Marketers using experiments doubled from 18% to 36% last year

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made it easier for marketers to test creative assets and understand ad performance, according to the ‘Future of Measurement 2025’ report from WARC. 

The number of marketers using experiments doubled from 18% to 36% in the last year, which is largely driven by tools now becoming available across walled garden platforms like Meta and Amazon. 

Yet, advertisers still lack a complete view of ROI due to flaws in platform-based attribution, including lack of transparency and cross-channel performance comparison capabilities. 

Best practices for advertisers that are recommended in the report include having a clear hypothesis and success metrics, combining experiments with other methodologies, and embedding within a test and learning agenda. 

Most attribution-based platforms only measure three to four years and miss long-term pricing effects, the report found. So for advertisers that are focused on strong branding and pricing power, it is recommended to invest in custom measurement tools.

Marketers are encouraged to track pricing impacts over time, especially as economic pressures like trade tariffs may amplify the importance of brand-driven pricing resilience. 

Lastly, while AI can enable faster and scalable creative testing across platforms and formats, hybrid approaches – which include AI and human input – are recommended for best practices as human input remains vital, especially for hero assets. 

Paul Stringer, managing editor of research and insights at WARC, said: “Once considered the preserve of more advanced advertisers, the next 12 months in marketing measurement will be defined by a growing democratisation of tools and methods.

“However, while AI tools, in particular, bring new speed and scale to measurement, advertisers still lack a complete framework for understanding advertising return on investment.

“With this report we aim to provide clarity on the latest advancements in measurement techniques by sharing insights from both WARC and external research, as well as equipping marketers with takeaways to put into practice.”

This article first appeared in Campaign's sister-publication, Performance Marketing World.