Half of Marketing Leaders Can't Defend How They Measure ROI. Boards Are Starting to Notice.

New research from Haus finds only half (49%) of marketing and finance leaders measure how marketing is driving business outcomes, 71% believe AI-powered marketing tools prioritize short-term performance over long-term brand growth, and only 40% say their marketing measurement tools make it much easier to take decisive action.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior leaders overwhelmingly believe marketing drives growth. But when it comes to explaining how marketing is measured and defending budget allocation decisions in the boardroom, confidence quickly fades.

Haus, the industry leader in causal marketing measurement, today released findings from its inaugural Decision Confidence Index, revealing that only half (49%) of senior marketing and finance leaders can clearly explain their marketing measurement approach to the board. The findings suggest that while dashboards, data, and AI tools are abundant, many organizations lack the clarity needed to make confident, high-stakes investment decisions. The result is a system where activity is visible, but financial accountability remains unclear — making it harder to confidently allocate budgets, defend investments, or commit to long-term growth strategies.

"Only half of leaders can clearly explain how they measure marketing performance to the board," said Zach Epstein, CEO of Haus. "Massive marketing budgets are being allocated based on methods that leaders themselves don't fully trust. That uncertainty not only creates wasted spend, it drives cautious, short-term decisions that can limit long-term growth."

While 90% of respondents believe marketing drives growth, 35% say more than 20% of their marketing budget is inefficiently allocated. Many acknowledge they cannot confirm where that waste exists due to incomplete, conflicting, or unreliable measurement systems – creating real consequences for strategic planning and investment allocation.

Confidence Drops as Financial Stakes Rise

Half of respondents (50%) say they are very confident in their current measurement approach. But that confidence erodes in scenarios that most directly impact business outcomes:

• Only half (49%) say they measure what truly drives growth and business outcomes
• 51% admit they measure what is expected by leadership, highly visible, or easy to access
• More than 20% lack confidence when evaluating ROI for large-scale brand investments

These gaps reflect deeper inconsistencies with measurement infrastructure. Thirty-four percent cite reliability concerns as a primary limitation of their measurement approach, and one in three (33%) report conflicting data sources.

Measurement Gaps Are Shaping Strategic Decisions

The consequences extend beyond reporting. Creative experimentation and brand-building initiatives, two of the hardest marketing investments to measure with short-term metrics, are disproportionately exposed to measurement uncertainty. While 81% say current measurement practices encourage creative risk-taking, nearly 3 in 4 (74%) report abandoning or scaling back a marketing initiative because they lacked confidence in how to measure its impact.

That uncertainty appears to be reinforcing short-term decision making. Sixty-nine percent say they face pressure to deprioritize brand-building initiatives in favor of immediate performance and revenue targets, and only 40% say their current measurement tools make it much easier to take decisive action. When measurement systems struggle to capture long-term value, organizations gravitate toward investments that deliver "easier" returns – that may or may not be incremental to the business.

Over time, that dynamic can shift capital away from strategic brand-building and innovation initiatives that generate durable growth. In practice, measurement uncertainty is influencing not just how performance is reported, but which investments are approved, which ideas advance, and how confidently organizations commit to growth and brand-building strategies.

AI Is Accelerating Execution — But Not Necessarily Accountability

AI-powered tools are now deeply embedded in marketing operations. Most leaders report confidence in using AI, and nearly all believe AI tools drive incremental ROI. Yet confidence drops sharply when financial accountability enters the picture:

• Only half (51%) are very confident explaining AI-driven ROI to the board
• 71% believe current AI tools prioritize short-term performance over long-term brand growth
• 63% feel pressure to deliver more with fewer resources because of AI

While 78% of leaders are being pressured to integrate AI tools to drive performance, the findings suggest that adoption is outpacing clarity. Execution may be accelerating faster than organizations can confidently validate financial impact.

"AI is changing how marketing teams move," Epstein added. "But these tools learn from observed data, which creates a structural bias towards short-term, easy-to-measure metrics over what drives business value. Organizations that can't connect marketing investment to real financial outcomes risk letting AI scale the wrong objectives."

For organizations managing multimillion-dollar budgets under increased scrutiny, the findings suggest that perceived confidence in measurement may be masking deeper weaknesses — with real implications for capital allocation, strategic risk-taking, and long-term growth.

To learn how Haus helps organizations connect marketing investments to measurable, incremental business outcomes, visit www.haus.io.

About Haus

Haus is the causal marketing platform leading brands trust to optimize billions in ad spend worldwide. With support from PhD economists, data scientists, and growth experts, Haus' AI-driven technology translates complex marketing measurement into clear action and outcomes, enabling brands like Wayfair, Jones Road Beauty, Dyson, FanDuel, and Intuit to optimize spend, accelerate growth, and make smarter marketing decisions at scale. Haus was named a LinkedIn Top Startup in 2024 and 2025 and has been featured in outlets like AdExchanger, Axios, Marketing Brew, and Wall Street Journal.

Methodology

The survey was conducted by Sapio Research in January 2026 among 500 senior marketing, finance, and executive decision-makers across the United States who have responsibility over paid marketing budgets. Interviews were conducted online via email invitation. Results are accurate to plus or minus 4.4% at a 95% confidence level.

SOURCE Haus