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From podcasts to TikTok sounds, digital audio has moved from background noise to the cultural main stage. In this episode of Hard Refresh, host Andrés López-Varela is joined by Adam Johnson (Co-Founder, Original Audio & Chief Growth Officer, Nova Entertainment) and Georgia Tappy (Social Media Consultant) to explore what the next 25 years could hold for audio.
They debate why brands obsess over their logos but not their sound, how memes like Jet2 Holidays became earworms by accident, and whether podcasts have hit their ceiling, or are only just beginning. Together, they imagine a 2040 world where audio surrounds us, from neural implants to AI-generated soundscapes.
They debate why brands obsess over their logos but not their sound, how memes like Jet2 Holidays became earworms by accident, and whether podcasts have hit their ceiling, or are only just beginning. Together, they imagine a 2040 world where audio surrounds us, from neural implants to AI-generated soundscapes.
In this episode:
- Memes, music, and memory
Georgia points to Jet2 Holidays as proof of how sonic consistency can turn into a cultural meme, building “neural pathways” for a brand in the public imagination. - Why brands ignore sound
Adam argues marketers will spend so much time on Pantone colour codes for how they look, but rarely define how they sound. He calls it a “missed opportunity,” noting sonic stings in TikTok ads boost recall by 191%. - Podcasting’s evolution
The panel debates whether podcasts have peaked; Georgia sees video podcasts as expanding the medium, while Adam worries cameras risk stiffening the natural intimacy of conversation. - Advertising in the audio age
Baked-in reads and product placement are making a comeback as the most resilient formats, even as audiences skip ads at record rates. The panel likens it to radio jingles and old-school TV tea breaks. - The sonic future
Looking ahead to 2040, Adam and Georgia imagine homes where AR glasses, smart speakers, and neural interfaces make audio an ever-present layer, raising questions about privacy, shared experiences, and manipulation.
This episode was recorded on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, live at State of Social '25.
Creators and Guests
Host
Guest
Adam Johnson
Adam Johnson is NOVA Entertainment’s Chief Growth Officer as well as Co-Founder of Original Audio. He is a standout business and Marketing leader with a proven track record of driving growth through high-performing teams and ideas that sell. In his ‘day job’ Adam oversees all of NOVA’s consumer touchpoints across Marketing & PR, Audience Engagement, Digital (product, platform & data) and Podcasting. He has been in this role since returning to Australia at the start of 2022 and, in that time, has overseen record audience growth and helped accelerate NOVA’s transformation toward a leading all-of-audio media business. Prior to this Adam was Chief Marketing Officer at Global, Europe’s largest commercial audio business and one of the UK’s biggest outdoor media owners, having previously had Marketing leadership roles in consumer technology Marketing, firstly with Nokia and then with Microsoft. He started his career in advertising with Havas in London before joining Y&R in Sydney. Adam’s work at Original Audio allows him to fulfil his passion for audio, technology and creativity and how they can come together to help brands grow.
Guest
Georgia Tappy
I’m a social media consultant based in Melbourne. My work specialises in youth marketing, with a particular focus on queer and pop culture. Over the past 10 years, I’ve created viral videos for corporate clients, NGOs and government agencies. I specialise in pairing great visuals with even better storytelling.
What is Hard Refresh?
Discover what’s in store for us in the next 25 years of digital marketing and how the first 25 years of this century shaped our industry (and the world), in Hard Refresh.
This limited 10-episode series from Australia’s best marketing conference, State of Social, looks ahead at what trends, technologies, cultural shifts, and maybe even controversies, will define digital marketing over the next 25 years. Andrés López-Varela (a.k.a. ALV), one of Australia's most experienced marketing educators, is joined by a cast of industry leaders picked from the ranks of this year's State of Social speakers to unearth what's next for digital marketing.
Join them as they press F5 to discover a refreshed perspective on everything from the next evolution in social media to the role of marketing in culture, from the future of digital audio to the changing role of online video, from the era-defining impacts of AI and automation to the brave new world for marketing agencies, and much more.
Hard Refresh is recorded and produced on the traditional lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the Awabakal people and the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation.