Skip to content
News Center >

Nielsen’s Annual Marketing Report uncovers only 26% of global marketers are confident in their audience data

4 minute read | April 2022

Global survey among marketers finds that brands’ top priorities for 2022 are increasing brand awareness, breaking down measurement siloes, developing personalized strategies, and becoming more purpose-driven

NEW YORK, April 12, 2022 – Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) released its 2022 Annual Marketing Report, which found marketers are prioritizing digital first, but have struggled over the past two years to keep up with consumers’ changing media habits. Titled “Era of Alignment,” the first global report of its kind, illustrates how marketers need confidence in their data to focus equally on brand building and customer acquisition, doing so through both upper-funnel and lower-funnel planning and execution.

The report, which surveyed nearly 2,000 global marketers between December 2021 and January 2022, revealed a digital dominance in how dollars are being spent and exposed marketers’ lack of confidence in the data behind those decisions. With continued digital fragmentation, marketers report data accuracy, measurement, and ROI as paramount concerns. While 69% of marketers believe first-party data is essential for their strategies and campaigns, and 72% of marketers believe they have access to quality data, only 26% of global marketers are fully confident in their audience data.

The Era of Alignment found marketers around the world are experiencing similar areas of success and challenges, as shown by:

“Our work at Nielsen is to provide the most complete view of consumer behavior across industries, and our longtime experience in measurement and comprehensive view of the media universe gives brands a 360-degree view that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Jamie Moldafsky, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Nielsen. “This research reaffirms that marketers want to put money into channels to deliver immediate ROI, but this must be balanced with overall brand lift. As media engagement shifts, agility and data are critical to optimize the entire marketing funnel. With the upcoming depreciation of third-party cookies, it’s understandable to see marketers prioritizing personalization and aligning their brand with causes their customers care about. Through our solutions – and this report – we’re continuing to help brands and marketers get actionable insights to make more informed, and quicker decisions.”

This is the fifth Annual Marketing Report produced by Nielsen. The report is based on survey responses from marketers who manage marketing budgets $1 million or more; who work across a variety of industries (auto, financial services, FMCG, technology, health care, pharmaceuticals, travel, tourism, and retail); and whose focus pertains to media, technology, and measurement strategies.

Download the report here.

About Nielsen

Nielsen shapes the world’s media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiences—now and into the future.

An S&P 500 company, Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com or www.nielsen.com/investors and connect with us on social media.

Contact

Nielsen

Sarah Muratore

sarah.muratore@nielsen.com