For CMOs, guesswork is no longer an option in CPG advertising

The advertising media landscape today is complex and fractured. This means chief marketing officers (CMOs) must work harder to avoid costly barriers and pitfalls while demonstrating consistent effectiveness globally, locally and in an ever-growing number of channels—all while costs skyrocket. Using a proven predictive insights system is one of the best ways for CMOs and their teams to scale winning ads, fast. 

In this article, I’ll explore:

• The current media landscape

• Where the money is being spent

• How CMOs can lessen the risk in launching new ads with validated predictive testing 

A hero and her team of creative misfits must traverse a forbidding landscape, full of hidden crevasses, apparently impassable mountains, rushing rivers and stretches of silent desert. 

It’s not a dystopian novel, it’s the situation CMOs find themselves in as the media landscape becomes full of new opportunities and new ways to misstep. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands have more options than ever to reach consumers, or to lose money on failed campaigns. Here are some of the most common channels: 

• Linear (traditional) TV

• Connected TV (CTV)

• Retail media networks (RMNs)

• Apps

• Digital advertising

• Paid search

• OOH

• Influence partnerships

Examples of brands using each of these channels effectively are easy to find—but so are examples of colossal fails. CMOs are tasked with choosing the right channels at the right time for the right audiences and millions of dollars are at risk. 

The chart below shows one example of how quickly things are changing. In 2020, just five years ago, people spent an average of 82.1 minutes per day watching CTV, and in 2025 that number has increased to 131.5, an increase of just over 60%.

The shift to CTV and away from linear (traditional) TV is only one piece of the ever-changing media puzzle, too. CPG brands are boosting retail, social and CTV spend, but it’s not clear exactly how much budget is going where. In other words, the dollars are flowing, but visibility is murky. For CMOs, who are accountable for showing return on investment, (ROI), that murkiness increases risk.

A creative misfire can mean millions of dollars wasted. Boards and investors demand proof that campaigns are driving growth. Although leaders are trained to trust their intuition, when it comes to millions of dollars, the risk of guessing is simply unacceptable. This is one reason that performance marketing with its emphasis on data has become more common. 

Real-time consumer data and fast feedback help CMOs course correct when necessary, but predictive, validated consumer data provides another layer of risk mitigation. In 2024, CPG brands spent a total of $48.8 billion on digital advertising, and the trend toward digital (and beyond) continues to grow. 

In 2025 AI-driven predictive analytics are no longer optional but essential for survival in a hyper-competitive marketplace.

- Scott Lundstrom, Senior Industry Strategist, OpenText

As spending on digital advertising continues to increase, it only makes sense to do everything possible to protect that investment. Testing concepts prior to launch, comparing performance of ads and choosing the strongest and predictive testing are all ways to do exactly that.

Bringing together predictive testing, validated consumer data and comprehensive measurement across channels and putting all of that information into easy-to-read reports allows CMOs to make faster decisions with confidence. Zappi provides CMOs the clarity to spend boldly and pivot fast so they can follow bold ideas but with less risk. 

From my experience working with dozens of CPG brands over the past several years, traditional buying patterns and gut-instinct decision making have become competitive disadvantages.

- Saga Rabadiya, CEO, SR analytics

Using a unified system provides smarter insights over time so that CMOs don’t just get feedback about the idea or campaign at hand, but about what works moving forward as well. Brand, market, product development and channels all work together and with the right information in a connected insights platform, a CMO can weave together the most effective advertising program possible.