Audio, the campaign catalyst for brand growth: 2026 HEARD Conference

Australia’s commercial audio networks have united to deliver what agencies and advertisers have asked for: frictionless access to audio’s growing reach and proven effectiveness.

At today’s HEARD Conference Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) unveiled the next phase of AudioID along with a  new industry roadmap, aimed to “enhance the unique power of audio to be the campaign catalyst for brand growth,” and to make audio “easier to buy.”

CRA CEO Lizzie Young (main photo) and her team have been busy building a future for commercial audio, “focused on what our customers need, making it easier for brands to access the unique opportunity audio delivers.”

“We outperform many other channels at every stage of the purchase funnel and on an ROI basis return two dollars for every one spent. Audio is an incredibly versatile channel that delivers scale, is multi-platform, integrated, efficient and effective – enabling brands to connect rationally with the head; emotionally with the heart; and drive action. It really is more powerful than you think.”

Commercial audio audiences are growing across streaming, broadcasting and podcasting, but revenue declined last year by a small but significant 2.6% gap. The new roadmap is designed to remind advertisers of the power of audio and make it easier to buy, so the industry can close that gap.

Commercial radio reaches 12.4 million Australians weekly in metro cities, with audience stability maintained for over four years. Regional commercial radio reaches 5 million weekly listeners. Podcasting is now mainstream: 52% of Australians consume podcasts monthly, with podcast listening up 6.8% year-on-year.

Other key insights from HEARD today include:

• Local, trust and safety: 100% Australian owned and operated, and subject to rigorous regulation, the new CRA Commercial Radio Code includes additional obligations for AI transparency and a special care provision strengthening the brand-safe environment and supporting the position as the most trusted media channel for brands.
• The original influencers: New research from Fabulate reveals audio talent generate more than 33 million social views on TikTok and Instagram weekly – a voice audiences trust at breakfast becomes a voice they follow, engage with, and act on – a great opportunity for brands to drive more value simply by integrating audio talent into social strategies.
• New attribution: Veritonic and Veritone are now enabling brands to track real-world engagement and impact of their audio advertising.
• New dynamic creative optimisation: adapts brand messages to context using dynamic signals to deliver different creative for listeners in different environments.

CRA Audio ID: Phase two

The industry’s unified digital audio identifier CRA Audio ID, delivering streamlined access to 14.7 million monthly listeners across all major member networks, launched via Google’s Display & Video 360 in November, is now ready for clients to activate. The next phases of the roadmap include:

• Demographic and location targeting powered by Australian-based consumer intelligence provider HYP coming soon.
• High-value audience segments and interoperability are being explored.
• The long-term ambition is the development of a unified audio exchange – one place to access all CRA member commercial streaming and podcast inventory, with consistent products, measurement and real-time activation.

“When you see some of the greatest digital talent Australia has on stage together talking about their desire to make the industry better for their customers, it’s pretty amazing. The sheer level of customer focus and technical expertise this has taken from all our members is incredible and the genuinely meaningful audience opportunity for brands is clear,” said Young.

Cast Study: Guzman y Gomez: Proof audio drives behaviour

At Guzman y Gomez (GYG), their proof-over-opinion approach is already paying off. Audio works for the challenger brand turned household name because it drives behaviour, not just awareness.

Speaking at HEARD, Lara Thom, Global CMO of Guzman y Gomez, who was named Australia’s number one Chief Marketing Officer at the 2025 CMO Awards, shared that audio is a key ingredient in the brand’s growth strategy.

Every brief starts with ‘sound on,’ and they operate a test-and-learn environment. GYG once turned radio off; the impact on key metrics was immediate. They turned it back on just as fast.