In today’s rapidly evolving advertising landscape, effective measurement is crucial for brands seeking to understand consumer behavior and optimal go-to-market strategies. As brands navigate the complexities of multi-channel ad campaigns, the need for improved measurement practices is becoming increasingly apparent. The IAB Connected Commerce Summit emphasized enhanced advertising measurement during their two-day conference, as we heard from industry experts, executives, and brands about some of their core obstacles heading into 2025. This post explores insights from recent discussions on the challenges and innovations in advertising measurement, emphasizing the core theme of enhancing measurement across various platforms.

The Challenge of Walled Gardens

One of the primary obstacles advertisers face is the existence of walled gardens – platforms that limit data sharing and insights. These silos make it difficult to assess campaign performance comprehensively, causing brands to question the holistic value of their marketing plan. Guest speakers from CVS discussed some of their challenges in depth, as well as their plan going forward: enhancing their advertising data by adopting ID measurement guidelines, striving to create standardized metrics that can bridge the gaps created by these walled gardens. By working collaboratively with industry stakeholders, CVS aims to simplify measurement processes and enhance transparency for advertisers.

Integrated Approaches in Shopper Marketing

Mars Corp has recognized the importance of integrating shopper marketing with traditional media and online retail. Their team’s focus in 2025 is on the entire consumer journey, ensuring that marketing efforts are aligned across all potential touchpoints. Additionally, Pentaleap emphasized breaking down silos by building teams that merge media efforts across channels. This collaborative approach not only streamlines measurement, it also enhances the overall effectiveness of marketing strategies, creating a more seamless experience for consumers.

The Role of AI in Measurement

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the advertising landscape, yet many brands grapple with understanding its full potential. The IAB speakers explained that they receive daily inquiries about AI use cases, with perspectives varying significantly, depending on individual roles and experiences. Companies like Mars are committed to responsible AI usage, ensuring that innovations in measurement are ethical and beneficial for consumers, and at the same time confirming high quality in AI-influenced output. As brands explore AI capabilities, it is essential to remain vigilant about its limitations while harnessing its power to drive insights.

Growth of Digital OOH Advertising

Digital out-of-home (OOH) advertising is poised for significant growth, particularly in the consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and grocery sectors. As companies like Albertsons work to integrate measurement across platforms, digital OOH presents a unique opportunity to combine traditional shopper marketing with digital insights. GroupM notes that OOH can effectively fill the gap between retail media and television in the marketing funnel, providing valuable insights that drive consumer engagement in brick-and-mortar settings, while still facing obstacles in B&M data collection and measurement.

Cross-Platform Measurement Developments

Recent initiatives, such as Sam’s Club launching their own retail media network, highlight the growing importance of first-party data in advertising measurement. Brands like Chobani are leveraging this data to refine their audience targeting and enhance shopper marketing efforts. With a focus on creating an omnichannel experience, companies are increasingly tying point-of-sale data back to digital interactions, allowing for a more cohesive understanding of consumer behavior, even as the cookie landscape shifts.

Evolving Shopper Experience

As digital video content rises in prominence, brands must adapt to meet changing consumer expectations. IAB market research indicates that 70% of digital video advertisers leverage commerce video, underscoring the need for relevance in advertising content. Platforms like Pinterest are capitalizing on this trend by utilizing extensive data sets to refine their marketing strategies. Understanding audience behavior and segmentation has become essential, allowing brands to create personalized and engaging experiences across various channels.

A Complex Future

My perspective leaving the conference is that improving measurement in advertising is vital for brands looking to thrive in a complex landscape, and agencies should be ready to accommodate. By addressing challenges posed by walled gardens, embracing innovative technologies like AI, and fostering integrated approaches across channels, advertisers can enhance their measurement strategies. As the industry continues to evolve, it is crucial for brands to remain agile, leveraging new data insights and technologies to create meaningful connections with consumers.

