Nielsen, a global authority in audience measurement, data, and analytics, unveiled its seventh Annual Marketing Report today, showcasing how marketers are navigating market trends and leveraging evolving technologies such as AI and shoppable advertising. The report, released on May 20, 2025, provides key insights into how marketers are responding to an ever-changing marketplace.
The comprehensive report, which surveyed top global marketers, highlights three pivotal trends shaping the advertising sector. It emphasizes opportunities in Connected TV (CTV) and Retail Media Networks, with 56% of marketers planning to increase their OTT/CTV spending—a three percent rise from the previous year. Additionally, nearly two-thirds (65%) of marketers indicated that retail media networks are becoming integral to their media strategies.
Despite a general reduction in overall budgets, many marketers are allocating more funds to traditional media. Notably, 16% plan a significant increase of over 50% in their out-of-home budget. The role of AI in marketing strategy is another key highlight, with 71% of brands managing large ad budgets ($1 billion or more) viewing AI for personalization and optimization as a critical trend for 2025.
The second trend explores the strategic choices marketers face between enhancing bottom-of-funnel revenue and building top-of-funnel brand awareness. The report reveals regional disparities: in North America and Asia-Pacific, efforts are nearly evenly split between brand awareness and revenue growth. In contrast, European marketers prioritize revenue growth (59%) over brand awareness (37%).
A third major trend is the challenge of measuring success in a rapidly evolving environment. The report indicates that only 32% of marketers globally have a holistic approach to media spending measurement across digital and traditional channels, with lower figures in Latin America (29%) and Europe (23%). Marketers are facing difficulties in calculating the ROI of cross-media campaigns due to data issues, inadequate tools, and a lack of transparency, particularly in emerging channels like retail media networks.
Alison Gensheimer, SVP of Marketing at Nielsen, commented on the findings, stating, “Our latest Annual Marketing Report shows that despite economic uncertainties, marketers are demonstrating agility by embracing new touchpoints like Retail Media Networks and CTV, and by optimizing media mixes with AI. Reliable and comprehensive measurement is crucial to align media investments with objectives, and at Nielsen, we are committed to providing measurement solutions that keep pace with modern advertising complexities.”
This report, the fourth global edition by Nielsen, is based on responses from 1,400 marketing professionals across various industries, all managing budgets of at least USD $1 million. The findings reflect a broad spectrum of insights from marketers positioned at or above the manager level, with a significant portion overseeing budgets exceeding USD $10 million.
The full report is available for download, offering a detailed exploration of these trends and more, providing a valuable resource for marketers aiming to navigate the complexities of today’s media landscape.
