Marketers Want Better ROI Proof, But Lack The Tools

"Marketing has never had more data, yet it has never faced more doubt about what that data proves. Dashboards multiply. Attribution models are growing more sophisticated. Identity graphs expand. And yet confidence in marketing measurement is eroding. According to eMarketer and TransUnion's study, more than half of marketers say their level of confidence in measurement has not improved year over year, and 14% report it has worsened."

"The reasons are familiar: siloed or incomplete data, cross-channel deduplication challenges, and reporting constraints within walled gardens. The tools exist, but they rarely speak the same language. The demand for proof is rising faster than confidence in the systems meant to provide it. Identity has become the infrastructure underpinning modern measurement."

"The strain on measurement is coming from two directions. Internally, finance leaders are scrutinizing reported returns more aggressively. Externally, consumer behavior is becoming less predictable and less observable. The eMarketer and TransUnion study reports 60% of marketers say internal stakeholders sometimes question their metrics. More than a quarter have seen 11 to 20% of their budgets being reallocated or jeopardized because of measurement concerns."

Marketing organizations accumulate unprecedented amounts of data through sophisticated dashboards, attribution models, and identity graphs, yet measurement confidence continues to erode. More than half of marketers report no improvement in measurement confidence year-over-year, with 14% experiencing worsening confidence. Key obstacles include siloed data, cross-channel deduplication challenges, and reporting constraints within walled gardens. Identity infrastructure has become central to modern measurement, helping resolve signals across devices and platforms. However, measurement faces dual pressures: internally, finance leaders scrutinize reported returns more aggressively, with 60% of marketers experiencing stakeholder questioning of metrics and over a quarter facing budget reallocation due to measurement concerns. Externally, consumer behavior grows less predictable and observable, with economic uncertainty driving increased pressure to prove incremental ROI.

Read at Forbes