The Power of Three: Auto, Ambiance, and A Human

Walking the floor at CES, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it is impossible not to miss the pace of change. Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Screens are bigger, faster, and more immersive. The automobile is becoming a software platform. And the conversation around what technology means for creativity, trust, and connection is getting louder.

For radio and audio leaders, this can feel like disruption layered on disruption. But CES also offers clarity if you step back and look for the patterns that matter most. What I am seeing consistently points to three forces shaping the next phase of growth for audio: Auto. Ambiance. And A Human.

Each of these forces has an environment that is forming and a reaction that leadership should consider.

Auto

Environment:

One of the strongest signals coming out of CES is how much of the future in-car experience is being shaped by non-US manufacturers. German, Korean, and Japanese brands are not simply showcasing vehicles, they’re showcasing operating systems, interface philosophies, and entertainment ecosystems that treat the car as a connected digital environment.

The cabin is increasingly framed as a premium entertainment space, not just a control center. Dashboards integrate streaming content, advanced audio, intelligent voice systems, and personalized interfaces directly into the vehicle’s software. In some cases, the vehicle itself becomes a creative environment where content, interaction, and mobility blend seamlessly.

Dashboards are no longer organized around a radio-first hierarchy. They behave more like operating systems that surface navigation, communication, media, and services based on context and behavior. Audio now competes alongside many options inside a single intelligent interface.

This does not mean audio is losing relevance. It means audio is losing default placement.

Reaction:

The growth opportunity shifts from protecting the preset to earning selection. Brands that are recognizable, easy to resume, and emotionally familiar stand out when drivers have real choice. As the connected car becomes more global in its design philosophy and more software driven in its behavior, strong audio brands become anchors for attention and loyalty.

Not to be self-serving, but if the instinct is to pull back on marketing and brand investment now, that would repeat the same mistake many made during the rise of Spotify and Pandora. Back then, some assumed distribution alone would protect relevance. It did not. Visibility, consistency, and brand reinforcement separated the winners from the rest.

Today, the competitive set is even broader. You’re no longer competing only against the other FM signals in your market. You’re competing against every audio option inside a connected ecosystem that gives consumers infinite choice. Staying top of mind is not optional. It is foundational to long-term survival and growth.

Think about personalities and brands that listeners actively seek out rather than stumble upon. Elvis Duran. Ryan Seacrest. Preston & Steve. Jeff & Jenn. These are trusted relationships and daily habits that create emotional shortcuts in a crowded media environment. Recognition reduces friction. Trust drives repeat selection. Personality creates stickiness that algorithms alone cannot manufacture.

The same dynamic applies at the local level. Morning shows, sports voices, and community brands that show up consistently create real emotional equity. Local relevance and shared experience still matter, even inside a global software platform. In many cases, those local connections become the deciding factor when a listener chooses what to tap next.

Ambiance

Environment:

As technology becomes more immersive, the way brands connect with audiences is evolving quickly. Engagement is shifting from interruption to environment. Gaming platforms, streaming services, immersive displays, and connected dashboards are creating persistent experiences where brands live inside the experience rather than around it.

Media is becoming more contextual, interactive, and ambient. Attention is no longer captured in short bursts. It is earned through presence, relevance, and fit within the moment.

One area where audio already excels in creating true ambient experiences is live events. Radio and audio brands know how to turn content into community. They understand how to design moments that feel personal, memorable, and emotionally connected.

A strong example comes from ESPN Audio and their Fantasy Football Podcast live event in New York ahead of the 2025 season. ESPN did not simply put talent on a stage. They designed a full experience for fans, from front-of-house energy and onstage production to select behind-the-scenes access that deepened the relationship between the audience and the brand. Fans did not just attend a show. They participated in the brand.

Not everyone has the resources of ESPN, but the principle scales. Any audio brand has a loyal group of advocates who want to engage more deeply. Even small, thoughtfully designed events can create powerful connection, reinforce identity, and turn passive listeners into active community members.

Reaction:

Audio companies should expand how they think about advertising and engagement inside these environments.

This means moving beyond spot-only thinking toward sponsored moments, branded experiences, live activations, and contextual integrations. It means pairing audio with light visual, experiential, or interactive layers when appropriate. It means helping advertisers understand how audio enhances mood, memory, and emotional connection when audiences are physically and emotionally present.

Success shifts from reach and frequency alone to presence, recall, association, and experience quality. This positions audio as additive rather than disruptive and reinforces one of radio’s most durable competitive advantages—the ability to bring real people together around shared moments.

A Human

Environment:

At CES, iHeart gathered a group of advertisers, partners, and industry leaders for a conversation focused on what it truly means to remain human in an AI driven world. I was thrilled to be invited. With artificial intelligence dominating nearly every hallway and headline at CES, this session stood out as one of the most thoughtful and grounded perspectives on the topic. The discussion featured David Eagleman, a Stanford trained neuroscientist, author, and podcast host whose work explores how the human brain forms trust, makes decisions, and builds emotional connection. His books, including Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, The Brain: The Story of You, and Livewired, have helped translate complex neuroscience into practical insight for business and culture. Rather than debating the speed of AI adoption, the conversation centered on what technology cannot replace: human connection, authenticity, and trust.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating content creation and automation across media. Choice is expanding faster than trust. Audiences are being flooded with synthetic voices, generated content, and algorithmic recommendations.

At the same time, there is growing recognition that humans remain the source of credibility, emotional connection, and meaning. Technology scales access. People build relationships.

As David Eagleman put it during the session, if something feels like it was made by a machine, we just do not care as much. We value the effort, the flaws, and the humanity behind the creation. That’s how our brains are wired.

The point is not philosophical. It is biological. Human brains are built to recognize effort, imperfection, and authenticity as signals of credibility and meaning. When content becomes too polished or synthetic, engagement can actually decline rather than improve.

Reaction:

Audio brands should double down on humanity as a competitive advantage.

This means elevating authentic voices, local connection, and personality-led storytelling. It means protecting trust, consistency, and editorial standards. It means using AI to improve workflow, discoverability, and efficiency rather than replacing human judgment or voice. It means leading with relationship, not novelty.

This is where loyalty is created when everything else becomes automated.

Why the Power of Three Matters

Auto, Ambiance, and A Human reinforce each other.

• The connected car increases choice and competition for attention.

• Immersive environments expand how brands and content can engage.

• Human connection drives preference, loyalty, and trust.

Together, they point to a future where audio does not win by default, but it can win decisively by design.

CES 2026 is not a warning sign for radio and audio. It’s a roadmap. The path forward is not about resisting technology—it’s about using technology to elevate experience, deepen connection, and strengthen the human relationship that sits at the center of great audio.

The brands that embrace all three will not just remain relevant. They will lead.

Contact info: Tim Bronsil: tim@ptpmarketing.com, 513.702.5072