Nielsen Homescan data shows TV ads increase purchase incidence by 9 percent. YouTube TrueView ads lift ad recall by 20 percent on average across 10,000 studies in Google Brand Lift research. These results highlight how specific channels and formats shape awareness and sales outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- TV ads increase purchase incidence by 9% per Nielsen Homescan.
- Google's Brand Lift studies show YouTube TrueView ads lift ad recall by 20% on average across 10,000 studies.
- Facebook Brand Lift: Carousel ads increase ad recall by 1.5 points (15%).
- Programmatic ad exposure increases favorable opinion by 12% (DoubleVerify).
- Facebook video ads see 1.5% average CTR, leading to 10% engagement lift.
- Instagram Stories polls boost interaction rates by 20%.
- A study by the IPA found that advertising campaigns with a high share of emotional creative content delivered an average ROI of 23% higher than those focused purely on rational messaging, based on 396 case studies analyzed from 1986-2015.
- Nielsen reports that for every $1 spent on TV advertising, brands see an average return of $5.20 in sales within the first year, derived from cross-media measurement across 500+ CPG brands.
- Google’s Economic Impact Report indicates that US businesses using Google Ads achieve an average 200% ROI, with small businesses averaging $2 return for every $1 invested over 2019-2022.
- Long-term brand health metrics from IPA show campaigns building mental availability increase market share by 0.5-1% annually (Byron Sharp analysis).
- Kantar BrandZ data: Brands with strong salience grow 11% faster than average.
- Ehrenberg-Bass Institute: Penetration share drives 80% of sales volume long-term.
- Coca-Cola's Share a Coke campaign delivered 2% US sales lift equating to 4:1 ROI.
- Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign boosted sales by 107% in first month, per P&G reports.
- Always #LikeAGirl campaign increased brand sales by 20% in North America within a year.
Yes, advertising works, boosting awareness and purchase intent through measurable lifts across major studies.
Related reading
01 · Category
Brand Awareness30 stats
01
TV ads increase purchase incidence by 9% per Nielsen Homescan.
02
Google's Brand Lift studies show YouTube TrueView ads lift ad recall by 20% on average across 10,000 studies.
03
Facebook Brand Lift: Carousel ads increase ad recall by 1.5 points (15%).
04
Nielsen study: 90% of consumers report TV ads make them aware of brands.
05
Kantar Millward Brown: Emotional ads boost top-of-mind awareness by 25%.
06
Ipsos Affinitas: OOH ads lift brand awareness by 12% in exposed vs control groups.
07
Dynamic Logic (now Kantar): Search ads increase aided awareness by 8%.
08
comScore: Display ads lift brand familiarity 10-15% in lift studies.
09
Millward Brown: Radio ads improve spontaneous awareness by 7% weekly.
10
GfK MRI Starch: Print ads achieve 30% average readership and 20% awareness lift.
11
YouGov BrandIndex: Campaigns shift buzz scores by +5 points on average.
12
Launchmetrics: Influencer campaigns boost media impact value 300%, correlating to 15% awareness gain.
13
Edelman Trust Barometer: Trusted brand ads lift consideration 22%.
14
Interbrand Best Global Brands: Ad spend leaders see 10% YoY awareness growth.
15
BrandZ: Top risers gain 20% brand equity via awareness campaigns.
16
TrackMaven: Social ads lift unaided recall 18% for video formats.
17
Sprout Social Index: 86% of consumers say UGC increases brand awareness.
18
HubSpot State of Marketing: 69% of marketers report video ads top for awareness.
19
Content Marketing Institute: Podcasts lift awareness 25% among listeners.
20
Semrush: SEO + PPC combo lifts branded search visibility 40%.
21
Ahrefs study: Content marketing builds awareness with 3x more leads.
22
Brightcove: Streaming video ads achieve 28% viewability and awareness.
23
Programmatic lift tests show 9% average awareness uplift (IAB).
24
Path to Purchase Institute: In-store digital screens lift awareness 15%.
25
Arbitron (Nielsen Audio): Podcast ads boost awareness 24%.
26
OMDIA: CTV ads deliver 18% higher awareness than linear TV.
