In uncertain times, decisions are delayed. The buying journey, which could previously be measured in days, now takes weeks or months. People wait. Consider. Compare. And in the waiting period, the one who remains relevant wins.
Permission marketing provides a real competitive advantage here. A series of emails, an app, a community, or a customer club universe can keep a relationship warm long before anyone is ready to buy. And when they are ready, you are first in line.
From data capture to data trust
Before, data was something you fished up with large nets. Now it is something that you are only given if the bait is right. That difference is not just legal – it is psychological. Users who have given you their information expect something in return. They expect value. They expect respect. And if you deliver that, you gain access to data that no platform can take from you.
First-party data is not only more reliable. It is also more useful because it is built on a real relationship and context.
Social media can be effective – until they are not. A new algorithm, a pricing policy, a technical glitch, and suddenly your reach is halved. With permission marketing, you build something that no third party can take from you: Your own channel to your own users.
That is the difference between renting access and owning the relationship.
5 examples of permission marketing that go beyond the newsletter
Customer clubs with content and identity: For example, see Matas Club, where discounts are only part of the value proposition. Here it is about community, tips, and personal care in more than one sense.
Apps with real value: The Cancer Society’s nicotine addiction app helps users break bad habits through motivating push notifications and a sense of community.
Content in series format: Email courses, podcast serials, or SMS campaigns with cliffhangers. It all builds on an agreement: You give attention, we give insight.
Extensive permission with extensive value: When Grammarly accesses users' inbox, browser, and Office suite to deliver personalized recommendations and proofreading suggestions across platforms and track their development over time.
Gamification and progression: When customers can “level up” like at Starbucks, or gain access to more features like at Duolingo, marketing becomes an experience, not an interruption.
The long-term view
Permission marketing is not the answer to everything. But in a reality where you cannot rely on price levels, platforms, or consumers' willingness to buy, it is one of the only strategies built to last.
It is not quick. It is not easy. But it is yours. And it cannot be taken from you.
All you need to have is permission.
