46% of Brands Require Proof of ROI Before Increasing Commerce Advertising

A survey of 281 professionals, featured in a 36-page report titled "The Commerce Media Connection Gap," revealed that 46% of brands would increase their spending on commerce advertising if the industry could prove a measurable return and incremental sales that would not have occurred otherwise. Conducted in partnership between SMG, IAB, and IAB UK, the fieldwork was carried out in July and August 2026. When brands were asked without suggested options about what would drive them to increase investment, no other idea reached 8%.

The primary gap lies in the connection between workflow stages. When respondents were asked about the least connected areas, 34% chose reporting, compared to 30% for creative, 29% for consumer insights, and 28% for planning and measurement, while only 17% selected activation—that is, actually launching the campaign. Views across the three groups were aligned: reporting was chosen by 31% of brands, 40% of agencies, and 36% of retail media networks.

Consistency is rare at both ends of a campaign. Only 14% say that omnichannel campaigns are always planned from a single brief, and only 14% say they always receive unified reporting across channels. Overall, 54% rate the sector at seven or higher out of ten, while only 17% give it a nine or ten. The report notes that the problem is not performance within a single network, but rather moving between multiple networks, each with its own data, definitions, tools, and measurement methods.

Respondents' views on artificial intelligence are divided. 44% say it will create the biggest competitive advantage in commerce advertising over the next three years, while 39% describe it as the most overhyped capability today, without the report clarifying how many held both views. The report does not disclose a breakdown by country, a margin of error, a description of respondent selection methodology, or any weighting, noting that the base for each question varies.

What do these terms mean?

Commerce Advertising: Ads displayed within retailers' websites, apps, and in-store digital screens, leveraging actual purchase data to reach shoppers while they shop.

Return on Investment (ROI): A metric comparing the profit or value generated from a campaign against its cost, used to determine whether ad spend is worthwhile.

Incremental Sales: Sales that would not have occurred without the ad, proving which is harder than measuring total sales because it requires comparison with a control group.

Retail Media Network: An advertising arm owned by a retailer or retail chain that sells ad space to advertisers using its customer data.