Demonstrating marketing’s impact on financial outcomes biggest challenge for CMOs
Over three in five (64%) senior marketing leaders find demonstrating the impact of marketing’s actions on financial outcomes a significant challenge, according to data from The CMO Survey.
This figure has increased from last year, when 61.2% reported experiencing this challenge. In particular, marketers are experiencing increased pressure to prove the value of marketing from the CEO (61%), board (50%), and CFO (63%), compared to autumn 2023 when these levels were 51%, 33%, and 52%, respectively.
The fastest-growing challenge for marketers, according to the research, is focusing data and analytics on the most important marketing problems. Around a quarter (24.5%) more marketers now see this as a significant problem their leader faces regularly versus last year.
The proportion of marketers who think it’s either “very likely” or “likely” for a top marketing leader to become CEO has increased to 43.4%. This is up significantly versus February 2019, when just 36.9% thought it was likely or very likely.
However, around a quarter of marketers (25.5%) say a top marketer will “never” become CEO at their company or another. This figure has actually increased since February 2019, when 14.9% stated that a CMO would “never” become CEO.
Source: The CMO Survey
Consumers remain cautious in their approach to grocery shopping
Total UK supermarket sales growth slowed in the four weeks ending 23 March 2025. The sales growth of 2.3% was down from the 4% recorded in February, according to figures from NielsenIQ (NIQ).
This slowdown is likely due to later celebratory events, according to NIQ, with a late Easter and Mother’s Day this year. Consumers remain cautious with their budgets in light of increasing household bills and food inflation rising (2.4% year-on-year) in March, up from 2.1% in February.
Consumers continue to adjust to rising costs, with 47% saying they purchase more private label goods than ever before, and 75% agreeing that own-label products are a good alternative to brands.
Over the four weeks to 23 March, in-store visits rose 6.8%, as shoppers looked for deals and the best price, while sales growth in the online grocery channel slowed to 0.7%, continuing the downward trend seen since the start of 2025 and bringing its market share down to 12.9% compared to 13.2% this time last year.
When it comes to the fate of individual supermarkets, M&S and Ocado fared well, despite being traditionally seen as more premium retail destinations. Almost a quarter (24%) of all households in Great Britain shopped at M&S over the four weeks, seeing the retailer maintain strong sales growth (12.2%). Ocado also grew strongly at 17.1%.
Source: NielsenIQ
Marketers see diminishing returns on social media advertising
Nearly three-quarters (74.7%) of performance marketers report they are seeing diminishing returns on social media advertising spend.
Marketers blame overexposure for these diminishing returns. Almost two-thirds (66%) blame a saturation in target audience and 59% say user fatigue is a major cause. Algorithm inefficiencies (47%), rising ad costs (47%) and weaker targeting due to privacy restrictions are also given as major reasons for diminishing returns by performance marketers.
Testing new ad formats (70%) is the most popular tactic to attempt to mitigate the impact of these diminishing returns, as is changing audience targeting strategies (67%). Over half (55%) of performance marketers say they are now expanding to additional channels beyond social to attempt to mitigate diminishing returns, with an equal amount looking to new social channels.
Source: Taboola
Consumers will ditch a brand after two bad experiences
Over two in three (70%) of consumers say they will abandon a brand after two negative experiences, with nearly a quarter (24%) asserting they would ditch a brand after just one bad experience.
Nearly 60% of respondents say they find it important for a brand to respond to consumers on social media. Frequent social media users most commonly turn to a brand’s Facebook (55%) and Instagram (47%) accounts for customer service-related issues.
Those frequent social media users are also likely to turn to social channels for actual shopping as well as customer service. Half of frequent social media users have made a purchase via social in the past 90 days.
The research found the top reasons consumers follow brands on social media are for deals (64%), entertainment (58%), and product updates (57%).
Source: Emplifi
Almost one in three see online shopping as a chore
Almost one-third (29%) of online shoppers now see the activity as a chore, with three-quarters (76%) saying the experience lacks excitement.
Almost two in three (61%) shoppers say they turn to online shopping purely for convenience, while a third (36%) lament the loss of ‘unexpected finds’.
Overwhelm and boredom are also significant problems with the online shopping experience. Almost four in five (79%) consumers feel online shopping is lonely, and 78% say they are overwhelmed by too many product choices. Just half find online shopping relaxing or enjoyable.
Looking to the solution to this apathy, there is a disconnect between what brands themselves believe will engage consumers and what those consumers say. For example, over half (55%) of brand leaders believe influencers drive traffic, but just 29% of consumers say influencer content makes them feel positively towards a brand.
Brand leader confidence in their discovery strategies’ effectiveness is very high at 98%, with 80% stating their approach contributes to brand growth.
Source: Criteo
