Credit: CRA
The peak audio industry bodies of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Ireland have collaborated for the first time to present new research at Cannes Lions.
Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), Radiocentre UK, Radiocentre Ireland and the Radio Advertising Bureau US, drew on the Effie x System1 global databank of 1,262 campaigns spanning 17 years, to analyse how commercial audio lifts campaign performance.
They found campaigns with audio outperformed those without on profit (75%), trust (81%), price insensitivity (81%) and customer acquisition (19%).
Across 14 measures, the average uplift for campaigns with audio was 22% compared to campaigns without.
Audio nearly doubles the profit generated by emotionally driven campaigns, its effects compounded when paired with distinctive brand assets and ran over a consistent time.
The study originated in Australia, where CRA analysed the Advertising Council of Australia's Effie data with independent marketing consultant Rob Brittain and Mark Ritson.
"In a competitive landscape where advertisers need their campaigns to work even harder, the evidence again points to the power of audio," said Lizzie Young, CEO at CRA.
"For brands, the Effie and System1 data is clear: audio drives significantly stronger profit, deeper trust and the price resilience that protects margins.
"That a case first built on Australian Effie data now holds across the UK, US and Ireland only shows how universal audio's advantage is as a catalyst in the media mix."
Mark Ritson, professor and global marketing consultant, founder of Mini MBA, said the global data made an unequivocal case for audio.
"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," said Ritson.
"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 Brittney Rigby, managing editor Australia and New Zealand at Little Black Book, and Andrew Tindall, chief growth officer at System1.
Tindall said the data was consistent across the globe.
"Across the globe, the data consistently proves emotional audio campaigns roughly double their profit," said Tindall.
"Pair that emotion with distinctive sonic brand assets and run it consistently, and the effect compounds again. It's simple, yet sound advice."
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