If 2024 was the year AI went mainstream in conversation, 2025 was the year it went mainstream in practice.
Across Aotearoa and the world, marketers stopped asking: “Should we use AI?” Instead we started grappling with a more confronting question: “How do we build it into the way marketing actually gets done?”
The Marketing Association’s Digital Special Interest Group discussed their key takeouts from 2025 in the recently published ‘2025 Wrapped’ article. One message came through clearly: ongoing learning is no longer optional.
With AI accelerating change across tools, platforms, regulation and consumer behaviour, the shelf life of marketing skills has shortened dramatically.
The marketers who stay relevant are the ones who keep learning, testing and adapting, not once a year, but continuously.
Building capability for a fast-moving profession
In response to this shift, and to support marketers at different stages of their careers, the Marketing Association is expanding its professional development offering. We have introduced a suite of Online Marketing accreditations, designed to build capability, confidence and momentum in 2026.
These accreditations reflect the reality of modern marketing careers: flexible, fast-moving and shaped by constant change. They allow marketers to upskill in a structured way, while balancing work, life and evolving business demands.
New online marketing accreditations
Online accreditations provide formal recognition from your professional industry body, the NZ Marketing Association, for ongoing professional development. Marketers earn an accreditation by completing four core online workshops within their chosen stream.
There are four accreditation pathways available:
- AI Online Accreditation
- Digital Marketer Online Accreditation
- Strategic Marketer Online Accreditation
- Core Skills Online Accreditation
Each accreditation provides structured, practical learning with formal recognition from your professional industry body, the NZ Marketing Association. Once enrolled, participants have one year to complete their accreditation, supported by clear guides and progress tracking. It’s professional development designed to fit modern marketing careers, with the added bonus of an industry credential that signals commitment to staying current.
Looking ahead
The lessons from 2025 are clear. Marketing is evolving faster than ever, driven by AI – changing search behaviour and rising expectations from customers and organisations alike.
In 2026, success won’t come from clinging to old playbooks or chasing every new tool. It will come from building strong foundations, staying adaptable and investing in continuous learning.
The future belongs to marketers who combine human insight with machine intelligence and who are willing to keep evolving as the profession does.
If you want to talk more about your professional development options as a marketer, feel free to email the Marketing Association’s Learning & Development team at [email protected].
This story comes from NZ Marketing magazine issue 86, March-May 2026. Why not subscribe? Get four issues a year for just $50 (including delivery) if you autorenew.
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