Campaigns combining audio, out of home (OOH) and publishing report 33% more brand effects and 8% more business effects than campaigns using none of these channels, according to new research launched today by the IPA and Bauer Media. The findings identify a tangible “Bauer Effect”, linking the combined use of the three channels with stronger brand and commercial outcomes.
The study, Winning The Great Brand Race, analyses 569 campaigns from the IPA Effectiveness Databank between 2010 and 2024. It examines how campaigns using audio, OOH and publishing alongside other channels are associated with brand building, activation and business growth.
The research identifies a tangible “Bauer Effect”: campaigns using all three channels report 33% more brand effects, such as awareness, trust, quality and fame, and 8% more business effects, such as sales, profit, market share and new customers, than campaigns using none of them.
Trust is an important part of this picture for advertisers. Previous IPA analysis, published in January 2026, found that the most effective trust-building campaigns are more likely to win new customers and grow profit. That makes it significant that, in this latest analysis, campaigns combining audio, OOH and publishing were 69% more likely to report very large improvements in brand trust than campaigns using none of these channels.
By combining audio, outdoor and publishing, brands can Own Every Moment - connecting with audiences across the moments that shape what people think, feel and buy.
The study highlights six implications for advertisers and planners:
* The Bauer Effect delivers stronger brand and business results:campaigns combining audio, OOH and publishing report 33% more brand effects, such as awareness, trust, quality and fame, and 8% more business effects, such as sales, profit, market share and new customers, than campaigns using none of these channels.
- Trust is a key part of the brand-building gains: campaigns combining audio, OOH and publishing are 69% more likely to report very large improvements in brand trust, alongside gains in perceived quality (+43%) and brand commitment (+30%).
- Media choice may help brand budgets work harder: among campaigns achieving very large brand effects, those using all three channels allocated 65% of budget to brand building, compared with 73% among campaigns not using them.
- Moving from rational to emotional creative is associated with stronger commercial outcomes: for campaigns using audio, OOH and publishing, emotional creative is linked with 23% more business effects than rational creative. The equivalent uplift from rational to emotional creative is 8% for TV and 1% for campaigns without these channels.
- Brand-building channels can also activate demand: 45% of campaigns using all three channels report large or very large activation effects, compared with 15% of campaigns using none. Together, audio, outdoor, and publishing can build memories and bring brands to mind at the point of purchase, helping advertisers Own Every Moment from long-term brand building to action.
- Growing categories show particularly strong gains: campaigns using audio, OOH and publishing, in fast-growing categories report 185% more very large brand effects and 44% more business effects than campaigns without them. For challenger and growth brands, using audio, outdoor and publishing together can help establish familiarity, credibility and relevance across the moments that matter - turning Own Every Moment into a practical planning approach.
The findings build on established principles of marketing effectiveness - including broad reach, emotional creativity, mental availability, share of voice and the balance between brand building and activation - while offering new evidence of the role audio, OOH and publishing can play when planned together.
This is the opportunity behind Own Every Moment: not simply appearing in more places but using each channel’s distinct strengths to connect brand building with buying opportunities across the consumer journey. While the analysis identifies associations rather than proving cause and effect, it provides an evidence-led case for planners to consider audio, OOH and publishing as a connected system rather than as separate media buys.
Simon Kilby, UK MD, Bauer Media Advertising, comments: “We’ve seen first-hand the power of bringing audio, outdoor and publishing together through campaigns with brands including Primark, Allwyn, Universal and Aldi. By working with the IPA, we’ve been able to put robust, independent evidence behind what we know works in practice, grounding that experience in the science of marketing effectiveness. The finding that campaigns combining all three channels are 69% more likely to deliver very large gains in brand trust is particularly compelling. Trust is built through consistent, meaningful connections, and each channel plays a distinct role in building familiarity, credibility and keeping brands front of mind. Together, they can deliver stronger brand and business growth.”
Richard Bon, UK MD & Europe commercial lead, Bauer Media Outdoor, comments: “This latest research marks an exciting start of the next chapter of The Bauer Effect. Audio, outdoor and publishing each bring distinct strengths, and these findings offer a valuable perspective on their combined role in brand building and activation. We look forward to exploring this further with our partners, deepening our understanding of how our channels work together to support different campaign objectives, building both business and brand effects. We are excited to shape what comes next together.”
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