Shift Search and Social Into Audio for £1m More Profit, Radiocentre Finds
Updated: 6 days ago
TL;DR: Radiocentre's 'Sound Profits' study argues that moving 15-20% of generic search or paid-social budget into audio could add roughly £1m in full-term profit at no extra cost.
Audio is making a sharp, CFO-friendly pitch for a bigger slice of the media budget. Radiocentre's new 'Sound Profits' study — analysed by WPP Media with research from Differentology — models what happens when brands reallocate spend from search and social into audio.
What the study found
Moving 10% of generic PPC into audio lifted profit ROI by 8%; moving 10% of paid social lifted it by 11%. For a brand on an average £12.7m media budget, shifting 15% of generic PPC or 20% of paid social into audio could add roughly £1m in full-term profit at no extra cost.
The framing is deliberate: this is not a plea for more budget, but an argument for re-weighting the budget you already have.
Marketing Minute's read
The 'no extra budget' angle is smart because it meets marketers where they are — under pressure to do more with the same money. Audio's case has always been efficiency and mental availability; putting a profit number on reallocation makes that tangible to finance.
Treat the specific figures as a sector-funded model, not a guarantee. The direction of travel is credible — most brands are over-indexed on performance channels — but the right audio weight depends on your category, creative and attribution setup.
What marketers should do
Run a small, measured reallocation test rather than a wholesale shift: move a defined slice of generic PPC or paid social into audio, hold other variables steady, and measure profit outcomes over a full campaign, not a week. Let your own data, not a benchmark, set the final mix.
Quick FAQ
How much profit does Radiocentre say audio can add?
Around £1m in full-term profit for a brand on an average £12.7m budget, by reallocating 15% of generic PPC or 20% of paid social into audio at no extra cost.
Should I trust the figures?
Treat them as a credible, sector-funded model. The principle — most brands over-invest in performance channels — is sound, but test reallocation with your own data before committing.
The clever part of this study isn't the audio number, it's the framing: no new budget, just a better split. Most brands are over-indexed on search and social. Audio's job is to rebuild mental availability — but prove it with a measured test in your category before you move real money. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Reallocating a slice of search and social into audio is worth testing, but let your own measured profit data set the final mix.
When did you last test moving budget between channels, rather than just optimising within them?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: The Media Leader, RadioToday, DecisionMarketing.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
