Digital Audio Drives Cross-Funnel Gains for a Fitness Brand

The fitness landscape is competitive, so brands need to stand out to stay top of mind. That means efficiently getting attention, building familiarity, and motivating consumers to become members—ideally in a single campaign. For many advertisers, visual media is the go-to. 

But digital audio is more than meets the eye. For starters, digital audio offers a wide variety of display formats and video ads. And because they appear in an unclutter environment and deliver 100% SOV,  they get results. But it’s the power of audio that really drives effective cross-funnel campaigns—and why the visual media that runs on our platforms and networks perform so well. 

Digital audio delivers attention throughout the day and in screenless moments—like when 55% of streaming audio listeners tune in as they’re working out. 1 And when visual media is in the mix, display and video ads are there in moments of interaction.

In this case study, you’ll see how a fitness brand leveraged audio and display ads to efficiently boost key metrics across the funnel.

The challenge

A fitness center brand needed to strengthen favorability and motivate consumers to consider membership.

Standing out in a crowded fitness landscape

The goal was to reinforce brand recognition and consideration among consumers evaluating fitness options. While the brand already benefited from strong awareness levels, the campaign aimed to deepen audience affinity and drive intent.

Reaching both active and aspiring gym-goers

The brand wanted to engage a broad yet targeted audience—from frequent gym attendees to consumers who rarely or never visit the gym. The brand also sought to connect with households across income brackets, particularly consumers looking for affordable fitness solutions.

The solution

To break through, this fitness brand partnered with SiriusXM Media to launch a cross-platform audio campaign designed to connect with listeners in moments of focus and motivation throughout their daily routines. 

Building a multi-platform audio strategy

The advertiser activated across SiriusXM Media’s streaming audio, podcast, and display offerings to create a cohesive consumer experience. Studio Resonate, our in-house audio creative agency, worked with the brand to develop compelling ads designed to fit each listening environment.

The campaign included:

• Podcast host-read ads

• Streaming Select mobile display with responsive banner

• Programmatic mobile in-app placements across Pandora and SoundCloud

Podcast placements featured trusted voices from popular shows including Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, SmartLess, School of Greatness, and more.

Pairing audio with visual reinforcement

Alongside podcast and streaming audio placements, the brand incorporated mobile display creative to reinforce messaging visually. While audio components told the story and educated listeners on the brand’s offering, display ads helped listeners connect the messaging to the brand with recognizable visuals and promotional offers, creating a memorable experience across environments.

The complementary strategy proved especially effective for a brand competing in a crowded category, helping consumers quickly identify the fitness brand.

The results

By pairing trusted podcast voices with streaming audio and display placements, the campaign drove meaningful lifts across the funnel—from brand favorability to purchase intent.

Boosting brand connections with trusted podcast voices 

Podcast placements delivered meaningful performance gains, driving cross-funnel lifts in brand awareness (+4 pts), brand favorability (+7 pts), and purchase intent (+7 pts), 2 reinforcing the value of trusted host-read endorsements in building consumer trust and action.

Driving favorability and intent among infrequent gym-goers

We helped this fitness brand resonate not only with active fitness consumers, but also with audiences who are just starting their wellness journeys. The campaign generated strong results among consumers who visit the gym once a month or never, including: 2

• +23-point lift in brand favorability

• +13-point lift in consideration intent*

• +10-point lift in purchase intent*

Amplifying campaign performance with display

Display emerged as a powerful complement to audio messaging, significantly amplifying campaign performance and driving: 2

• +26-point lift in brand favorability

• +16-point lift in consideration intent

• +30-point lift in purchase intent

Making an impression on women

The campaign resonated strongly with female listeners, who drove double-digit lifts across several key metrics, including: 2

• +13-point lift in brand favorability

• +11-point lift in consideration intent

• +24-point lift in purchase intent

Ready to see cross-funnel gains?

When ads show up in trusted, uncluttered digital audio environments, they deliver higher SOV for brands and have a bigger impact on audiences. This campaign demonstrates how streaming audio, podcasts, and display can work in tandem to drive measurable business outcomes across the marketing funnel.

We did it for them. We can do it for you. Let’s talk.

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