New research reveals growing demand for standards, transparency and interoperability in media measurement
New York, NY March 5, 2026 – The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and 4As today released findings from a new joint study, co-sponsored by Kochava, Nielsen, and TechEdge, examining how major U.S. advertisers evaluate and prioritize media measurement across today’s increasingly complex TV and video ecosystem.
Authored by Sarah Mansfield, Alice Sylvester and Leslie Wood, the study finds that while advertisers have unprecedented access to sophisticated data, analytics and measurement tools, confidence has not advanced at the same pace. The challenge is not a lack of data or data integrity, but the complexity of reconciling multiple systems, methodologies and competing “versions of the truth” across an increasingly fragmented ecosystem defined by platform-specific metrics, incompatible identity systems, differing approaches and the difficulties of dealing with a vast quantity of data sources. Advertisers try to analyze and synthesize a broad set of data inputs measuring the effectiveness of their campaigns, yet still struggle to clearly explain, defend or unify results with full confidence.
Based on a quantitative survey of 197 senior marketers and 16 in-depth executive interviews, the research explores how advertisers prioritize seven major measurement domains – Media Delivery, Media Verification, Audience Delivery, Attention Metrics, Brand Impact, Media Performance and Attribution Metrics – where confidence breaks down, and how expectations will evolve over time. Across all categories, 39% of advertisers ranked Media Performance (encompassing metrics such as CTR, CPA and ROAS) as the single most important domain today.
However, the study shows a growing focus on other measurement categories as well as performance. Advertisers expect Verification, Attention, Audience Delivery, and Brand Impact to grow significantly in importance over the next three to five years, even as confidence in these areas remains uneven due to limited standardization and lack of interoperability.
Cross-platform measurement and transparency around methodologies are seen as the two largest barriers to effective measurement over the next three to five years, with 43% of advertisers rating each as a major or severe barrier. A full 84% of advertisers foresee the impact of AI on measurement as the most consequential, far more than other potential technology advancements, speaking to the desire for faster interpretation, supplements to panel-based research and relief from the burden of reconciling disparate data sources.
Further, the study outlines four priorities to strengthen advertiser confidence:
- Stronger governance through shared definitions and standards
- Greater transparency into methodologies and modeling assumptions
- Innovation paired with guardrails that support trust and usability
- Investment in interoperable, future-ready infrastructure
“The industry has built extraordinary measurement capabilities, but advertiser confidence depends on how well those systems work together,” said Jon Watts, Managing Director, CIMM. “Advertisers are navigating real challenges around comparability and identity in an increasingly fragmented environment. Encouragingly, they don’t see those barriers as insurmountable. They’re not looking for a single source of truth, but clarity about how different truths relate. The opportunity now is alignment: shared definitions, greater transparency and interoperable systems that make measurement more actionable and trustworthy.”
“To drive real performance, we need more than just innovation–we need accountability,” said Ashwini Karandikar, 4As EVP of Media, Technology, and Data. “Agencies and their advertiser clients are pushing for a future-ready infrastructure where definitions are unified and methodologies are transparent. By pairing next-gen tools like AI with stronger industry guardrails, we ensure that every dollar is measurable, every assumption is verifiable, and every campaign is optimized against a reconciled, holistic view of the market.”
To download an executive summary, visit: The Paradox of Plenty: Advertisers’ Perspectives on the State of Measurement. The full report, with the entire set of data survey results, will be made available exclusively to members of CIMM and 4As.
About CIMM
The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is a non-partisan, pan-industry association of companies from across the media and advertising ecosystem, focused on cultivating and supporting improvements, innovations and best practices in measurement and currency development, the use and application of new metrics, and data collaboration. CIMM’s role is to convene stakeholders, illuminate emerging issues, and help the marketplace make informed decisions. CIMM embraces the entire media and advertising ecosystem and prioritizes effective collaboration to deliver meaningful change.
About the 4As
The 4As was established in 1917 to promote, advance and defend the interests of our member agencies, employees and the advertising and marketing industries overall. We empower and equip our members to confidently navigate the ever-changing ecosystem of the agency world. We ensure they remain relevant, are positioned to compete, and have the resources to thrive and grow. With a focus on advocacy, talent and creating impact, the organization serves 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices, which help direct more than 85% of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4As includes the 4As Benefits division, which insures more than 160,000 employees; the government relations team, who advocate for policies to support the industry; and the 4As Foundation, which advocates for and connects rising talent to the marketing industry by fostering a culture of curiosity, creativity and craft to fuel a more equitable future for the industry.
