Channel Mix for Australian Campaigns 2026
How we plan and allocate media for Australian campaigns — search, social, BVOD/CTV, audio, OOH and retail media — across a large, low-density market.
About this report
Australia is a large country with a population concentrated in a handful of capital cities. That shapes media planning more than most playbooks admit: national reach is expensive relative to audience size, and metro-vs-regional splits matter for almost every brief.
This is the framework CMB Amplify uses to allocate a campaign budget across channels for Australian advertisers. It is a starting point, not a template — the right mix depends on the objective, the offer and the category.
Key findings
Start with the objective, not the channel
Awareness, consideration and direct response need different mixes. We size each channel against the job it does, not against what is fashionable. A direct-response brief weighted to BVOD will underperform; an awareness brief running only on Search will stall.
Search + retail media capture demand
Google Search and retail media (Amazon, Coles/Woolworths networks, marketplace ads) capture existing intent. For considered-purchase and FMCG categories these are usually the efficient core of the mix.
BVOD/CTV for measurable reach
For brand reach, broadcaster VOD (9Now, 7plus, 10 Play, SBS On Demand) and connected TV deliver targetable, measurable video at CPMs below historical linear TV — increasingly the backbone of mid-market awareness in Australia.
Audio is under-used
Commercial radio plus digital audio (streaming, podcasts) reaches Australian audiences in drive-time and at-work moments that video misses, often at attractive cost. We treat audio as a planned channel, not an afterthought.
OOH for metro density
Out-of-home works hardest in the dense metro corridors where Australians actually concentrate — transit, retail precincts and CBD. Digital OOH allows day-parting and rapid creative change.
Plan metro and regional separately
A single national plan usually overpays for regional reach or underdelivers in metro. We split the plan and budget the two geographies against their real audience value.
Benchmark table
Illustrative starting allocations by objective for a mid-market Australian advertiser. Always tuned to the specific brief.
| Channel | Awareness | Consideration | Direct response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search & retail media | 10% | 30% | 45% |
| Paid social | 15% | 25% | 30% |
| BVOD / CTV | 35% | 20% | 5% |
| Digital audio & radio | 20% | 10% | 5% |
| Out-of-home | 20% | 10% | 5% |
| Email / owned | 0% | 5% | 10% |
Methodology & notes
Allocations above are illustrative starting points to show how weighting shifts with objective — they are not recommendations for any specific business.
Channel mix should be set against your category, margins, sales cycle and creative readiness. CMB Amplify builds the actual plan from your brief and measures against agreed KPIs.
