Landmark Global Study Proves Audio's Impact in the Marketing Mix – Driving Profit, Trust and Brand Outcomes

The peak audio industry bodies of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Ireland have added their voices to a single global argument – and taken the evidence to Cannes Lions. For the first time, Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), Radiocentre (UK), Radiocentre (IRE), and RAB (US) have joined forces to make the case for audio advertising as one global industry. These leading audio industry bodies brought Professor Mark Ritson to Cannes Lions to present new global evidence for audio's role in the modern media mix.

The session, titled ‘The Secret to Profit and Trust: Audio,’ was hosted at LBB & Friends Beach and drew on the Effie x System1 global Databank of 1,262 campaigns spanning 17 years to prove how commercial audio lifts campaign performance. It played to a crowd of marketers, agency leaders and audio networks.

Audio works across key commercial levers
Campaigns with audio outperform those without audio on profit (+75%), trust (+81%), price insensitivity (+81%) and customer acquisition (+19%). Audio's profit contribution also scales with media spend. Across 14 measures, the average uplift for all campaigns with audio was +22%, in comparison to campaigns without audio. (See study results here.)

Audio nearly doubles profit for emotionally driven advertising
The data also makes the creative case. Audio nearly doubles the profit generated by emotionally driven campaigns, and its effect compounds when it is paired with distinctive brand assets and run consistently over time.

Global collaboration to amplify audio’s effectiveness
The original study was commissioned in Australia, where CRA analysed the Advertising Council of Australia’s (ACA) Effie data with independent marketing consultant Rob Brittain and Mark Ritson, who called it “beautiful data”. That modelling has now been taken to the world stage, tested against a new global databank from the UK, US, Europe and Ireland, and presented to an international audience of advertisers, agencies and audio networks.

“At a time when advertisers are demanding greater accountability and measurable business outcomes, this research delivers exactly the kind of evidence radio sellers need," commented Mike Hulvey, president and chief executive officer, RAB. "These findings reinforce what our industry has long known - audio doesn’t simply complement a media plan - it amplifies it. Whether the objective is driving profit, building trust or acquiring new customers, audio consistently strengthens campaign performance. For local broadcasters, this is another powerful proof point that helps shift the conversation from cost to business results and demonstrates why radio deserves a larger role in today’s media mix,” added Hulvey.

Professor Mark Ritson, global marketing consultant and founder of MiniMBA, said: “This is yet more beautiful data. The case for audio’s effectiveness is unequivocal; in every market we’ve studied globally: audio is the catalyst that makes your whole campaign work harder. For a relatively modest investment, it’s an unfair advantage hiding in plain sight. It’s the kind of evidence you cannot unhear.”

The presentation was followed by a discussion between Little Black Book’s Managing Editor AU/NZ Brittney Rigby and System1 Chief Growth Officer, Andrew Tindall.

On the findings, Andrew Tindall said: “Across the globe, the data consistently proves emotional audio campaigns roughly double their profit. Pair that emotion with distinctive sonic brand assets and run it consistently, and the effect compounds again. It’s simple, yet sound advice.”