Nielsen Report Urges Unified Approach to Boost ROI

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, October 13, 2025 | 2:21pm CT

Nielsen

Nielsen has released its 2025 Marketing ROI Blueprint, outlining how marketers can unlock greater value from their investments through unified measurement, holistic analytics, and a focus on data-driven decision-making.

The report, titled "Unlocking the Full Value of Marketing Investments," finds that while 85% of marketers say they are confident in measuring return on investment, only 32% actually evaluate both traditional and digital media in a holistic manner. This gap between confidence and practice, Nielsen says, leads to missed opportunities and incomplete insights.

According to Nielsen's 2025 Global Annual Marketing Survey, 54% of marketers plan to reduce ad spending this year amid economic pressures, heightening the need to maximize every marketing dollar. Despite budget cuts, 38% of marketers cite sales or ROI as their top metric for success, marking a shift from reach-based measurement toward full-funnel accountability.

The report highlights the challenges of fragmented data systems, noting that 27% of marketers measure sponsorships separately from other channels and 4% don't measure them at all. Nielsen calls this "a costly oversight" that prevents marketers from accurately assessing the impact of sponsorship and influencer efforts on long-term brand value.

In response, Nielsen advocates for a unified cross-media measurement framework that balances reach, frequency, and ROI. Sixty percent of marketers are now adopting this approach, reflecting a growing recognition that campaigns must be analyzed across all platforms.

The report also reveals wide disparities in confidence across media types. Marketers express high confidence measuring digital and social media, but less for traditional channels like AM/FM radio, print, and direct mail-areas Nielsen says must not be overlooked.

Nielsen concludes that a stronger focus on measurable ROI will continue to drive innovation in marketing strategy. By linking upper-funnel branding to bottom-line outcomes, marketers can "turn every campaign into a source of measurable impact and unlock stronger returns."

Click here to download the complete report.