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In late August, I attended the Newtoptia Now natural products expo in Denver, Colorado, where industry professionals from across the CPG and Retail landscape met to sample and learn about new products ready to hit the shelves. This was the first year of the event (after sunsetting the Natural Product Expo East) and featured the new Glow Salon. The Glow Salon was the destination for conscious beauty and wellness. Glow revealed the future of conscious beauty with products that make us feel great inside and out. Featured brands included Pacha Soap Co, The American Boxer Inc., VegaJelly, The Bubble Factory, Sun Chlorella, Hempress Hygienics, and many more.

The natural product landscape has shifted to focus more on Beauty in recent years. The CPG industry and consumers now recognize that what you put into your body expands beyond just food. With skin being the body’s largest organ, much of what impacts your health is absorbed topically.

Conscious Beauty trends include:

• Clean-label, high performance skin care
• Products targeting perimenopause and menopause
• Waterless beauty products
• Upcycled ingredients
• Ingestible innovations
• More inclusive messaging

Ulta Beauty hosted a discussion on achieving retail success as a conscious beauty brand. There was also a Merchandising for Values & Results-Driven Shoppers discussion panel, including speaker Jen Coccaro, VP of Whole Body from Whole Foods. Some key takeaways from the discussion were:

• Biomimicry: Appeal to things that already exist. The most successful marketing brings it back to someone’s natural state.
• Serve your audience. If you want to drive foot traffic for a clean product audience, avoid fragrances which house lots of ingredients. Vegan consumers engage differently with brands vs. organic shoppers. Speak to each audience differently to address their needs.
• Storytelling is key to influencer marketing and carries over to events and displays/signage in-store.
• If you are a small or niche brand, the priority is to get someone to try your product – sampling demos and sampling through influencers.
• You need to do both marketing and packaging well. The essence of the product comes through in the packaging, while marketing can convey and tell that story in an effective way.
• Clean beauty is about health, but also sustainability. Brands need to consider minimizing plastic waste to align with environmentally friendly trends.
• Retailers, especially small ones, should be tying into events and seasonality to connect with communities and partners with like-minded brands.
• When pitching a retailer, always lead with your hero product.
• Make sure when pitching a retailer, you do your due diligence by reading their public reports and core values and customize your pitch to that specific retailer.

In summary, clean beauty is becoming increasingly prevalent across all retail channels. Consumers care about ingredients, and that no longer applies to only food & beverage products and brands.

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The 2024 ANA Measurement and Analytics Conference in Chicago explored how advertising directly impacts business growth. Industry leaders delved into the latest methodologies for enhancing and measuring campaign performance. Topics ranged from inclusive representation to mastering the complexities of retail media, offering clear takeaways for marketers and agencies alike.

Inclusive Representation in Advertising: Beyond the Surface
Inclusive Ads Deliver on Business Impact

The conference kicked off with a compelling presentation on the importance of accurate representation in advertising. Using the Gender Equality Measurement (GEM) score as a benchmark, research showed that ads accurately depicting women—especially from diverse backgrounds—drive significant sales growth. Campaigns with high GEM scores delivered up to a 10x increase in sales for older millennials and a 9x boost for Gen Z. These results highlighted that inclusive representation resonates beyond just the featured group, creating broader “allyship” effects across demographics.

Implications: Marketers must be deliberate about authentic representation in their ads. Avoiding stereotypes and depicting real-life diversity can lead to higher returns and stronger consumer trust.

Data Quality Standards: Garbage In, Garbage Out
Why High-Quality Data is Non-Negotiable

Throughout the conference, the focus on data quality was paramount. Whether measuring campaigns through Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) or planning retail media strategies, the consensus was clear: data quality directly influences campaign outcomes. Without transparency and clean data, even the most advanced models fail to deliver. As advertising becomes more complex, especially in programmatic environments, ensuring data accuracy is critical.

