There is something magical about the last days of the year. It doesn’t matter if it was a challenging, extraordinary year or just “just another”: we all feel that almost automatic impulse to look back. It is a human ritual. From the moment we release the first agenda or open the first “resolutions of the year” note, until a summary of everything we went, did, listened to or visited during twelve months appears on the screen. The end of the year has its own memory, and increasingly, it also has a digital record.
Personally, taking stock of the year is more important than we think. It’s not just looking back; is to recognize ourselves. We start January full of goals—exercise more, travel more, read more, save more—and without realizing it, the year leaves traces of what we really prioritize. Sometimes we deliver, sometimes we don’t, but the simple act of review gives us valuable information: what worked, what didn’t, and what we want to adjust for next year. It is an exercise in honesty and also growth.
But in 2025 this ritual is no longer solely personal. It became a global fashion, driven by brands and, above all, by data. What started a few years ago with viral Facebook videos—those montages that compiled friendships, photos, and moments of the year—evolved to a completely different level. Today, practically every platform we interact with has its own version of the “year in review.”
Spotify sends us the famous summary of the most listened to songs, genres and artists. It became almost a personal statement: sharing it on networks is showing off who you are without saying it. Viva Aerobus joined in with its recap of trips, hours flown and routes traveled—a mix between a frequent traveler certificate and a memory album. LinkedIn, for its part, now shows you who you connected with, which posts generated the most engagement, and who was part of your professional year. And so we could continue: exercise apps, banks, stores, streaming platforms… they all want to give you “your year.”
And this is where the interesting reading comes in: these platforms did not invent anything new; They are simply using the enormous amount of information they already had about you. They are packaging it in an emotional, visual and personalized way. It works because it appeals to nostalgia, but also because it confirms something we already know: brands know us more than we think.
This data—expenses, tastes, habits, destinations, schedules, consumption patterns, moments of interaction—is worth gold. Not just to sell; It’s worth gold because it talks about you. It talks about how you think, how you decide, what you invest your time and money in. For companies it is a mine of insights; For the consumer it is a reminder of who is behind all their decisions of the year.
But beyond business strategy, the end of the year continues to be a personal space for pause and reflection. Recapitulating achievements, setbacks, projects that moved forward and those that remained pending should not feel like an exam, but rather an honest conversation with yourself. It is an ideal time to be grateful for what has been achieved, recognize what was missing, and adjust for what is to come. There is no better planning than that which is based on reality, not on illusion.
And at the same time, for brands, these summaries have become an elegant and effective way to close the year with the customer. Showing you a summary of your own activity is telling you: I know you, I understand you, I am close to you. It is a way to strengthen the relationship, to generate loyalty and even to surprise. Because while the consumer feels that they received a personalized gift, the brand strengthens the emotional connection that costs so much to build.
The most interesting thing is that this trend is just beginning. Each year we will see more accurate, more complete and more predictive summaries. Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics will make these annual photographs not only show what you did, but what you could achieve or prefer. It will be a bridge between your past and your future, packaged in a 30-second video.
And yet, the essence will remain the same: close the year looking back to start the next looking forward.
The end of the year is, for everyone—people and companies—a perfect time to connect with our own history. To grow, thank and adjust. To remember that what we did matters, and that what comes next can be even better. Happy New Year!
This is Beyond Success. See you soon!