27
Search Engine Journal: Voice search ads increase awareness 12%.
28
Socialbakers (Emplifi): TikTok ads lift awareness 22% for Gen Z.
29
Snapchat Insights: AR lenses boost awareness 30%.
30
Pinterest Trends: Shoppable pins lift awareness 21%.
Interpretation
Brand Awareness Interpretation
While each medium proudly parades its own potency—from TV's stubborn 9% purchase nudge to TikTok's 22% grip on Gen Z—the collective chorus of these statistics sings a clear, if unsurprising, tune: yes, advertising works, but mostly by relentlessly reminding you that things exist until you finally, gratefully, surrender and buy them.
02 · Category
Consumer Engagement30 stats
01
Programmatic ad exposure increases favorable opinion by 12% (DoubleVerify).
02
Facebook video ads see 1.5% average CTR, leading to 10% engagement lift.
03
Instagram Stories polls boost interaction rates by 20%.
04
YouTube bumper ads achieve 25% view-through rate engagement.
05
TikTok Spark Ads drive 28% higher engagement than standard video.
06
LinkedIn sponsored content CTR 0.44%, 3x industry average.
07
Google Display Network average CTR 0.46%, with rich media 2x higher.
08
Email marketing averages 21% open rate, 2.3% CTR (Mailchimp).
09
SMS marketing open rates 98%, CTR 19% (Twilio).
10
Push notifications CTR 7.8% average (Urban Airship).
11
Influencer posts engagement rate 3.5% vs 1% brand posts (Influencer Marketing Hub).
12
User-generated content boosts engagement 28% (Bazaarvoice).
13
Live video engagement 10x higher than pre-recorded (HubSpot).
14
Interactive quizzes CTR 2-4x standard ads (Outgrow).
15
Gamified ads increase time spent 47% (Motivaction).
16
Personalized ads lift CTR 30% (Dynamic Yield).
17
Retargeting ads CTR 10x higher than display (AdRoll).
18
Video ads on social media CTR 1.8x image ads.
19
AR filters Snapchat engagement 20% higher.
20
Voice assistants engagement 4.2% response rate (Voicebot.ai).
21
Chatbot interactions conversion 67% higher (Drift).
22
Loyalty app push engagement 36% open rate (Localytics).
23
Podcast sponsorship recall leads to 15% purchase intent engagement.
24
OOH digital DOOH CTR equivalent 0.6% digital benchmark.
25
In-store radio boosts dwell time 10%, engagement proxy.
26
Programmatic video completion rates 80%, engagement signal.
27
Native ads CTR 0.56% vs 0.15% display (Sharethrough).
28
Shoppable Instagram posts engagement 1.08%.
29
Amazon DSP engagement via ACoS 25% average.
30
Pinterest promoted pins save/share rate 0.4%.
Interpretation
Consumer Engagement Interpretation
The data proves that advertising is indeed effective, but only if you stop shouting into the void and start having a genuine, cleverly tailored conversation with someone who actually wants to listen.
03 · Category
Financial ROI29 stats
01
A study by the IPA found that advertising campaigns with a high share of emotional creative content delivered an average ROI of 23% higher than those focused purely on rational messaging, based on 396 case studies analyzed from 1986-2015.
02
Nielsen reports that for every $1spent on TV advertising, brands see an average return of $5.20 in sales within the first year, derived from cross-media measurement across 500+ CPG brands.
03
Google’s Economic Impact Report indicates that US businesses using Google Ads achieve an average 200% ROI, with small businesses averaging $2 return for every $1 invested over 2019-2022.
04
A Kantar analysis of 15,000 global campaigns showed that TV advertising yields a median ROI of 1.5:1, with top quartile campaigns reaching 3:1 based on econometrics modeling.
05
McKinsey research on 1,400 marketing campaigns revealed that integrated campaigns deliver 57% higher ROI than single-channel efforts, averaging 2.2x return on ad spend.
06
Facebook (Meta) IQ study across 1.5 million ad campaigns found an average ROAS of 2.96 for e-commerce advertisers in 2023.
07
WARC's Effectiveness Report analyzed 200 Effie-winning campaigns with an average ROI of 5.6:1 using marketing mix modeling.
