New research reveals a stark reality for brands still relying on traditional, separate media strategies for different channels; they may be contributing to a huge 90% increase in consumer ad fatigue.
In The Untapped Opportunity of Omnichannel, a first-of-its-kind Australian study, the findings highlight how fragmented, single-channel campaigns are increasingly misaligned with the way Australians consume media.
Today’s audiences engage across an average of five channels per day, yet many media plans are still executed in silos, leading to repetitive messaging, audience disengagement, and often, wasted spend.
The research was carried out by The Trade Desk in partnership with PA Consulting and Brainsights and collected 63 hours of brain activity and nearly 800 million brainwave data points from participants consuming a variety of media.
These insights were combined with a survey of 2,000 Australian consumers in a quantitative study to build a unique data set focused on audience-first strategies, sizing the needs and channel choices of audiences across different media moments and mindsets.
Controlled tests then explored the neurological response to channels in omnichannel campaigns versus multichannel campaigns, measuring the impact on attention, memory encoding, and fatigue.
Using both neuroscience and behavioural data, the study compared multichannel and omnichannel advertising approaches to understand their impact on consumer engagement, memory, motivation, and emotional response.
The results were clear: omnichannel campaigns delivered significantly stronger performance across key brand metrics.
Compared to disconnected media strategies, omnichannel campaigns were:
70% more memorable
50% more persuasive
50% better at building consumer connection
40% more attention-grabbing
Importantly, the study found that 73% of Australians are tired of seeing repetitive ads on a single channel, highlighting the limitations of siloed media planning in today’s fragmented media environment.
So what’s the difference between omnichannel and multichannel campaigns?
A multichannel campaign simply uses more than one platform to deliver a message, but the channels are typically planned and executed independently.
In contrast, an omnichannel campaign takes an audience-first approach, connecting three or more digital channels, such as mobile, display, native, video, audio, digital out-of-home (DOOH), or BVOD/CTV, into one cohesive, coordinated campaign. This approach allows for optimised frequency and sequencing, ensuring the messaging aligns with how people naturally move across platforms and devices.
Sara Picazo, Director of Market Research and Insights at The Trade Desk, said: “The customer experience is at the heart of good advertising. When the data shows that traditional, single-channel approaches are losing effectiveness, it’s time to rethink the approach.
“People move between platforms and devices. An omnichannel approach allows brands to manage frequency across channels, publishers, and platforms, while delivering a cohesive sequence of relevant messages.
“By placing the audience at the centre of this strategy, we align more closely with how people actually consume media. And that’s how we enhance the ad experience for consumers that ultimately deliver stronger business outcomes for brands.”
The research also breaks down the unique strengths of individual media channels and demonstrates how their effectiveness is amplified when part of an integrated, omnichannel campaign:
BVOD/CTV: Due to its immersive storytelling capabilities, connected TV builds a 130% stronger emotional connection and drives a 110% higher brand affinity when integrated into an omnichannel strategy.
Audio: Often reaching audiences during personal, everyday moments, audio campaigns deliver 110% more immersion and 80% greater brand affinity compared to when the channel is used in isolation.
DOOH: One in three Australians strongly recall ads seen in digital out-of-home environments, thanks to location-based relevance and dynamic, contextually aware creative.
With advertising budgets under pressure and consumer attention more fragmented than ever, the message from this research suggests media strategies must evolve.
To read the full report, visit here