Recently, AdsWizz brought the vibrant world of digital audio to life by presenting Audio Days London, held at the iconic Hoxton Holborn. The event buzzed with energy as digital audio innovators, top agency leaders, and visionary brand strategists came together to dive deep into the hottest trends, groundbreaking advancements, and strategic game-changers in digital audio.
Through a series of engaging panels and dynamic discussions, attendees walked away armed with fresh insights on how to supercharge campaign performance and expand their media strategies.
So, let’s break down each panel discussion and the must-know takeaways that are set to redefine the future of digital audio.
Opening Remarks to Set the Stage for Digital Audio’s Future
Speaker: Ollie Chadwick, AdsWizz, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz
The day began with a welcome from Ollie Chadwick, who outlined AdsWizz’s evolution and its role in shaping the digital audio landscape. He highlighted the steady rise of digital audio adoption in the UK and emphasized the growing importance of programmatic audio, noting its ability to reach audiences more effectively and cost-efficiently compared to traditional media.
Panel 1: Innovation and Testing in Audio
Moderator: Rowan Hamill, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz
- Wayne Bishop, Global Client Lead, Unilever
- Ridhi Jogia, Director AV Implementation, Essence Mediacom
- Alice Baines, Media Planning Business Director, OMD
The first panel, led by Rowan Hamill, examined how innovation is driving digital audio forward. The panelists highlighted the underutilized potential of programmatic audio, noting that despite strong engagement, it still receives limited marketing investment due to budget constraints.
- An underserved market opportunity: Even with digital audio’s rapid growth, brands continue to allocate less investment to it compared to video or social media. This session underscored the opportunity to gain market share by positioning audio as a key medium.
- Barriers to experimentation: Panelists pointed out that rigid budget structures limit opportunities for audio testing. They stressed that greater agency support and education could empower brands to invest confidently in innovative audio strategies.
Panel 2: Beyond Branding for Campaigns
Moderator: Lindsay Lynch, Director of Business Development, International, AdsWizz
- Brandon Lutz, Head of Offline & New Media, Miro
- Andy Goldsmith, CEO, Adelicious
- Kat Bean, Head of Media, Wake the Bear
- Howard Bareham, Co-Founder, Trisonic
In the second session, moderated by Lindsay Lynch, the focus shifted to how brands can expand podcast advertising beyond traditional branding efforts to drive direct response outcomes. Panelists shared insights on how audio ads can connect with niche audiences and deliver measurable results, making audio a valuable tool for performance-based campaigns.
- Case study – Miro’s success in brand awareness: Brandon Lutz from Miro shared their recent experience using audio ads to drive an increase in brand awareness among key decision-makers in UX, marketing, and engineering roles. This case study illustrated how podcasts effectively communicate brand stories to targeted, high-intent audiences without requiring host-read formats.
- Diverse use cases for audio: Panelists discussed how brands can utilize data-driven audio ads for various objectives, from lead generation to customer acquisition. They emphasized the flexibility of programmatic audio to adapt to specific campaign goals, including B2B and B2C contexts.
Panel 3: Digital Audio in the Wider Media Mix
Moderator: Ollie Chadwick, AdsWizz, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz
- Thomas Balaam, Audio Trading Director, Mindshare UK
- Michael Bayston, VP Adtech Solutions, Acast
- Isobel Langley, Head of Agency, GroupM Nexus
- Patrick Dolan, Head of Audio & Display, the7stars
The final session explored how digital audio enhances multi-channel campaigns, with Ollie Chadwick leading a discussion on its role in broader media strategies.
- Audio as an amplifier: Panelists emphasized audio’s role as an amplifier, especially when paired with visual media like connected TV (CTV). The conversation touched on how combining programmatic audio with digital video can result in higher engagement and brand recall.
- Audience-driven strategy: Audio allows brands to reach audiences throughout the day across various touchpoints—whether during a morning jog, while commuting, or as they wind down in the evening. This flexibility makes audio a powerful tool for reaching consumers at different points in their journey.
- A cost-effective channel: With a lower CPM than many visual formats, audio offers a cost-effective way to increase reach and frequency within broader campaigns. This point resonated strongly with attendees, showcasing audio as a valuable channel in an increasingly budget-conscious media landscape.
- Digital audio’s versatility: Digital audio’s adaptability makes it an ideal complement to traditional media, providing unique advantages for brands aiming to diversify their media spend while engaging audiences in more immersive and meaningful ways.
Skip Ahead with AdsWizz
Audio Days London brought together digital audio’s leading voices and highlighted AdsWizz’s role in driving the digital audio industry forward and empowering brands to reach new heights.
Stay tuned for updates on our next Audio Days event, or contact us today if you wish to advance your audio strategy!
by Aimi Knowling, Senior Manager, Sales Marketing