Implications: Both brands and agencies need to invest in data standardization and auditing processes. Prioritizing transparency, particularly in programmatic advertising, helps reduce ad fraud and improve measurement accuracy. Quality data ensures that media dollars are optimized for maximum effectiveness.

Measuring Incrementality: The Shift from ROAS to True Impact
Marketing Mix Modeling Evolves

The growing demand for measuring incrementality over traditional metrics like ROAS (return on ad spend) was a significant point of discussion. In an era where retail media and multi-touch consumer journeys are becoming more complex, determining the incremental lift that an ad delivers is more important than ever. This shift requires more advanced attribution models. Understanding that no data set is perfect and rarely 100% complete, advanced techniques, such as the use of synthetic data, can help fill in gaps for greater agility while maintaining data integrity. No matter what approach is taken, data fidelity is essential for accurately assessing the true value of marketing efforts.

Implications: Marketers should move beyond focusing solely on last-click attribution and shift toward measuring the full, long-term impact of their efforts. This transition involves adopting third-party validation tools, educating teams on incrementality, and continually refining models to ensure they reflect real-world market conditions.

Brand Equity: The Long Game in Business Growth
The Enduring Power of Brand Strength

The importance of measuring brand equity over the long term was a major takeaway. Brands that had previously focused solely on short-term sales are now incorporating brand strength into their models. By understanding the long-term impact of brand-building efforts, businesses can better align their marketing strategies across channels, ensuring sustained growth over time.

Implications: Marketers should take advantage of both short-term gains and long-term brand-building initiatives. Incorporating brand strength into models allows businesses to make more informed decisions by balancing lower-funnel tactics with upper-funnel investments for long-term business growth.

Retail Media: The New Frontier of Complexity
Navigating the Retail Media Revolution

Retail media has emerged as both an exciting opportunity and a complex challenge for marketers. With the retail media market expected to grow by $75 billion in the next four years, brands must navigate issues like inconsistent measurement and higher costs compared to traditional media. Accurate measurement of incrementality, transparency, and data cleanliness were all emphasized as crucial for maximizing the value of retail media investments.

Implications: Brands must adopt a more integrated planning approach to retail media, ensuring that efforts span across the full funnel, from search to in-store activations. Agencies should guide brands in selecting the right partners and prioritizing transparency in performance metrics.

Conclusions

As Bob Liodice, CEO of the ANA, emphasized, “If you want it, measure it. If you can’t measure it, forget it.” In an era where data is more abundant and sophisticated than ever, the marketers who prioritize advanced measurement techniques will be the ones driving business growth and brand relevance. For marketers, the message is clear: optimize your measurement strategies, stay adaptive, and continually refine your approach to ensure your efforts are moving the needle in a significant and quantifiable way.

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2024 as expected has been a record year in political spending.

Download Harmelin Media’s 2024 Political Update with the most recent information on hot markets with state implications for Presidential, Senate, Gubernatorial and Congressional races and anticipated media channel spending.

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WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY

Harry Potter Wizards of Baking (Food Network)

Watch the Trailer

The Harry Potter franchise is heading to the kitchen. Wizards of Baking will captivate viewers as it combines the magic of Harry Potter with the talent of extraordinary pastry chefs. This new competition show is set against the amazing backdrop of The Making of Harry Potter.

The Flip Off (HGTV)

After their highly publicized divorce, Tarek El Moussa and Christina Hall, famous for the HGTV series Flip or Flop, join forces with their new spouses for a house-flipping competition to determine who can find, purchase, renovate, and flip a house for the most significant financial gain.

Fatal Destination (ID)

Jessica Biel narrates and executive produces the series, which takes viewers to exotic destinations to expose the dark side of paradise. Episodes will explore alluring adventures where the consequences of being a tourist are anything but a dream vacation.

Chateau Impossible (HGTV)

Daphne and Ian inherit a French chateau, but instead of selling the castle, they sell all their possessions, move to France, and embark on the biggest financial gamble of their lives by restoring a 500-year-old, 29-bedroom chateau.

