Metrics and measurement
Return on ad spend (ROAS) is the ratio between the revenue a campaign produces and the money spent to run it.
The figure means something with its perimeter attached: one product line, one channel, one period. The return shows up where the money was moved, and the company-wide average buries it. In the published articles it serves to compare one advertising platform against the others, for the same product category.
An example
In an industrial services company on recurring subscription, business-to-business, over 50 million in revenue in its reference market, ad spend is moved onto the core business line alone (the main activity, the one most of the revenue comes from) on the paid search network. Direct measurement of 16 July 2026, first half of 2026 against first half of 2025: return on ad spend for that line rises 25% and sits above break-even, while the return on the entire advertising investment stays partly below it. Both numbers are true at the same time, and what separates them is the declared perimeter. The absolute values are small, so the percentage is a signal and not a law.
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