How Do We Get Better at Measuring Audio Outcomes?

A recent episode of the IAB UK Podcast posed a deceptively simple question: how do we get better at measuring outcomes for audio? It’s a question New Zealand advertisers and agencies should be asking too. In this article we share the podcast highlights, plus a link for you to listen in your own time.

The episode, produced by the IAB UK in partnership with Global, features Sarah Gale (Director of Insight, Data and Outcomes) and Dan Innes-Taylor (Senior Insight and Outcomes Manager) in conversation with IAB UK Chief Strategy Officer James Chandler. Their focus is on a structural problem that has shaped how audio is valued across the industry: outcome measurement frameworks built for digital display and search are increasingly being applied to audio - a medium with fundamentally different characteristics.

Audio does not behave like a banner ad 🎧

Audio does not behave like a banner ad. It is consumed in moments of divided attention - during a commute, a run, a morning routine - where clicking is neither possible nor the point. Yet click-through rate remains a default metric for many campaigns that include audio, even though it tells us almost nothing about how the medium actually works.

The IAB UK podcast frames this as more than a technical inconvenience. When you measure audio by the standards of other channels, you systematically undervalue it. Awareness, recall, brand preference, purchase intent - these are the outcomes audio moves, and they require different measurement approaches to surface.

Full funnel, not just last click

The conversation explores audio's role across the full funnel in omnichannel campaigns. This matters in the New Zealand context, where audio investment spans broadcast radio, streaming (iHeartRadio, Spotify, RNZ), podcast advertising, and digital audio on connected devices. Each of these sits differently in the purchase journey, and a last-click or short-term attribution model will consistently under-report their contribution.

The more useful question is not 'did this audio ad get clicked?' but 'what did it shift?' Brand lift studies, listen-through rates, multi-touch attribution, and cross-platform measurement tools are all available to NZ advertisers - but they require intentional planning up front, not post-campaign rationalisation.

What this means for NZ digital audio campaigns

Set channel-appropriate KPIs before the campaign goes live. Audio's primary strengths are reach, attention, and brand impact - so plan measurement around those goals, not digital display benchmarks.

Use brand lift studies for significant audio investment. Several platforms operating in NZ offer brand lift methodology. The data is more useful than any click metric for understanding what audio actually moved.

Think about audio's position in the funnel. A podcast mid-roll from a trusted host and a programmatic audio pre-roll serve different roles, so measure them accordingly.

Don't let measurement friction become a reason to under-invest. Audio's measurement story is more nuanced than display - that doesn’t mean it is weaker, it means it requires more careful interpretation.

The IAB UK's focus on audio measurement reflects a wider industry figuring out how we assign value to channels that do not conform to the click-based model that shaped digital advertising's early metrics. New Zealand's audio market is showing strong growth from a small base - according to the FY/Q4 2025 IAB NZ Digital Advertising Revenue Report: Digital audio is up 22% to $4.0m year on year, showing that audio continues to attract investment as part of broader digital strategies. Getting measurement right is what protects that investment and makes the case for more.

The full episode is available to listen to here The IAB UK Podcast.