What happens when CPG brands increase their investment in media?
Data from Keen Decision Systems found that an increase in investment by 18% over the last year resulted in an ROI improvement of 8%.
Comparatively, companies that invested in trade media by at least 12% saw their ROI drop by 1% and companies that increased their investment in consumer promotions by 23% saw no ROI improvement.
Social investments grew 30% year-over-year, with TikTok seeing the largest percentage growth (+136%), though spend is still less than 50% of Meta/Instagram. ROI also dropped 8%. Meanwhile, X is the only social channel seeing decreases in activity, dropping 43%.
Generation next: Capturing millennial, Gen Z shoppers
Additional insights include:
- Influencer investments grew 52% year-over-year, with ROI increasing 10%.
- Investment in Meta/Instagram is growing 23%.
- Investment in linear television was flat, but ROI improved (+12%), as brands prioritize efficiency over growth.
- Streaming video grew significantly at 23%, with YouTube seeing the biggest increase (+75%), followed by online video (+18%).
Overall, brands increased their total spend by +15%, and improved ROI by +4%
- Media saw the greatest ROI improvements, which makes sense as that's where brands focus their optimization and planning efforts
- Media (Inv/ROI): +16% / +8%
Top media buckets:
TV vs video
- TV investment flat, though ROI improving (brands focusing on TV execution over growth)
- DRTV and Syndicated only properties seeing sizeable decreases in spend
- Streaming Video increased significantly at +23% (ROI still improving by 5%)
Streaming video:
- OTT/CTV receives slightly more budget than Online Video (though YT and OLV growing at faster pace)
- All video channels improving in returns, though OTT/CTV outperforming OLV and YouTube
- Definitions
- OTT/CTV = Over the Top and Connected TV
- YouTube = Any YT property
- Online Video = Premium, Programmatic, Retail Media, all other online video
[Read more: Forecasting the future]
Social investments grow 30% YoY:
- Largest channel for investment growth YoY across portfolio of clients
- TikTok sees largest percentage growth YoY (+136%), though spend is still <50% of Meta/IG
- Influencer sees significant uptick in spend
- Twitter/X is the ONLY social channel seeing decreases in activity (-43%)