In 2025, 54% of marketers are planning to reduce ad spending, driven by economic uncertainty (Nielsen, 2025 Annual Marketing Report). But cutting budgets doesn’t spell doom for growth—it’s a signal to pivot. Leading marketing directors and CMOs are reallocating spend toward CTV, retail media networks, and AI‑powered personalization, all underpinned by a robust data‑driven marketing strategy.
Nielsen data reveals:
56% of marketers are increasing OTT/CTV investment.
65% are boosting retail media.
71% of large brands see AI as a top trend in personalization and optimization (Nielsen, 2025).
This post explores how to turn these insights into an actionable, ROI‑focused roadmap for your brand.
Case Study: 366% ROAS from CTV During Live Sports
Who/What: A brand activated CTV during football season livestreams via The Trade Desk.
Objective: Prove that CTV could drive measurable, bottom‑line outcomes—not just upper-funnel reach.
Approach: CTV was activated around high-intent live sports content and validated with an independent Lucid brand lift study.
Results:
366% ROAS (+22% vs. the agency’s 300% benchmark).
+9% mobile and +7.5% desktop transactions when the first impression occurred on CTV compared to campaigns without CTV.
Takeaway for CMOs: Treat CTV as a performance channel inside a data-driven marketing strategy, but insist on incrementality/ROAS validation (brand lift, geo holdouts, or MMM) to justify scale (The Trade Desk, 2025).
Benchmarks: What High-Performing CMOs See by Channel
| Channel | Avg. Incremental ROAS | mROI Range (Best-in-Class) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid Search | 2.5 – 4.0 | 20–35% | Works best with strong brand demand and LTV targeting. |
| Paid Social | 1.2 – 2.0 | 5–15% | Use AI creative testing to push upper range. |
| CTV / OTT | 1.8 – 3.5 | 18–30% | Lift validated via geo holdouts. |
| Retail Media | 3.0 – 6.0 | 25–40% | SKU-level optimization critical. |
| Programmatic | 1.0 – 1.5 | 0–10% | Must combine with brand-building and incrementality testing. |
| Email / CRM | 4.0 – 8.0 | 30–50% | High margin if LTV and segmentation are strong. |
| OOH (Digital) | 0.8 – 1.3 | 0–5% | Works better paired with CTV campaigns. |
Decode the 2025 Reality: What the Data Says
Key Nielsen insights:
54% plan to cut ad budgets in 2025.
56% are increasing OTT/CTV spend.
65% expect retail media networks to grow in importance.
71% of $1B+ brands say AI for personalization & optimization is the trend most likely to impact their business.
Only 32% measure digital + traditional together.
These are clear signals for building a data‑driven marketing strategy prioritizing measurability, incrementality, and agility.
Pillar One: Supercharge CTV with Measurement-First Discipline
CTV combines scale, attention, and measurable performance—making it a prime investment as programmatic becomes mainstream. In fact, 47% of buyers anticipate CTV will deliver better ROI, and 85% of CTV buys are now programmatic (IAB, 2025).
Action Steps:
Audience Segmentation: Leverage first- and zero-party data.
Weather, Time, & Geo Targeting: Show hyper-relevant ads based on real-time signals.
Creative A/B Testing: Rotate winning creative variants based on data.
Programmatic Integration: Use DSPs to automate bidding and frequency.
KPIs: Completion rate, post-click conversions, CPCV, programmatic vs. direct CTV ROI.
Pillar Two: Make Retail Media the “Last Mile” of Your Performance Mix
Retail media delivers SKU-level, near-real-time feedback loops—exactly what CMOs need in a data-driven marketing strategy.
Action Steps:
Integrate SKU-level data for precision.
Run incrementality tests (geo holdouts).
Deploy dynamic creative optimization (DCO).
Bid smarter on high-margin or promo SKUs.
KPIs: Incremental ROAS, Average Order Value, SKU-level profitability.
Pillar Three: AI as the Optimization Engine
Among brands with billion-dollar budgets, 71% see AI as essential (Nielsen, 2025). GenAI tools are reshaping creative production and bidding.
Action Steps:
Dynamic audience personalization.
Generative video & creative testing.
Smart bidding with predictive LTV models.
Automated MMM and scenario planning.
Your Budget Rebalance Blueprint
A data‑driven marketing strategy shows you where to pull dollars from and where to reinvest.
Baseline spend & ROI across all channels.
Run MMM and incrementality tests for weak-attribution channels.
Shift from low-yield tactics to high-ROI pillars.
Adopt agile budgeting (monthly vs. annual).
Centralize cross-media performance dashboards.
Culture & Operations: Make “Data‑Driven” Real
A tech stack isn’t enough without cultural alignment.
Centralize dashboards with standardized KPIs.
Weekly performance reviews across teams.
Upskill teams on AI, MMM, and testing.
Demand transparency from agency and tech partners.
Data‑Driven Marketing Strategy FAQ
Q1: What is a data‑driven marketing strategy?
A strategy guided by data—MMM, incrementality, 1P data, and analytics—to decide where to spend and how to optimize.
Q2: How fast will AI improve campaigns?
Many teams see measurable lift in 2–4 weeks with AI creative testing and smart bidding.
Q3: Are CTV and retail media expensive to test?
No. Start with <$50k pilots, measure incrementality, then scale.
Q4: Why do I still need MMM if I use MTA?
MMM reveals cross-channel marginal ROI that MTA misses, especially in walled gardens.
Q5: Is a data-driven marketing strategy only for large brands?
No. Mid-market brands with $1M+ budgets can adopt MMM-lite, lift testing, and AI optimization.
Conclusion
A data‑driven marketing strategy in 2025 is about spending smarter:
CTV for measurable, scalable attention.
Retail Media for purchase intent.
AI for creative and bidding acceleration.
Colling Media can help you pilot these shifts with confidence—starting with incrementality tests and our Budget Rebalance Calculator.
Download the Budget Rebalance Calculator (Excel) to get started.