Observed Signal · Jun 19, 2026 · Research Study · Source: The Drum · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Only 22% of Advertisers Consistently Use Analytics
Analytic Partners’ 2026 State of Commercial Decisioning Survey of 455 senior decision-makers at advertisers with ≥$1bn revenue (avg. marketing budget $100m) finds only 22% consistently use analytics to guide business decisions. This minority — dubbed 'Empowered Organizations' — produces an average of $40m in incremental annual sales (with some reporting >$120m) and achieves roughly 10% higher ROI versus peers. The report attributes their outperformance to enterprise-wide decisioning practices such as agile decision-making, scalable innovation, omnichannel precision and stakeholder alignment, and highlights econometric methods (Marketing Mix Modeling) and broader Commercial Analytics as primary decision frameworks. Nearly 40% of respondents identify MMM/Commercial Analytics as their primary source of truth for major allocation decisions. The article was published by The Drum on 2026-06-19.
Industry research shows a measurable performance gap driven by operationalizing analytics (enterprise decisioning and MMM/Commercial Analytics), which is relevant to advertisers, agencies and measurement vendors planning investment and capability roadmaps.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Analytic Partners surveyed 455 verified senior decision-makers at advertisers with $1bn+ annual revenue (average marketing budget $100m) for the '2026 State of Commercial Decisioning Survey'.
- Only 22% of respondents consistently use analytics to guide strategic budgeting, investment allocation, and business planning.
- The 22% 'Empowered Organizations' generate an average of $40m in incremental sales annually, with some reporting more than $120m.
- Empowered Organizations deliver approximately 10% higher ROI compared with their peers.
- Nearly 40% of senior decision-makers identified Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) and Commercial Analytics as their primary source of truth for major allocation and investment decisions.
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