IAB UK Podcast | How Can We Get Better at Measuring Outcomes for Audio?

Why It Matters

By delivering scalable, data‑driven attribution for audio, the new methodology equips marketers to allocate budgets confidently and optimize creative, ensuring the medium’s value is recognized alongside digital channels.

Key Takeaways

• Audio measurement must move beyond digital click metrics.
• Multi‑touch models blend econometrics, MMM, and first‑party data.
• Global IQ Outcomes uses third‑party data for faster attribution.
• AI accelerates creative classification and outcome modeling at scale.
• Creative optimization links specific audio elements to funnel objectives.

Summary

The IAB UK podcast episode tackles the growing demand for robust outcome measurement in audio advertising, questioning the industry’s reliance on digital‑centric metrics such as clicks and conversions. Hosts James Chandler, Sarah Gale and Dan Innes‑Taylor argue that linear audio lacks a direct return path, forcing marketers to rethink how success is defined across the full funnel.

They outline a multi‑touch measurement framework that combines econometrics, marketing‑mix modeling, and a wealth of first‑, second‑ and third‑party data. Global’s new "IQ Outcomes" platform aggregates brand‑index scores, website‑visit proxies, and spend‑mapper data, applying MMM‑style regression to attribute impact to linear audio at scale. The approach is faster and more cost‑effective than traditional client‑specific MMM studies.

Dan cites having measured over 200 audio campaigns, leveraging AI‑trained models to classify creative elements—famous voices, humor, music—and to automate labor‑intensive tasks. The accompanying creative‑optimization tool then maps those features to specific funnel objectives, allowing brands to fine‑tune messaging for awareness, perception or direct response outcomes.

The discussion signals a shift: advertisers can now justify audio spend with quantifiable business outcomes, align creative strategy with ROI goals, and avoid defaulting to digital‑only channels under CFO scrutiny. As measurement tools mature, audio is poised to reclaim its strategic role in omni‑channel plans.

Original Description

In the third and final episode of this IAB UK Podcast mini-series, produced in partnership with Global, we turn to one of the biggest questions facing the industry: how should we measure the impact of audio?

As outcome measurement becomes standard across digital advertising, audio is often assessed using frameworks not built for the medium. This raises important questions about how audio is valued, what success really looks like, and whether a focus on easily measurable metrics risks overlooking its true impact.

Host James Chandler is joined by Sarah Gale (Director of Insight, Data and Outcomes at Global) and Dan Innes-Taylor (Senior Insight and Outcomes Manager) to explore how Global is rethinking measurement for audio, from moving beyond clicks and short-term metrics to better understanding audio’s role across the full funnel in omnichannel campaigns.

Together, they unpack what more effective measurement could look like, and what advertisers should consider when evaluating audio’s contribution to campaign success.