This analysis uses LiftLab's anonymized and aggregated U.S. client data across Apparel · Footwear · CPG/Durables · Lifestyle · Home · Tech Services, all of which have significant DTC channels.
Every ad platform over-report its own contribution. iROAS benchmarks from incrementality measurement tell you what actually drove revenue, not what Meta or Google claim.
Retail Media share roughly doubled. CTV and TikTok gained points in almost every category. If you haven't reviewed your allocation recently, you're likely behind the curve.
Most major CPMs fell or held flat in 2025, yet iROAS diverged sharply by category. Knowing where to concentrate spending matters more than what you're paying per impression.
Each category includes revenue, media spend, iROAS, funnel allocation, media mix composition, and CPM trends, compared year-over-year vs. FY-2024.
Brands shifted from bottom-of-funnel into mid-funnel, leaning more on Meta, Pinterest, and TikTok while cutting Google and CTV share.
Strong mid-year and fall performance. CTV gained 3 points of mix as brands added upper-funnel reach for the first time alongside performance channels.
The strongest efficiency story of 2025. Did more with slightly less by pulling out of Google and Meta and pushing into Retail Media, YouTube, TikTok, and AppLovin.
Bought growth with aggressive spend, but incremental efficiency degraded. Additional spend likely hit steeper diminishing returns curves, particularly on Meta and Pinterest.
Revenue declined slightly but media efficiency improved significantly. A gradual modernization away from Direct Mail and TV into paid social and streaming video is paying off.
Spent more, got less per dollar, especially late in the year. Rising pressure on demand combined with mix shifts into less responsive upper-funnel and display surfaces.
KEY FINDINGS
Consistent patterns that emerged across the full LiftLab portfolio, directional signals, not one-size-fits-all benchmarks.
Finding 01
Two-stage MMM that distinguishes auction dynamics from consumer response—measuring immediate conversions and long-term brand capital.
Finding 02
CPMs fell across most major platforms: YouTube −29%, TikTok −15%, Snap −14%, CTV −5%, Meta −1%. Yet Home and Tech Services saw iROAS decline despite cheaper inventory. How and where you deployed the savings mattered more than the savings themselves.
Finding 03
Across nearly every category, budgets are polarizing more spend is flowing to top-of-funnel brand building and bottom-of-funnel conversion, while mid-funnel channels are being squeezed. Tech Services MOF dropped from 29% → 23%. Home from 35% → 28%. Lifestyle from 32% → 28%.
Finding 04
CPG/Durables cut spend by −1% and grew iROAS by +20%, producing the best revenue growth in the portfolio at +10%. Home spent +15% more and saw iROAS fall −7%. Smarter reallocation, not bigger budgets, drove the efficiency gap.
Media cost environment
2025 was more forgiving than expected on media costs, but not uniformly. A few platforms bucked the deflationary trend, creating both opportunity and risk depending on where you were concentrated.
YouTube
−29%
Biggest CPM drop across platforms
Criteo / Amazon
−30%
Significant retail media cost relief
TikTok
−15%
Cheaper across most categories
Snap
−14%
Lower costs, smaller reach
CTV
−5%
Modest deflation, growing adoption
Meta
−1%
Roughly flat; varies by category
+20–30%
Notable inflation; selective use advised
Apple / Retail Media
+20–30%
Cost headwinds despite share gains
Full CPM breakdowns by category and platform are included in the downloadable report.
Media mix
About 40% of brands diversified meaningfully beyond Google and Meta. The biggest shifts, by share points gained or lost, across the full portfolio:
Channels Gaining Share
Channels Losing Share
Funnel allocation
Year-over-year shifts in share of total media spend by funnel stage.
| Category | BOF 2024 | BOF 2025 | MOF 2024 | MOF 2025 | TOF 2024 | TOF 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apparel | 56% | 51%↓ | 8% | 14%↑ | 37% | 35%↓ |
| Footwear | 35% | 40%↑ | 12% | 11%– | 22% | 22%– |
| CPG / Durables | 24% | 24%– | 7% | 10%↑ | 58% | 59%– |
| Home | 26% | 21%↓ | 35% | 28%↓ | 32% | 48%↑ |
| Lifestyle | 40% | 40%– | 32% | 28%↓ | 27% | 31%↑ |
| Tech Services | 25% | 28%↑ | 29% | 23%↓ | 43% | 48%↑ |
AUDIENCE
Benchmarks to pressure-test board-level efficiency narratives and budget asks for 2026.
Channel-level CPM and mix data to validate or challenge your current allocation strategy.
iROAS methodology notes, incrementality framework, and medians-over-averages rationale.
Category-specific benchmarks to contextualize client performance and shape planning decks.
Every finding in this preview is backed by more granular data in the full PDF, monthly iROAS curves, channel-level CPM tables, funnel allocation by category, and full methodology notes.
Enjoy the actionable insights from the LiftLab Marketing Science team.
