Australia
Curious Nation, Ideally Launch the Inaugural Activation Effectiveness Barometer 2025: A landmark study released exposes a multi-million dollar measurement crisis in Australian and New Zealand marketing departments. Curious Nation, in partnership with insights platform Ideally, has launched The Activation Effectiveness Barometer 2025, translating industry creativity into measurable insight and benchmarking for the first time how below-the-line (BTL) marketing is measured, valued, and prioritised.
The inaugural report paints a picture of an industry pouring money into activations—from pop-ups and sponsorships to retail theatre—yet operating largely on faith. Based on a quantitative survey of 87 senior marketing specialists (80% in CMO, Director, or Head roles), the data reveals a landscape “strong in belief and positivity but weak in proof.”
A Crisis of Confidence: Millions Spent, Patchy Proof
The central finding is a severe deficit in measurement confidence and consistency.
- Only 2% of marketers are very confident measuring ROI for BTL activations.
- Just 5% feel the same about measuring brand impact.
- Over one-third (>33%) admit their measurement approach is somewhat or very inconsistent.
- A mere 9% describe their metrics as very consistent across activations.
“For too long, activation has been undervalued because it hasn’t spoken the same measurement language as other parts of the marketing mix,” said Meredith Cranmer, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Curious Nation. “This Barometer changes that narrative. We now have a clear view of the pressure points. The good news is that solutions exist, but a knowledge gap means they are not understood.”
The Experience Paradox: Belief Clashes with Data
The study uncovers a significant paradox. Experiential marketing (events, pop-ups) is both a top investment area—with 55% allocating substantial budgets—and is seen as a leading driver of brand impact (22%). 43% of marketers plan to increase experiential spend next year.
Simultaneously, it is considered the hardest channel to measure, with nearly a third of marketers citing it as their primary measurement challenge. “The real challenge is this: Can I prove that the person who attended our experiential event in January is the same person who bought in March?” one senior marketer noted.
Measuring the Easy, Not the Important
The report identifies a default to short-term, easily defensible metrics over long-term value. When assessing success:
- 85% use sales data.
- 64% track brand metrics.
- 47% measure participation (sign-ups, engagement).
“We measure what’s easy, not what matters,” the report states, highlighting a gap in tracking lasting brand equity and behaviour change. This short-term focus is compounded in retail media—a top investment for 75% of marketers—where spend risks becoming siloed without integrated strategy.
AI and Cautious Optimism Fuel the Path Forward
Despite the challenges, optimism persists. 60% of marketers expect stable BTL budgets in 2026, with 28% predicting increases. Artificial Intelligence is poised to be a key enabler, with 68% expecting AI to enhance measurement and reporting, and 59% anticipating it will reshape creative processes.
“Marketers aren’t pulling back. They’re doubling down; they just want better proof,” Cranmer concluded. “This isn’t about finding a silver bullet. It’s about building a shared language of effectiveness that recognises both the value of creativity and the importance of accountability.”
The Activation Effectiveness Barometer will become an annual benchmark, tracking the industry’s progress from fragmentation to framework, and turning anecdotes into actionable evidence.ustry progress toward closing the measurement gap and turning fragmented anecdotes into collective evidence.
Download the report https://curiousnation.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Ideally-x-Curious-Nations.pdf
