Looking Beyond the Numbers: Marketing Leaders Reflect on ROI and 2026

As we reach the end of 2025, one theme that kept coming up in conversations with our members in Singapore and Hong Kong: ROI still dominates the agenda, but what it means, how we measure it, and how we feel about it has never been more complex.

So, with our partner Crimtan, we decided not to let the year quietly fade out under the weight of dashboards and targets. Instead, we created a space that was human, honest and a little bit hopeful, to talk about what ROI really looks like today, and what we want it to feel like in 2026.

We brought together marketing leaders from across the region for a virtual roundtable, capturing their reflections for a special holiday wrap-up video for the industry.

Together with Crimtan, we wanted to close the year with something that felt grounded, but uplifting and a reminder that while the landscape is tough, we’re not navigating it alone.

Shared perspectives: What we heard in the room

Across different brands, categories and markets, several common threads emerged.

1. ROI is still a shared language but not a shared definition

Everyone agreed: ROI is still the word that shows up in every conversation, with CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, boards and teams. But what became clear is that:

• ROI can mean profitability, performance, brand health, equity, engagement, or learning, depending on who you ask.
• One of the biggest opportunities for 2026 is creating shared clarity and a version of ROI that makes sense to finance, to marketing, and to the rest of the business.

There was a strong hope that next year brings more alignment, not more pressure.

2. Complexity is up but so are our tools

Leaders reflected on:

• More data than ever, across more platforms than ever
• Customers whose journeys span physical, digital, social, community and content
• New technologies – especially AI – arriving fast and changing how we work

Yet, the mood wasn’t bleak. The conversation turned towards opportunity:

• Using automation and AI to free up time for thinking, creativity and experimentation
• Testing more, learning faster, and making braver, evidence-informed decisions
• Encouraging teams to see new tools as superpowers, not threats

There was real excitement about using 2026 to move from trial-and-error to confident experimentation.

3. The customer’s voice is still the North Star

Despite all the complexity, one simple truth ran through the discussion:
When things get noisy, go back to the customer.

Our leaders spoke about:

• Being the voice of the customer in the room when big bets are being made
• Making sure decisions aren’t based on personal preference, but on what real people need and value
• Remembering that brand love, trust and authenticity don’t always show up in last-click ROI – but they matter deeply

In a world of infinite data points, there was a shared desire to stay grounded in human insight, not just metrics.

4. Responsible growth and “sleep-at-night” leadership

Another powerful theme was responsible business – not just growth at any cost.

From the ad tech side and the brand side, we heard a shared commitment to:

• Being honest and transparent about what technology can and can’t do
• Scrutinising the tools we use and how we measure impact
• Making sure we can “sleep at night” knowing we’re doing right by customers, teams and partners

Looking ahead, there was a clear wish for 2026 to be a year of responsible innovation – where we use powerful tools thoughtfully, with ethics and transparency.

What we’re taking into 2026

If there was one feeling that carried through the session, it was this:

Yes, it’s complicated. But we’re hopeful.

Hopeful that:

• We’ll have clearer, shared definitions of ROI across the business
• Teams will feel empowered by technology, not overwhelmed by it
• We’ll create more authentic content at scale, not just volume for volume’s sake
• We’ll be able to test more, learn faster, and connect strategy to real human impact

Above all, we’ll keep doing what this conversation was all about: coming together as a community, not pretending we have all the answers, and supporting each other through the change.

Watch the holiday wrap-up video

We’ve turned this conversation into a holiday wrap-up video, capturing the voices and reflections of marketing leaders from Hong Kong and Singapore.