Audio, OOH and publishing boost campaign results

The study, Winning The Great Brand Race, finds that campaigns using all three channels report 33 percent more brand effects and 8 percent more business effects.

Campaigns combining audio, out-of-home (OOH) and publishing deliver stronger brand and business results than campaigns that do not use these channels together, according to research from the IPA and Bauer Media.

The research analyses 569 campaigns recorded in the IPA Effectiveness Databank between 2010 and 2024. It examines the contribution of audio, OOH and publishing to brand building, activation and business growth when used alongside other media.

Audio, OOH and publishing strengthen brand effects

The study identifies what it calls the “Bauer Effect”: campaigns combining the three channels report stronger results across measures including brand awareness, trust, perceived quality and fame, as well as sales, profit, market share and customer acquisition.

Trust stands out as a particularly strong result. Campaigns using audio, OOH and publishing are 69 percent more likely to report very large improvements in brand trust than campaigns using none of these channels. The analysis also records gains in perceived quality of 43 percent and brand commitment of 30 percent.

The findings build on previous IPA analysis, published in January 2026, which found that effective trust-building campaigns are more likely to attract customers and grow profit.

Media planning can support more effective brand investment

The research also examines how advertisers allocate budgets. Among campaigns achieving very large brand effects, those using all three channels allocated 65 percent of their budget to brand building, compared with 73 percent for campaigns that did not use them.

Creative approach also appears to influence results. For campaigns combining audio, OOH and publishing, emotional creative is associated with 23 percent more business effects than rational creative. The corresponding uplift is 8 percent for television campaigns and 1 percent for campaigns that do not use the three channels.

Brand-building media can also drive activation

The study finds that audio, OOH and publishing can contribute to both long-term brand building and short-term activation. Some 45 percent of campaigns using all three channels report large or very large activation effects, compared with 15 percent of campaigns using none.

The research suggests that the channels can help build memories and keep brands top of mind when consumers are making purchase decisions. Bauer describes this approach as Own Every Moment, connecting brand-building activity with buying opportunities across the consumer journey.

Growing categories see stronger campaign results

The reported effects are particularly pronounced in fast-growing categories. Campaigns using audio, OOH and publishing in these categories achieve 185 percent more very large brand effects and 44 percent more business effects than campaigns without the three channels.

The findings suggest that the combination may be relevant for challenger and growth brands seeking to build familiarity, credibility and relevance among audiences.

Research examines the combined role of media channels

The study draws on established marketing effectiveness principles, including broad reach, emotional creativity, mental availability, share of voice and the balance between brand building and activation. It adds evidence about the role audio, OOH and publishing can play when planners coordinate them.

The analysis identifies associations rather than proving cause and effect. However, it provides an evidence-based case for considering the three channels as a connected media system rather than as separate buys.

Richard Bon, UK MD and Europe Commercial Lead, Bauer Media Outdoor: "This latest research marks an exciting start of the next chapter of The Bauer Effect. Audio, outdoor and publishing each bring distinct strengths, and these findings offer a valuable perspective on their combined role in brand building and activation. We look forward to exploring this further with our partners, deepening our understanding of how our channels work together to support different campaign objectives, building both business and brand effects. We are excited to shape what comes next together."

Simon Kilby, UK MD, Bauer Media Advertising: "We’ve seen first-hand the power of bringing audio, outdoor and publishing together through campaigns with brands including Primark, Allwyn, Universal and Aldi. By working with the IPA, we’ve been able to put robust, independent evidence behind what we know works in practice, grounding that experience in the science of marketing effectiveness. The finding that campaigns combining all three channels are 69% more likely to deliver very large gains in brand trust is particularly compelling. Trust is built through consistent, meaningful connections, and each channel plays a distinct role in building familiarity, credibility and keeping brands front of mind. Together, they can deliver stronger brand and business growth."

The full report can be accessed here

www.bauermediaoutdoor.co.uk

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