APAC marketers talk long-term but measure like it’s a one-week campaign

New Delhi: Structural barriers are holding back marketing effectiveness across the Asia Pacific, according to WARC’s latest study, ‘The “Twin Pace” Effectiveness Gap’, which points to short-term decision-making, inconsistent brand platforms in briefs and limited long-horizon measurement as key blockers.

Based on a survey of 375 senior marketers and agency leaders across nine APAC markets, the research argues that effectiveness principles are widely understood but inconsistently applied in day-to-day practice, creating what it calls a “say-do” gap.

WARC’s findings show that short-term pressures continue to dominate planning and evaluation. 

Over a third of brands (36%) identified short-term pressures as a barrier to brand investment, while more than half of agencies (55%) said clients prioritise short-term activation over long-term brand building.

The report links this to an “APAC legacy mindset” shaped by a previous era of structural growth, when returns surfaced quickly, and operational speed was a reliable strategy. 

It argues that growth has become slower and more competitive, but many organisations are still optimised for the older model, leading to a mismatch between today’s growth realities and how decisions are still made.

The study does not call for abandoning performance marketing, but for redesigning how organisations operate. It says teams need to work at “twin paces”, balancing short-term optimisation with sustained brand investment, supported by governance and measurement systems that can justify both.

A second gap, WARC said, is visible at the briefing stage. While nearly nine in ten respondents across brands and agencies agreed that consistent brand platforms drive sustainable growth, fewer than half of agencies (47%) said briefs are grounded in brand platforms. The research attributes this disconnect to short-term pressures, budget constraints, measurement systems, incentives, and in some cases, the absence of a unifying brand platform.

WARC also said the region’s scale and diversity can amplify the problem, as brand thinking gets “lost in translation” across complex supply chains and varied organisational models.

Measurement emerged as the third major barrier. Less than a quarter of agencies (23%) said brand briefs are measured on both short- and long-term outcomes. Less than one in ten (9%) measure campaign performance beyond six months, a gap the report says undermines confidence in brand investment.

WARC argues that in high-scrutiny environments, decision-making can default to what is easiest to measure rather than what matters for long-term growth. It calls for “decision-grade” proof that connects marketing spend to sustained business outcomes, and measurement systems that capture both immediate performance and the cumulative effects of brand.

Rica Facundo, Managing Editor – Asia, WARC, said, “Our Pace Principle study confirmed that long-term brand building supercharges short-term performance, even in Asia’s fast-moving and dynamic markets. With this knowledge, why isn’t it happening more consistently in practice?

“The answer, as this new report explores, is rarely just about marketing itself – it's a governance issue. The research uncovers the barriers behind the ‘say-do’ effectiveness gap and identifies universal challenges while grounding them in the unique forces shaping marketing effectiveness in APAC. This report validates APAC marketers' daily challenges with local insights, paving the way to close gaps and unlock the region's marketing potential.”

The report is based on an online survey conducted in November 2025 across India, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.