The Audio Superpower You May Not Be Thinking Of
Spoiler: it’s a powerful marketing tool for navigating uncertainty.
If you’re planning for 2023, listen up.
Since nothing has been certain over the past few years, advertisers need flexible and trustworthy ad channels to get through to today’s increasingly fickle consumer.
So what will the next year hold? While we can’t predict the future, we do know that you’re missing out if audio is not part of your 2023 plans.
We can all agree stopping your campaigns is a bad idea.
There’s mounting evidence that stopping, or even reducing ad spend, can have lasting effects on future sales and market share.
Recent research from Analytics Partners ROI Genome® found that the average brand could lose nearly 15% of its business if a competitor of similar size doubles its marketing investments. On the other hand, more than half of the brands studied that increased their investments during the last recession saw a 17% increase in incremental sales and ROI growth in back-to-back years.
“60% of brands that increased their media investment during the last recession saw ROI improvements – including the brands that increased marketing investment.” - The Rules of Recession-Proofing, Analytics Partners ROI Genome®
Instead of cutting back on ad spend, advertisers could be using audio to maintain share of voice and ramp up brand-building efforts in an environment that’s proven to deliver ROI.
Audio is a rich, contextual media ecosystem.
Luckily, there’s ample opportunity to meet consumers wherever they are in the audio universe. With something for everyone—from music to spoken word, and everything in between across AM/FM, podcasts, and streaming—audio touches consumers at various points throughout their day.
The many contexts in which listeners are consuming audio present an opportunity for advertisers who want to ensure their messaging is relevant to the moment without limiting their reach too much. Contextual targeting is effective, and as the data privacy landscape continues to change, it will only become more important.
“In general, contextual targeting is 1.2 to 2.5x more effective than other forms of advertising.” - The Rules of Recession-Proofing, Analytics Partners ROI Genome®
When you leverage the entire audio ecosystem, you leave no audience behind. Whether at home alone or in the car with the kids, the strategic use of each environment can effectively message based on the listener's location and mindset.
Audio cuts through the clutter in a noisy world.
AM/FM radio and podcasts dominate the share of time listeners spend with ad-supported audio; at 87% according to Edison’s latest Share of Ear report. With radio reaching more of the adult U.S. population than TV every week, and with podcasting’s popularity continuing to thrive, audio is your best bet for grabbing the attention of an increasingly tuned-out audience.
When it comes to thinking long-term, brand-building efforts tend to have better outcomes. Even if consumers are not ready to buy, they know who you are when they’re ready. Between radio’s reach and podcasting’s desirable environment, audio is a workhorse for staying top of mind as well as establishing familiarity and trust.
“Brand messaging outperforms performance messaging 80% of the time.” - The Rules of Recession-Proofing, Analytics Partners ROI Genome®
The ‘trust halo’ from audio comes in part from the emotional bond listeners form with their favorite podcast host or the morning DJs they tune into religiously during their commute. Brand messaging resonates best when it’s associated with these trusted environments and voices. And because of the very way our brains are wired, emotional and contextually relevant ads just hit different when they are heard versus seen.
Audio is flexible.
Between product availability, supply chain issues, and fluctuating prices, getting the right messaging out to the right customers at the right time is crucial today. Audio holds the advantage for brands that need flexibility in the name of transparency and maintaining consumer trust.
Relatively speaking, audio creative is less expensive to produce, quicker to turn around, and easier to swap when business needs change. Copy split and creative rotation capabilities are in place to deliver spots at the right time to the right consumers.
And on the digital front, dynamic ad insertion brings greater flexibility to podcast advertisers—even if they rely on host reads. VAST is another tool that’s putting creative control back into the hands of the advertiser or agency.
As an independent ad sales network, we’re nimble so our advertisers can be too. We take a customized approach to audio solutions that includes our commitment to brand-suitable environments, transparent networks, and the data you need to help guide campaign decisions.