The global insights and analytics sector is increasingly prioritising measurable business impact as organisations move to prove the return on investment (ROI) of consumer insights. According to findings from the GRBN Insights Maturity Study, the industry has recorded significant progress over the past 15 years in demonstrating how insights contribute directly to corporate performance and decision-making.
A central debate within the sector has been whether the ROI of insights can truly be measured, with sceptics arguing that too many external factors influence business outcomes. However, the study challenges this position, noting that such assumptions have often led to undervaluation of insights functions within organisations and, in some cases, reduced investment or misclassification within corporate structures.
Brandspur Banking News Desk reports that recent industry research from GRBN, alongside studies conducted by BCG and other global associations, indicates that structured ROI measurement is not only possible but already in practice across a growing number of organisations. The report highlights that a significant share of strategic insights teams are now systematically tracking impact, while others apply partial measurement frameworks depending on project scope.
The study identifies three core pillars driving effective ROI measurement in insights functions. These include the development of structured frameworks for defining and tracking impact, the integration of guiding principles into organisational processes, and the establishment of a culture where impact measurement is embedded into everyday decision-making and reporting practices.
It further explains that organisations are increasingly adopting structured models that assess insights impact across multiple dimensions, including granularity, decision perspective, and varying forms of measurable outcomes. These models allow businesses to evaluate how insights influence areas such as marketing strategy, pricing, innovation, and customer experience, while also accounting for short-term and long-term effects.
However, challenges remain in translating insights into direct financial ROI, particularly where outcomes are influenced by multiple departments and external market variables. As a result, many organisations rely on proxy indicators such as behavioural shifts, sales trends, or decision confidence levels to estimate value contribution.
The report also stresses the importance of cross-functional collaboration, particularly between insights teams, finance departments, and data analytics units, to strengthen measurement accuracy. This collaboration is seen as essential in developing models that gradually link qualitative indicators to financial performance outcomes.
Beyond methodology, the study emphasises cultural transformation within organisations as a key driver of success. It notes that insights teams must embed ROI thinking into daily operations, ensuring that value creation is consistently tracked, communicated, and understood across the business.
Experts also argue that continuous communication of insights impact is critical to reinforcing the strategic role of consumer insights within organisations. Without this, they warn, the function risks being perceived as a cost centre rather than a value-generating asset.
Overall, the findings suggest that the insights industry is entering a more accountability-driven phase, where the ability to demonstrate business impact is becoming as important as generating insights themselves.
