Get your kicks in 2026… by getting audio in the mix

As we head into 2026, one thing is clear: audio advertising is no longer the quiet workhorse of the media mix. It’s front and centre, delivering scale, trust and performance at a time when marketers are demanding more certainty from their spend.

Audio’s evolution over the past decade has been relentless. What was once seen as a traditional channel is now one of the most dynamic and flexible tools available to brands. And the data backs it up.

Sonic boom
Audio consumption continues to grow, driven by the sheer range of devices and environments in which it now lives. Commercial radio remains the backbone, reaching 40 million adults every week in the UK according to Rajar, while streaming, podcasts and smart speakers have extended listening into every corner of daily life.

This is not a niche audience. Audio reaches people at scale – in cars, kitchens, offices, gyms and on the move. It’s habitual, it’s personal, and crucially, it’s brand-safe by design. For marketers navigating increasingly fragmented attention, audio offers a rare combination: mass reach with intimate engagement.

The performance multiplier
One of audio’s challenges has long been online attribution – as of course it’s easier to track clicks and conversions from online ads than those delivered offline.

In the past few years, however, Radiocentre has been analysing the effects of 7.2 billion multi-media impressions on 195 million web sessions for leading UK brands.

We found that radio advertising has a huge impact on online response. It boosted daily web sessions by 16% on average for the campaigns measured, over twice as cost-efficiently as other “demand-generation” media combined.

The findings also show that radio doesn’t just work hard on its own – it actively boosts the effectiveness of other channels. Adding radio to a campaign increases the performance of search, social and online display, multiplying their traffic-driving effect.

Audio’s superior ROI was further illustrated by our latest study with WPP Media which found that audio’s overall profit ROI is 32% higher than the all-media average in the short-term and 21% full-term. In 2026, it’s time for audio’s efficiency to become as famous as its ability to drive reach and frequency.

In audio we trust
As questions around online display and social media continue to grow louder – from brand safety to transparency and measurement – trust has become a defining issue.

This is where radio and audio have a clear advantage.

Listeners trust radio. They trust the voices, stations and the environments in which ads appear. In fact, the latest EBU – Trust in Media report found that radio is the most trusted media type in most of western Europe, including in the UK.

All radio ads get approved before they go to air by Radiocentre’s clearance team to ensure they’re honest, legal, decent and truthful. This is a clear differentiator for audiences in a world where AI slop and endless unverified claims have become the norm on social media channels.

Brands are already benefiting from the trust audiences place in audio, and some of the best are building long-term, close partnerships to deepen association. High-profile sponsorships, like Wickes’ long-running sponsorship of the Dave Berry Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio, deliver both consistency and cultural relevance over time, and enable a host of creative activations, from competitions to live events.

However you approach your audio campaigns, do not ignore the power of sonic branding. Distinctive audio assets will help your brand stand out, build memory structures and benefit from the trusted environment. Whether this is through a familiar voice or familiar music is up to you.

Stranger things
Thanks to online listening and connected devices, audio targeting is now more sophisticated than ever. It’s possible to reach the right person with the right message at the right time, without sacrificing scale.

Audio also remains a playground for creativity. As a Stranger Things nerd, one standout campaign for me from the last few months was Global’s launch of WSQK The Squawk — A Stranger Things Radio Station to celebrate the final season. It tapped into the cultural moment and fandom around the show, bringing Hawkin’s favourite station to life with 1980s bangers with retro ads, sparking conversation and fuelling excitement about the show.

Discover the audio advantage in 2026
It’s clear that in 2026 audio will offer more scale, sophistication and effectiveness than ever before. Whether you’re at a multinational or a start-up, if you’re a performance marketer or a brand specialist, amplify your advertising in 2026 and discover the audio advantage.

Steve McGoldrick is head of marketing at Radiocentre