Bad news from the Marketing “Worldland”! According to the Nielsen Annual Marketing Report 2025 , the world of Media is not smiling this year: advertising investment forecasts are revised downwards by over 54% of employees globally. No region or sector is immune to the decline, even if for different reasons in the various continents.

However, the anticipated budget cuts do not impact all channels equally. Digital media continues to hold the largest share, with a tactical shift toward performance-driven campaigns — especially for tech and financial brands.
Within this landscape, both traditional and digital audio channels remain underutilized, despite their proven effectiveness and untapped potential.

At a time when ROI optimization should be the primary driver of investment, audio faces a significant challenge: marketers’ perception, which often contradicts the actual data.

In fact, when it comes to audio, professionals seem to overlook the numbers:
Audio ranks among the top channels for return on investment, outperforming many others.

Here are the three uncomfortable truths marketers must come to terms with:

1. Ad engagement growth with each Audio exposure[1]

Audio remains consistently effective over time—it doesn’t lose impact with repetition. Every audio impression contributes to deeper Immersion, which is a key driver of purchase intent. This effect is observed across all major platforms, including radio, streaming, and podcasts. The data shows that higher frequency of exposure leads to stronger brand engagement and significantly boosts consumer consideration. In short, repetition in audio advertising builds value, not fatigue.

2. Attention, Purchase Intent, Brand Favorability are stronger related to Audio Exposure than any other channel

Recent industry data[2] provides some helpful benchmarks:

• +10pt lift in unaided brand awareness
• +9.5pt lift in aided brand awareness
• 14pt lift in overall opinion of brand
• 6% overall sales lift

3. Audio is extremely cost-effective way to reaching people and driving outcomes.

Lumen Researches confirm[3] : in term of seconds of attention, Audio through any native Channel (podcasts, streaming, or Radio) win the battle of attention and reduce the cost of impression per seconds (CPMs) up to 97%.

Audio proves to be a powerful and sustainable tool in today’s attention economy. Unlike other media, its effectiveness does not erode with repeated exposure—in fact, higher frequency leads to stronger audience immersion. Across all audio formats (podcasts, streaming, OTA) and industries, consistent messaging enhances both brand equity and purchase intent. As attention fades in other media, audio continues to engage, making it ideal for long-term campaign impact. These researches confirms that audio is not only effective but also efficient, making it a key medium for high-frequency strategies that drive real results.

Are you a marketer in trouble? Don’t forget Audio in your plan!

_{[1] Audio Amplification – How ad frequency drives purchase – Spark 2022}

^{[2] Programmatic Audio & Podcasts Lead to Strong Lift in Brand Awareness – Syrius XMedia – 2025}

^{[3] Measuring Attention and Outcomes for Audio Advertising – LUMEN for Advertising Research Foundation 2024}