Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Nielsen report finds underspending in 50% of media plans jeopardizing maximum ROI

06/07/2022

Nielsen's global ROI Report delivers insights and recommendations for advertisers, agencies and publishers to increase returns on investment in media plans NEW YORK, July 6, 2022 - Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) released its first-ever ROI Report, which identified gaps in marketers' budgets, channels and media strategies that are compromising returns on investment (ROI) on media plans. The global report reveals data and delivers insights on what drives returns on ad spends, how to measure the returns, and how to improve on the metrics brands already have, with content unique to advertiser, agency, and publisher audiences.

According to the report, about half of marketers are not spending enough in a channel to get maximum ROI. While a poor ROI might cause brands to pull back on spending, Nielsen found that spend often needs to be higher to break through and drive returns. Nielsen's 50-50-50 Gap states that while 50% of media plans are underinvested by a median of 50%, ROI can be improved 50% with the ideal budget.

Beyond budgeting, the ROI Report delivers key insights and recommendations to deliver higher ROI across multiple marketing areas including:

Full funnel marketing: It's rare for channels to deliver above average returns for both brand and sales outcomes, with 36% of media channels faring above average on both revenue and brand metrics. To grow ROI, brands should pursue a balanced strategy for both upper and lower funnel initiatives. Nielsen found that adding upper funnel marketing to existing lower and mid funnel marketing can grow overall ROI by 13-70%.

Emerging media: It's difficult for brands to spend big amounts without proof that the new media works, but spending small amounts can make it hard to see if the media is working. Nielsen found that podcast ads, influencer marketing and branded content can deliver over 70% in aided brand recall, and that influencer marketing ROI is comparable to ROI from mainstream media.

Ad sales growth strategy: Ultimately, ROI will inform publisher pricing power. Publishers are not just competing against others in their channel, but also against other channels, so comparing channel ROIs can help set pricing strategy. The ROI Report uncovered that social media delivers 1.7x the ROI of TV, yet social gets less than one-third of TV ad budgets.

Audience measurement: Campaigns with strong on-target reach deliver better sales outcomes. However, only 63% of ads across desktop and mobile are on-target for age and gender in the U.S., meaning that on the channels with the most exhaustive data coverage and quality, over one third of ad spend is off-target. To capitalize on opportunity and drive impact, advertisers should prioritize measurement solutions that cover all platforms and devices, with near-real time insights.

Nielsen's 2022 ROI Report serves as a guide for all parties involved in ad spending-the brands, agencies and publishers. In a time when there are more channels than ever to reach desired audiences, it's critical that insights on ROI are attainable and easy to understand, said Imran Hirani, Vice President, Media & Advertiser Analytics, Nielsen. Brands can't afford to waste valuable ads on the wrong audiences. By investing wisely and having a balanced strategy of both upper-funnel and lower-funnel initiatives, brands can reach the right audiences and maximize their ROI.

This is the first ROI Report produced by Nielsen. The ROI Report findings were generated by Nielsen's experience in a wide range of measurement methods including Marketing Mix Models, Brand Impact studies, client-sourced marketing plans and expenditure data, attribution studies, and Ad Ratings. In most cases, data were organized into normative databases or meta-analyses across a sample of studies to produce insights that are representative of Nielsen's entire experience, providing marketers, agencies and media sellers a more complete view of media effectiveness compared to a single company drawing from its own experience.

Download Nielsen's 2022 ROI Report to learn more.

About Nielsen Nielsen shapes the world's media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences-now and into the future.

An S&P 500 company, Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on social media.

Contact Nielsen

Landon Oakum

landon.oakum@nielsen.com
LINK: https://global.nielsen.com/news-center/2022/nielsen-report-finds-under...
See more stories from arbitron

Most recent headlines

01/12/2025

Wooden Camera Releases Accessory Collection for Canon EOS C50

IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...

01/12/2025

FCC to Vote on LPTV Rules at December Public Meeting

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...

01/12/2025

2026 Local TV Ad Forecasts Offer Growth and Uncertainties

In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...

01/12/2025

Increasingly Software-Centric Switchers Occupy Hybrid Space

Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...

01/12/2025

China to Host ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2027

GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...

