Andrew Tindall.
Research from creative effectiveness platform System1, presented at Commercial Radio & Audio’s (CRA) HEARD audio showcase, has revealed how radio’s full potential can be unlocked and drive new levels of effectiveness in advertising.
The key, according to System1’s research, is creative fluency – ads that forge emotional connections, are memorable, and unmistakably tied to a brand through effective sonic branding.
The research shows that when creative fluency is paired with an increase in radio spend to 11% of the media budget, brands can “double the double” in terms of the improvement in return on investment (ROI).
System1's SVP of global partnerships Andrew Tindall said academic Mark Ritson last year showed that allocating just 11% of a media budget to radio can double campaign business effects, and System1’s findings reveal how marketers can now double that double.
“We all know radio is an affordable vehicle for mass reach with high attention, signalling strength and the ability to build brand awareness," he said.
"We also know creativity fluency is the main way to increase campaign ROI so our research shows Australian brands how to double the double to get the most out of their radio/audio campaigns.”
System1’s analysis of 56 Australian audio campaigns with over 8,000 Australian listeners showed that none of the ads achieved “Strong” or “Exceptional” fluency (% of listeners correctly recalling the brand), with the average Australian audio campaign achieving 68% fluency.
The research also predicted half of Australian radio ads will struggle to create enough of an emotional connection to change listener behaviour – with 50% scoring System1’s lower 1 Star Rating (predicting ‘low’ brand-building potential).
System1’s research pinpointed four key strategies to maximise radio’s effectiveness.
Ads with strong branding will double brand trust gains, but many brands fail to integrate their distinctive sonic brand assets clearly, consistently, early and regularly enough in ads.
Ads that brand early and avoid being dull dramatically improve recall per media reach.
Positive emotionally engaging ads are far more likely to be shared and discussed, increasing fame effects and multiplying radio’s mass reach.
Ads with more entertaining “right-brain” creative features such as character, story, dramatic pauses, humour and music dramatically increase positive emotional engagement, leading to a possible four-times more listener behaviour change.
Victoria Bitter’s 'Theme Song' ad from 2005 was the most successful campaign in System1’s testing, with a 4.1 Star Rating.
CRA CEO Lizzie Young said great radio advertising isn’t just heard, it’s remembered.
“Brands that embrace creative fluency will see stronger recall, more engagement, and ultimately, better business outcomes," she said.
"This research proves the power of radio when it’s creative, memorable, and deeply connected to the brand.”
Backed by over a decade of data and insights from 50,000 consumer responses across 131 campaigns, System1’s Listen Up! findings reveal the impact of emotionally engaging ads. These ads deliver a 92% increase in social sharing, a 1.3x boost in word-of-mouth recommendations, and a 1.66x increase in ad recall per 100 GRPs.
Moreover, audio ads also generate 1.15x more emotional intensity than visual ads at comparable exposure levels and are 20% more likely to be recalled.
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