Published on Radio Ink

By Cameron Coats

As digital audio ad spend climbs toward $16 billion, a new MAGNA and Magnite study shows creative strategy, not just placement, can make or break ROI. Tested across nearly 3,000 listeners, the findings reveal what really drives recall, engagement, and action.

The Audio Creative Synergy report evaluated three creative strategies across streaming audio listening environments: two ads promoting the same product, two ads for different products, and a combination of core product and branded content ads. The test group included 2,886 respondents aged 18 and older who stream podcasts and/or music at least once a week, with exposure randomized between control and test conditions.

When two distinct ads, one focused on brand awareness and the other on a sales offer, promoted the same product, the results were clear: synergy drove higher engagement.

Compared to control groups that heard only public service announcements, the group exposed to both brand- and promo-focused audio ads saw a 17 percentage point increase in unaided ad recall, a nine percentage point lift in purchase intent, and a ten percentage point boost in search intent.

But sequence mattered. The data showed stronger performance when a branding-focused ad was served first, followed by a sales/promotion-focused ad. This approach encouraged listeners to connect emotionally before being prompted to act. Listeners agreed: 61% said they were more likely to pay attention to an audio ad when it included a promotional offer.

Brands running ads for different products within the same campaign saw 39 and 45 point increases in both unaided and aided recall compared to the control group, but purchase intent remained flat as the cognitive shift between two unrelated product messages appeared to dilute the call-to-action.

However, this approach did not yield significant increases in search or purchase intent, indicating that awareness can rise without a corresponding shift in behavior.

Among respondents who were infrequent or non-purchasers of a brand, hearing a single creative twice outperformed dual creative strategies in boosting purchase intent.

A third approach, combining a core product ad with one promoting brand-sponsored content, showed modest lifts in brand favorability and interest, but when both ads ran in close proximity, performance lagged. The report cautions advertisers to avoid mixing vastly different campaign objectives within a single flight.