The Multiplier Effect: what we know so far

WARC's research The Multiplier Effect proved that stronger brand equity acts as a multiplier, driving greater impact and efficiency for performance advertising. Ahead of the next stage of the project, WARC's Ann Marie Kerwin spoke to David Tiltman and the ANA's Stephanie Fierman about new survey data and what we've learned so far.

Guests:
Stephanie Fierman, Head of Brand Practice, ANA
David Tiltman, Chief Content Officer, WARC
Ann Marie Kerwin, Americas Editor, WARC

Chapters:
0:00 – Intro: Revisiting The Multiplier Effect
0:09 – Brand building vs performance: why the “say–do gap” matters
1:33 – What is The Multiplier Effect report?
3:35 – Explaining the multiplier effect: brand × performance
6:49 – ROI proof: shifting from performance-heavy to balanced media
7:09 – ANA survey: budget pressure and rising demand for financial impact
7:53 – Short-termism, click-throughs and the ‘doom loop’ in advertising
11:41 – C-suite disconnect: saying brand matters but not crediting it
13:36 – Brand equity, LLMs and generative AI discoverability
17:39 – The Multiplier Playbook and the eight implementation blockers
21:01 – Fixing the say–do gap: metrics, silos and creative platforms

For 40 years, WARC has been providing the marketing industry with rigorous, unbiased evidence and expert effectiveness guidance. The WARC Podcast publishes a new episode every Tuesday and Thursday.

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