For a long time, brands could buy their way to growth through acquisition channels using the walled gardens. But in 2025, acquisition alone is no longer enough. CAC keeps rising, ROAS is less clear-cut, and even with endless resources — which most teams don’t have — it’s simply not a good use of budget to be fully dependent on paid channels.
Retention and LTV are the top priorities for many companies — which means that lifecycle teams now often own the most....