CFOs want hard numbers, not brand vibes

This article was co-authored by Rachel Smith, a Sr. Principal Analyst in the Gartner Marketing Practice, specializing in marketing data and analytics, marketing technology and marketing operations.

Brand marketing is under the microscope. As CFOs demand harder evidence of impact, marketers must prove how brand investments drive real business results — or risk losing the budget to performance.

Why brand investment faces new scrutiny

Today’s challenging economic climate intensifies scrutiny of every marketing dollar, especially those allocated to brands. Marketing leaders are under growing pressure from CFOs to provide clear, data-driven proof of branding’s business impact, and this demand is only increasing.

In 2025, 55% of marketers prioritize performance marketing, compared to 22% focusing on brand. As margins shrink, brand investments are increasingly at risk — unless marketers can protect them with strong measurement and compelling financial narratives.

CFOs aren’t passive observers; many are actively involved in brand strategy. Yet skepticism remains. Gartner research found that up to 52% of CFOs are still neutral or skeptical toward marketing. That makes it even more critical to demonstrate brand value in financial terms. While brand advertising can influence sales, measuring that impact is challenging due to: 

• The lag between campaign execution and consumer purchase.
• A lack of organizational consensus on how advertising drives behavior. 

These challenges increase when there is no clear measurement plan.

Many paths lead to business success, but branding remains the most distinct lever under marketing’s control. Even after years of decline, brand development still commands significant attention and budget. 

In 2025, brand strategy and activation received the third-largest share of marketing spend — 8.8% of the total budget. Producing commercial value is no longer optional for leaders aiming to preserve or grow these investments. Choosing a measurement approach that aligns with business goals and delivers actionable insights can be the difference between defending brand budgets and seeing them cut.

Dig deeper: The real reason marketing measurement keeps failing

Approaches to capturing brand’s commercial value

Brand’s commercial value can be measured in several ways, each offering a unique perspective on how investments translate into business outcomes. 

• One approach is to estimate the direct impact of brand media, assessing the sales generated due to brand-focused marketing efforts. 
• Another is the brand’s price premium, the additional revenue a company can command due to brand strength. 
• Other brand measurement approaches can be helpful in different contexts but not for capturing commercial value. These include brand health metrics such as awareness, perception and preference. 

For companies involved in mergers and acquisitions or those seeking to understand their market capitalization, brand financial valuation estimates the brand’s overall value as an intangible asset. 

Choosing the right measurement method

Selecting the optimal measurement approach requires careful consideration. Clarify your measurement goal. Are you aiming to demonstrate the impact of a specific campaign or quantify the long-term value of historic branding efforts? 

Data availability is another key factor. MMM and some tests require three years of granular marketing and sales data. If data is limited, geographic tests or ATU surveys may be more feasible.

Geographic variability also matters. If brand activities can be varied across regions, geographic testing is a powerful tool. Budget and resources are crucial. MMM delivers the highest sensitivity but at a high cost, while geographic tests are more affordable, and ATU surveys and conjoint analysis may require external providers and more coordination. 

Finally, speed to value is essential: all methods require at least one to two quarters to execute, with additional time needed for test setup or survey design.

Dig deeper: How to prove the value of brand marketing without sacrificing ROI

Practical methods for measuring brand impact

Some practical approaches for measuring the commercial impact of brand activities include: 

• Geographic testing.
• Marketing mix modeling.
• Brand awareness, trial and usage surveys.
• Conjoint analysis

Geographic testing

This real-world experimentation method lets you compare performance across different locations by exposing select areas to specific brand activities and using others as controls. It’s especially effective for campaigns that can be varied regionally, such as: 

• In-store promotions.
• Localized digital advertising.

It also provides robust evidence of incremental impact in the short and mid-term.

Marketing mix modeling (MMM)

MMM is the gold standard for organizations with access to extensive historical marketing and sales data, particularly for B2C brands. Applying advanced statistical techniques quantifies the aggregated impact of brand and performance marketing on outcomes like sales and market share. 

This lets you detect even modest changes in brand spend and reveal valuable halo effects across channels. MMM requires significant investment and data, but its ability to show both short-term sales and long-term brand impact makes it persuasive to executives.

Brand awareness, trial and usage (ATU) surveys 

These methods:

• Focus on tracking shifts in upper-funnel metrics such as awareness, consideration and trial. 
• Model how changes at the top of the funnel cascade down to influence conversion and sales. 

You’ll gain valuable directional insights after major campaigns or shifts in brand investment. While less granular than MMM, ATU surveys offer a practical way to monitor brand health and validate other measurement methods.

Conjoint analysis

If you want to understand or defend premium pricing, conjoint analysis quantifies the value consumers place on brand status. By presenting respondents with various product and price configurations, this survey-based technique uncovers: 

• Willingness to pay.
• The incremental revenue attributable to brand strength. 

It is resource-intensive but is uniquely suited for organizations aiming to measure and maximize their brand’s price premium.

These methods together form a toolkit you can tailor to different business needs, data environments and strategic objectives. This allows you to move beyond assumptions and demonstrate the tangible value of brand investment.

Dig deeper: How to measure the impact of brand marketing

Integrating methods for maximum insight

Leading organizations often deploy multiple measurement methods throughout the year. For example, a brand might use MMM for overall impact assessment while running targeted geographic tests to validate specific campaigns. This layered approach provides a more comprehensive view and builds credibility with finance and executive teams.

With every marketing dollar under scrutiny, the ability to measure brand’s impact is a strategic edge. By choosing the proper methods, aligning with business goals and investing in analytics, you can move beyond gut feel — proving brand value and securing long-term investment.