- Circana
- Oct 6, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 21, 2025
Authored by: Susan Goetz
In today's economic climate, marketing leaders are under intense pressure to prove the value of every dollar spent. With 71% of brands shifting into cost-cutting mode, the margin for error is shrinking. Inefficient strategies not only waste budget but can also lead to long-term revenue and brand equity losses that take years to recover. Navigating this landscape requires more than just intuition; it demands a data-driven approach to avoid common pitfalls.
Circana’s new report, “6 Tips to Avoid Poor Outcomes,” provides a tactical guide to help you optimize your marketing investments and deliver measurable results. We analyze the most critical areas where value is lost —from real-time optimization to audience targeting — and offer clear, actionable advice to strengthen your strategy and confidently drive growth.
Highlights from the report:
The Real-Time Imperative: Total media ROI can change by as much as 43% year-over-year. Discover how leveraging real-time, in-flight optimizations can prevent waste and help you capture up to 16% more in digital-generated revenue.
The Myth of "One Size Fits All": Learn why over-prioritizing short-term sales goals can be costly. We reveal how a balanced brand and sales media strategy prevents profit loss and maximizes impact across the entire funnel.
The Creative Factor: Don't let great creative go to waste. A lack of high-quality creative can lead to a 35% loss in effectiveness. This report shows you how to integrate creative diagnostics into your planning for a significant performance boost.
The Power of Emerging Channels: See how platforms like podcasts and influencers can deliver up to 82% aided brand recall. We provide insights on experimenting with new media formats to build your brand and engage your audience effectively.
Mind the Investment Gap: A staggering 50% of planned media channel investments are too low for maximum payback. Find out if you're over- or under-spending and how optimizing your investment levels could boost your ROI by 50%.
Beyond Contextual Targeting: Relying on contextual data alone is not enough. Learn how combining behavioral and contextual data is the most effective way to enrich your targeting, connect with evolving audiences, and drive superior outcomes.