01/12/2025

Broadcasters Foundation Seeks Donations for Giving Tuesday

NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...

01/12/2025

Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson Sets 2026 Retirement

STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...

01/12/2025

From Ballet to Books: RT is Supporting 12 Arts and Cultural Events all over Ireland this December

As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...

01/12/2025

At NeurIPS, NVIDIA Advances Open Model Development for Digital and Physical AI

Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...

01/12/2025

Lights, Camera, Christmas: RT rings in the Season S an Nollaig

Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life Ring in the New Year with ...

01/12/2025

Architect and presenter Hugh Wallace dies aged 68

Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68. In a state...

28/11/2025

Brides Asks for Compassion for Our Youths

Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...

28/11/2025

4 Reasons Why Keeping Your Spotify App Updated Matters and What You Might Be Missing

It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...

28/11/2025

FCC to Vote on LPTV Rules at Dec. Public Meeting

WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...

28/11/2025

Professional Fighters League Packs a Domestic, International MMA Punch (TV Sportsplay)

The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...

28/11/2025

Fubo Launches Multiview Beta on Roku

Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....

28/11/2025

WNBA Playoffs Continue: What's On This Weekend in TV Sports (Sept. 28-29)

The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....

28/11/2025

Freeze Frame: B+C Hall of Fame 2024

The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...

28/11/2025

Next Text: As DirecTV and Dish Try to Seize the Remains of the Day, Does It Even Matter?

We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...

28/11/2025

DirecTV Acquires Dish, Unifying Struggling Satellite Business

DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...

28/11/2025

B+C Hall of Fame Announces Its Class of 2025

The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...

28/11/2025

Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey that unlocks a month of free content from the home of sport

Friday 28 November 2025 Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...

28/11/2025

Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds three billion euros for the first time

Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...

28/11/2025

Changing children's lives for good: Donations for the RT Toy Show Appeal 2025 open tonight

Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...

27/11/2025

Vizrt Launches Viz One 8.1 With AI-Powered Features

LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...

27/11/2025

Prime Video Debuts AI-Powered Video Recaps

Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...

27/11/2025

Netflix's 'Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders' Marks a Grand World Premiere at IFFI Ahead of Its Global Release on 19th December

Back to All News Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...

27/11/2025

Sky unveils first look image from high-stakes action thriller Prisoner, coming 2026

Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...

27/11/2025

Sky Arts Reveals the Nations Greatest Basslines and Queen Reign Supreme

Thursday 27 November 2025 Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...

27/11/2025

Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With Our Final Season Coverage Guide

Back to All News Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...

27/11/2025

Elastic Compute for a Sustainable Media Industry

The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...

27/11/2025

Arqiva Achieves Five-Star GRESB Rating

Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...

27/11/2025

Retail Media Audits Explained: What Networks Need to Know

What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...

27/11/2025

Katie Taylor, Rachael Blackmore and Arthur Gourounlian among the guests on this week's Late Late Show

World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...

27/11/2025

Tonight on RT Prime Time, serious child protection concerns emerge over online gaming platform, Roblox

Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...

27/11/2025

The Ultimate Black Friday Deal Is Here

Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...

26/11/2025

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Featuring NFL, NBA, and Golf

SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...

26/11/2025

Inside the Archives: Winter Is in the Air and in Our Festival Films

A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...

26/11/2025

10 Book Podcasts You Can't Miss

Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...

26/11/2025

JioStar and Nielsen Unveil Breakthrough Cross-Screen MeasurementStudy, Redefining Advertising Effectiveness in Live Sports

Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...

26/11/2025

ITN Deploys IP-Based Production Control Room

LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....

26/11/2025

YouTube TV, TelevisaUnivision End Lengthy Blackout

MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...

26/11/2025

OpenDrives Bridges the Gap Between IT and Creatives with...

OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...

26/11/2025

Disguise to Showcase Future of Event Visuals at LDI 2025

Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...

26/11/2025

HighField AI Expands Global Channel Partner Network to Ac...

HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...

26/11/2025

Mono Streaming selects PlayBox Neo to manage English Prem...

As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...

26/11/2025

Bell Centre arena in Montreal elevates fan experience wit...

Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...