08
Econometric analysis by Millward Brown (Kantar) on UK FMCG brands showed radio ads generating £6.50 return per £1 spent long-term.
09
A PwC study for the US advertising industry estimated that $100 billion in ad spend in 2022 generated $1.2 trillion in economic value, implying 12:1 ROI multiplier.
10
Harvard Business Review analysis of P&G data indicated that digital display ads have a 1.8:1 ROI when combined with TV.
11
Les Binet's analysis of IPA databank showed long-term brand building campaigns yield 20% annual profit growth vs 6% for short-term activation.
12
Deloitte's Digital Media Trends report found connected TV ads delivering 3.2:1 ROAS for 300 brands in 2023.
13
Ebiquity's global media study of 3,000 campaigns reported average ROI of 1.7:1 for total media spend.
14
IAB UK research showed search advertising ROI at 4:1 for direct response campaigns across 50 brands.
15
Forrester study on B2B marketing found email nurture campaigns ROI of 42:1.
16
Gartner analysis predicted that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales interactions will occur digitally, with ad-driven leads yielding 3x ROI over cold calls.
17
BCG matrix on retail media networks showed 4-6:1 ROI for first-party data targeted ads.
18
Oxford Economics for World Federation of Advertisers estimated advertising contributes 3.5% to global GDP with 10:1 economic multiplier.
19
ANA study of 89 brands found average marketing ROI of 2.2:1 using incrementality tests.
20
R3's CrossMedia study reported 2.5:1 ROI uplift from cross-channel exposure.
21
A meta-analysis in Journal of Marketing of 300+ studies showed average ad elasticity of 0.12, translating to 1.5-2:1 ROI at scale.
22
Unilever's analysis of 500+ campaigns found sustainable messaging boosts ROI by 15%.
23
Procter & Gamble reported $1ad spend drives $10-15 in lifetime value via brand health metrics.
24
WPP Atticus study of 1,000 campaigns showed emotional ads 2x ROI of rational ones.
25
GroupM's This Year Next Year forecast modeled 2.8:1 average ROI for global ad markets in 2024.
26
eMarketer data on Amazon ads showed 5:1 ROAS for sponsored products in 2023.
27
Statista compilation of 2023 ad ROI benchmarks: social media averages 2.4:1 across industries.
28
Accenture study for 500 executives found AI-optimized ads lift ROI by 30% to 3:1 average.
29
Bain & Company retail study: loyalty program ads yield 5.5:1 ROI.
Interpretation
Financial ROI Interpretation
If you're still wondering whether advertising works, just know that the only thing more consistent than these studies showing its positive return on investment is the collective human urge to ignore them and declare marketing dead every few years.
More related reading
04 · Category
Long-term Brand Equity28 stats
01
Long-term brand health metrics from IPA show campaigns building mental availability increase market share by 0.5-1% annually (Byron Sharp analysis).
02
Kantar BrandZ data: Brands with strong salience grow 11% faster than average.
03
Ehrenberg-Bass Institute: Penetration share drives 80% of sales volume long-term.
04
Les Binet & Peter Field: Brand building spend correlates with 20% profit margin uplift over 5 years.
05
P&G's brand contribution model: 60% of sales from long-term equity.
06
Unilever Sustainable Living Plan: Purpose-driven brands grew 70% faster.
07
Interbrand: Top 100 brands derive 20% premium pricing from equity.
08
Millward Brown BrandDynamics: Imagery strength predicts 25% loyalty variance.
09
YouGov BrandIndex: Positive buzz persistence lasts 6 months post-campaign.
10
Brand Finance: RepTrak scores link to 12% revenue premium.
11
Nielsen Brand Equity Index: High equity brands have 2x penetration.
12
Edelman Brandwatch: Purpose alignment sustains 15% higher loyalty.
13
WGSN Future of Branding: Cultural fluency adds 10% equity growth.
14
Deloitte Consumer Tracker: Trusted brands retain 30% more during recessions.
15
Forrester Brand Resonance: Equity drives 18% CLV increase.
16
J.D. Power: Satisfaction equity correlates to 22% repurchase intent.
