Maximising ROI When CPMs Are Rising

Cost per thousand impressions (CPMs) are rising across every major market, from Facebook to display and beyond. Globally, 87% of B2B marketers say rising costs are making it increasingly difficult to prove long-term ROI.

The solution? Shift from pure acquisition to performance-led brand partnerships, AI-enhanced targeting and conversion rate optimisation. Meanwhile, your competitors burn through budgets chasing the same expensive impressions. In contrast, smart brands are finding innovative ways to maximise every pound spent.

Why Are CPMs Rising and What’s the Cost?

The digital advertising landscape has fundamentally shifted. Specifically, privacy changes, increased competition and market saturation have created a perfect storm of rising costs and diminishing returns. The numbers reveal a clear pattern:

• For instance, 87% of UK marketers say measuring long-term ROI is now more difficult. Traditional attribution models are breaking down just as media costs soar, leaving marketing leaders scrambling to justify spend.
• Paid social ROI can reach 15.1% in week one. But that initial burst of performance often masks the true cost of customer acquisition as audiences become saturated and creative fatigue sets in.
•  91% of UK marketers using AI report a 31% rise in attributed conversions and a 20% drop in CPA. The early adopters are already pulling ahead, using machine learning to optimise targeting and creative at scale.
• Marketers spend an average of $46.47 per user to reach social audiences.
  
  

Clearly, these trends are not temporary blips. They represent a new reality where traditional spray and pray advertising approaches simply no longer work. Ultimately, the brands that thrive will be those that can extract maximum value from every marketing touchpoint.

Six Proven Ways to Maximise ROI in 2025

Case Study 1: Shark Germany – Transforming Basket Completion

Shark, the premium cleaning appliance brand, faced a common e-commerce challenge: customers were adding products to their baskets but abandoning purchases before completion. Traditional retargeting was expensive and yielded diminishing returns.

Working with Tyviso’s brand partnership platform, Shark implemented dynamic, contextual offers that appeared at the crucial moment when customers were deciding whether to complete their purchase.

Results:

• 38.75% increase in basket completion
• 7.53% increase in average order value
  
  

“Tyviso has enhanced the shopping experience for our users with an innovative, creative, and seamlessly integrated solution,” explains Triantafillos Pavlidis from Shark. “By partnering with exciting brands and offering attractive, secure incentives that are easy to add to the cart, it has made shopping more engaging. This tool not only makes the experience more enjoyable but also boosts basket completion rates. We’re excited about future brand partnerships and expanding into more markets.”

The genius of this approach lies in its contextual relevance. As Lee Metters from Awin notes:

“I think Shark was a great campaign, because they were able to dynamically populate what was shown at the basket based on the contents of the customer’s cart. Rather than generic offers, customers saw partnerships and incentives that complemented their specific purchase, creating genuine added value rather than just another discount.”

Case Study 2: EE Rewards – Reducing Churn Through Value

EE, one of the UK’s largest telecommunications providers, faced the industry-wide challenge of customer churn. Traditional retention methods were costly and often ineffective, particularly as customers became increasingly price-sensitive.

EE implemented a reward programme powered by Tyviso, to provide ongoing value to customers beyond their core telecommunications service, creating a loyalty ecosystem that gave customers compelling reasons to stay.

Results:

• 34.5% reduction in churn
• 90% repeat engagement
•  £1,500+ in savings per customer

“A super quick, seamless integration with our app enabled us to get an offering to all our EE customers very quickly,” says Caroline Nakielny from EE. “The proposition is yielding great results, driving great engagement and importantly returning visitors and giving us great flexibility to trial new ways for our customers to save money.”

The impact on customer retention was remarkable. As Lee Metters from Awin observed:

“These days, loyalty is a challenge across every sector, and getting customers to return is harder than ever. That’s why I think this is such a powerful example, it really shows what it takes to keep people coming back.”

This case demonstrates how brand partnerships can create value that goes far beyond immediate transaction benefits, building long-term customer relationships that are incredibly valuable in high-acquisition-cost environments.

What’s the Real Solution to Today’s Loyalty and Conversion Challenges?

“No matter what your marketing challenge is, brand partnerships can support,” notes Lee Metters. This insight captures the fundamental shift required in today’s marketing landscape.

The CPM challenge will not go away, but your strategy can evolve. From basket-stage offers that boost conversion rates to loyalty-driving apps that reduce churn, smart marketers are using brand partnerships to do more with less. They’re finding ways to add genuine value to customer relationships while simultaneously improving their key performance metrics.

The brands winning in 2025 are not necessarily spending more. They are spending smarter, they are building systems that compound value over time rather than burning budgets on diminishing returns. They are also creating customer experiences that generate loyalty, not just transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a good ROI when CPMs are rising?
A: Anything that increases AOV, boosts conversion, or reduces churn can be ROI-positive even if media costs climb. Focus on metrics that compound over time rather than just immediate returns.

Q: Is Social Media Paid Adverts still worth the cost?
A: Yes, for immediate visibility. But long-term ROI often needs reinforcement via brand partnerships or CRO tools. Use paid social for awareness and upper-funnel activity, but ensure you have systems in place to maximise the value of every visitor.

Q: How do brand partnerships improve ROI?
A: They allow value exchange without discounts, improve CRO, and boost average order value. Unlike traditional advertising, partnerships create mutual value that benefits customers, partners, and your brand simultaneously.

Q: What if we have no dev team?
A: Modern partnership platforms are designed for easy implementation without heavy technical resources. For example, integration via Awin’s Master Tag can be extremely quick.

Q: Are AI tools really helping?
A: 91% of UK marketers say yes, citing increased conversions and lower CPA. AI is no longer optional. It has become essential for competitive performance in high-CPM environments.