The Cost of Dull in Entertainment Advertising in 2025
27% of Media Spend in Live Entertainment Is Wasted on Dull Digital Ads
Every year, millions of pounds are lost to dull digital advertising in live entertainment. Our latest research at SINE Digital uncovers the real price of playing it safe: 27% of all media spend vanishes on ads that audiences simply ignore. That’s a staggering £70 million lost in London’s West End and $120 million on Broadway every year.
Based on over one billion data points of proprietary data from live entertainment and events, our 2025 whitepaper reveals the real price of playing it safe in marketing. Explore the full story in ‘MEH: The Cost of Dull report’.
How Much Does Dullness Cost the Industry?
Imagine investing £1 million in digital ads – only to see 27% of it walk out the door. Our analysis shows that for every £1 million spent, approximately £270,000 is wasted. That’s the equivalent of losing 20,000 ticket sales before the curtain even rises.
Where Does the Waste Happen?
The Cost of Dull isn’t just a headline; it happens at every stage of the marketing funnel:
- Awareness: 32% of your top-of-funnel spend is wasted on ads that don’t make people feel anything – no humour, no emotion, just white noise.
- Consideration: 24% of mid-funnel budget is lost on ads that fail to spark curiosity, tell a story, or give people something worth sharing.
- Conversion: 25% of lower-funnel spend is wasted when ads miss the mark on persuading people to take action.
What Actually Works? The Secrets to High-Performing Creative
Here’s what our data proves:
Great creative isn’t a luxury – it’s your best investment
- Humour wins attention: Funny ads drive a massive 51% more views at the top of the funnel.
- Emotion drives action: Ads that evoke strong feelings see a 21% uplift in view-through rates.
- Give people something to share: Content with social currency (think: something worth telling friends) boosts click-through by 24%.
- Trust builds conversion: Social proof in your ads (like testimonials or popularity signals) increases conversion by 33%.
Why Are Dull Ads So Expensive?
Digital advertising in live entertainment is fiercely competitive – and every wasted impression is lost money. Dull ads blend into the background, draining your budget and doing nothing to move audiences. Our landmark whitepaper, MEH: The Cost of Dull in Entertainment Advertising, used AI and marketing psychology to analyse over a billion data points to help live entertainment rid their campaigns of wasteful ads.
The verdict? Playing it safe is costing your brand real results – and real revenue.
How to Avoid Wasting Budget: Creative Excellence Pays Off
Ready to turn things around?
Here’s how brands in live entertainment can break free from the “cost of dull” trap and start seeing results:
10 Ways to Beat the Cost of Dull:
- Spark emotion from the start by using high-arousal feelings to grab attention
- Lead with humour in your awareness campaigns
- Craft stories and give your audience something they want to share
- Use social proof to build trust where it matters most
- Measure the real impact of creative by tracking emotion, humour, and psychology – not just clicks
- Keep it clear and simple: avoid cognitive overload in your messaging
- Know your audience deeply – research their motivations and what moves them
- Combine data and creative thinking, from strategy through to execution
- Treat creative as an investment, not a cost-cutting exercise
Test, learn, and optimise with every campaign
Download the Full ‘Cost of Dull’ Report
Want to see the full findings and actionable insights?
Download the full whitepaper now and discover how to make every ad pound count.
Download the report here.
About SINE Digital
SINE Digital transforms how live entertainment connects with audiences, blending data, strategy, and technology to drive success. Trusted by industry leaders from the West End to Broadway, get in touch with our Data and Insights team.
Stop wasting budget. Start making every ad count.