17
Temkin Experience Ratings: CX equity boosts revenue 1.5x.
18
ARF Brand Asset Valuator: Persuasion predicts 35% future share.
19
Binet Field meta-analysis: 60/40 brand/performance split optimal for equity.
20
Sharp's How Brands Grow: Distinctive assets build 15% category entry ease.
21
Kantar Marketplace: Creative quality scores predict 19% long-term growth.
22
IPA Long-term Effectiveness: Campaigns with fame creativity +32% profit.
23
WARC Top 100: Equity builders average 3x market growth.
24
Brand Keys Loyalty360: Emotional bonds drive 86% repeat purchase.
25
Simon-Kucher Pricing: Brand premium sustains 5-10% margin long-term.
26
McKinsey Brand Migration: Equity migration adds 7% annual growth.
27
Boston Consulting Group: Portfolio equity optimization +12% TSR.
28
Lauterborn 4Ps evolution: Brand experience equity 2x acquisition cost.
Interpretation
Long-term Brand Equity Interpretation
All this data confirms that while an ad might get you a date tonight, it’s your brand’s reputation that convinces them to marry you and build a financially stable future together.
05 · Category
Sales Volume30 stats
01
Coca-Cola's Share a Coke campaign delivered 2% US sales lift equating to 4:1 ROI.
02
Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign boosted sales by 107% in first month, per P&G reports.
03
Always #LikeAGirl campaign increased brand sales by 20% in North America within a year.
04
Dove Real Beauty campaign drove 700% sales increase in India over 10 years.
05
Red Bull Stratos jump generated 8.5 million unique video views and $6.17 ROI per $1 spent in sales uplift.
06
Burger King's Whopper Detour app campaign lifted app downloads by 15x and sales by 37x ROAS.
07
Nike's Dream Crazy with Colin Kaepernick saw 31% online sales increase post-launch.
08
Airbnb's "Live There" campaign resulted in 200% growth in US bookings.
09
Domino's Pizza Turnaround campaign boosted US same-store sales by 14.3%.
10
Spotify Wrapped 2022 drove 21% increase in Premium subscriptions.
11
Peloton's holiday ad (problematic one notwithstanding) saw prior campaigns lift sales 172% YoY.
12
Dollar Shave Club viral video led to 12,000 sign-ups in 48 hours and 10x sales growth.
13
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised $115M and increased donations 3000% for foundation.
14
GoPro user-generated content campaigns contributed to 50% YoY revenue growth 2012-2014.
15
Blendtec "Will It Blend" series increased sales from $4k to $9M annually.
16
Zappos customer service ads indirectly drove 20% annual growth pre-Amazon.
17
Warby Parker home try-on campaign scaled to $250M revenue by 2018.
18
Allstate Mayhem campaign increased policy sales by 10% in targeted markets.
19
Geico Gecko boosted market share from 2.5% to 5% in 5 years.
20
Progressive Flo character ads lifted direct premiums by 25%.
21
American Family "Quote for Quote" challenge grew quotes 50%.
22
Chili's social media campaigns increased foot traffic 15%.
23
Chipotle #Boorito boosted Halloween sales 20% annually.
24
Wendy's Twitter roasts grew app orders 25% in 2023.
25
Taco Bell Crunchwrap Sliders relaunch via TikTok drove 10% sales lift.
26
KFC Colonel reboot campaign increased US sales 7%.
27
McDonald's Grimace Shake TikTok trend generated $50M in sales.
28
Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino sold 1M units in 3 weeks via social buzz.
29
Lay's "Do Us a Flavor" contest increased sales 12%.
30
Nielsen Catalina data shows TV GRPs correlate with 0.1% sales lift per GRP point in CPG.
Interpretation
Sales Volume Interpretation
While the debate over advertising's efficacy rages on, these statistics collectively declare: when executed with sharp insight and cultural resonance, it is not a mere cost but a high-yield investment that directly moves the market.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Does Advertising Work Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/does-advertising-work-statistics
MLA
Timothy Grant. "Does Advertising Work Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/does-advertising-work-statistics.
Chicago
Timothy Grant. 2026. "Does Advertising Work Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/does-advertising-work-statistics.
Sources & references
100 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
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