Dune: Prophecy (Max)

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From the expansive universe of Dune and inspired by the novel Sisterhood of Dune, the series follows two Harkonnen sisters as they combat forces that threaten humankind’s future and establish the fabled sect that will become known as the Bene Gesserit.

The Penguin (Max)

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DC Comic character Penguin is rising to power in Gotham City. This spin-off series of The Batman will follow Colin Farrell in his reprised role of the famous supervillain in the eight-episode DC Studios drama series.

City of God: The Fight Rages On (Max)

In this original series, the story takes place in the early 2000s, when the release of a young drug dealer from prison reignites conflict in Cidade de Deus. Residents are caught in the middle of a power struggle involving drug traffickers, militias, and public authorities. Despite the challenges, the community bands together to break free from this cycle of oppression.

Chimp Crazy (Max)

Watch the Trailer

In the four-part documentary series, former nurse turned exotic animal broker Tonia Haddix, who refers to herself as the “Dolly Parton of chimps,” spends her days caring for animals in captivity. However, her limitless love for one chimpanzee spins into a wild cat-and-mouse game with authorities and an animal rights group.

The Pitt (Max)

This new drama series featuring Noah Wyle is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America, as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh.

Download our full 2024-25 TV Preview here. For more information contact us.

Univision

Papás Por Conveniencia (Dads for Convenience)

Single father Tino discovers he has teenage twins with a former high school classmate, Aidé, who is now a powerful business magnate. When Tino and Aidé are forced to come together, they must decide if they can build a real family or if their relationship is just a matter of convenience.

El Precio de Amarte (The Cost of Loving You)

A decorated military man named Rodrigo returns to his homeland to seek revenge on Eduarda, the woman who destroyed his family and life. However, his plans are complicated when he falls in love with Amelia, the daughter of the woman he wants to destroy, and discovers that Amelia is married to his younger brother. It explores themes of matriarchal manipulation and two brothers fighting for the same woman.

Deal or No Deal Island (Working Title TBA)

In a new twist on the classic game show, 13 contestants compete in challenges on the banker’s private island to find hidden briefcases worth over $200 million. They then negotiate with the banker in a game of “Deal or No Deal” to win the ultimate prize.

VIX

Bajo Un Volcan  (Under a Volcano) 

The series tells a story of forbidden and ill-timed love, whose passion is framed amid the eruptive activity of a volcano, in a simile of the relationship between two people as opposite and shocking as two tectonic plates in continuous friction. 

Chiquis Sin Filtro (Chiquis Unflitered) 

Chiquis will be sharing her most intimate story in a docuseries like never before. The show will cover her past, career highs and lows, family life, and her U.S. and Mexico tour. It will also delve into preparations for her wedding, how she navigates family conflicts, and the responsibilities of being an older sister. 

Arcadia 

A man escapes from a broken relationship and a violent past, and starts a new life in Arcadia, a beautiful town in the Canary Islands, using a false identity. After years of peaceful living, someone identifies him, putting his family and his life at risk. He must face his inner demons to protect his newfound paradise, only to find love unexpectedly resurfacing in the darkest moment. 

UNIMÁS

Vence a las Estrellas (Beat the Stars) 

This nightly game show features contestants competing in challenges against celebrities to win $3,000. If the challengers win, they take the money. If the celebrities win, the money stays in the pot and increases for the next episode. The show is hosted by the duo Marisol González and Poncho de Nigris, who bring humor and excitement to every episode. 

Soltero Cotizado (The Bachelor) 

This reality show features Nicola Porcella, who looks for love among a group of women. Some are genuine (“Romanticas”) while others (“Embusteras”) are after a cash prize. Nicola must navigate truth and deception to find true love and avoid being misled. 

Download our full 2024-25 TV Preview here. For more information contact us.