Adtech Veteran Eric Tilbury: Audio Ad Avoidance 'Weird' Amidst High Daily Consumption

Industry expert Eric Tilbury, Senior Director of Ad Operations and Product Solution Engineering at Inuvo, recently took to social media to highlight a significant disconnect within the advertising sector regarding audio content. In a recent tweet, Tilbury criticized decision-makers for neglecting audio advertising channels, stating, > "The same decision makers not buying audio are the same people listening to probably 4+ hours of audio content a day. To totally not run a channel because it’s “hard” to attribute is weird to me." This observation points to a paradox where personal consumption habits diverge sharply from professional investment strategies.

Tilbury, known for his outspoken views on programmatic advertising and measurement, has consistently advocated for a shift from traditional user-based attribution models to outcome-based measurement, such as Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM). His critique underscores a broader industry challenge where the perceived difficulty in directly attributing conversions often deters investment in valuable, yet less directly measurable, channels like audio. This perspective aligns with his previous discussions on the limitations of last-touch attribution in capturing the full impact of diverse ad formats.

The digital audio landscape has experienced substantial growth, with millions engaging daily across podcasts, streaming music, and audiobooks. Data from various industry reports consistently show increasing listener numbers and time spent with audio content, reinforcing Tilbury's point about the extensive personal consumption by advertising professionals themselves. This surge in listenership presents a compelling, yet often untapped, audience for advertisers.

However, attributing direct conversions to audio advertisements remains a complex challenge for many marketers. The "sound-on, screen-off" nature of audio content, coupled with cross-device usage and the lack of direct click-throughs, complicates traditional measurement methods. This difficulty often leads brands to prioritize channels with more straightforward, albeit potentially misleading, performance metrics.

Despite these attribution hurdles, the programmatic audio market is evolving, offering more sophisticated targeting and delivery capabilities. Industry trends suggest a growing recognition of audio's role in upper-funnel awareness and brand building, prompting a move towards holistic measurement solutions. Tilbury's comments serve as a call to action for the advertising industry to re-evaluate its investment priorities, urging decision-makers to look beyond simplistic attribution models and embrace the full potential of high-engagement channels like audio.