Cicero and Bernay team outlines the demand for audio with more ears being open for business and why the medium deserves a bigger share of the media investment pie.
There’s a problem with video:
it makes you look. And audiences’ eyes are growing tired. The radio doesn’t make that demand. Nor do podcasts, audiobooks or any form of audio. The ears are open for business, now more than ever.
Myth #1
“ROI on radio ads is poor.”
Fact #1
2x weighted ROI for radio, outperforming TV, CTV and video globally..
Myth #2
“Podcasting has already peaked.”
Fact #2
770 million podcast listeners worldwide are projected by 2030.
Myth #3
“Audio isn’t growing like video.”
Fact #3
$31.7 bn in global recorded-music revenue in 2025, 11th straight year of growth.
The big picture
24.5%
of ad-supported media time goes to audio, but just 8.4 per cent of ad spend.
27%
higher ROI for digital audio than the all-media average.
34%
projected growth in the UAE podcast market from 2025 to 2030.
The attention inversion
Brands doing it right
Euronics and Spotify
- Shifted ad spend from traditional media into digital audio on Spotify.
- 15 percentage points increase in ROAS and a 6.6 per cent uplift compared with video, widening the lead over legacy media.
Mcdonald’s and Audacia
- Ran interactive ‘Shake Me’ audio ads across podcasts and local radio.
- Top-of-mind awareness for McDonald’s increased by 6 percentage points following the campaign, driving more website traffic.
Bottom line
Is video still relevant? Of course it is. But it demands payment in the most expensive currency: undivided attention. Audio doesn’t. The smart money isn’t restricted to visuals; it’s on channels that are integrated into an audience’s life beyond the screen.
