Audio Advertising: How It Resonates More Than Other Formats

As numerous mediums for advertising claim to reign supreme, research emerges that reveals audio ads resonate emotionally greater than any other medium. What does that mean for your marketing strategy? When it comes to advertising, you can’t ignore audio.

A recent study using neuroscience and cognitive research has found that audio ads consistently drive higher levels of engagement compared with other media formats. In fact, audio advertising outperforms all other media channels in both driving engagement and brand recall. Furthermore, this reaction persists whether the audience is listening to music or podcasts.

NeuroLab, Mindshare & Neuro-Insight Breakthroughs

Conducted by the NeuroLab unit within WPP agency Mindshare and research firm Neuro-Insight, this study investigated consumers’ subconscious and conscious responses to advertising. Conclusions showed a 12% increase in emotional intensity provoked by audio ads over other media benchmarks. Moreover, this advantage correlated with an increase in brand breakthroughs. “Brand breakthrough” is defined as a consumer’s perception of the brand as a great value.

Additional results showed how audio ads boost brand transference and brand resonance relative to the content that consumers experience within a streaming platform. This is a rather in-depth analysis of how audio in its varying forms can impact the listeners’ emotional response and consequently their reaction to the brand.

Mindshare’s NeuroLab can discern which parts of the brain light up in relation to which assets and find out more about which creative work resonates with consumers when it is in audio format only. This information affords advertisers a greater insight into how to make those audio advertisements more enticing to the audience.

Audio Makes Audience Alignment Easier

One of the greatest assets of utilizing audio advertising is the ability to align your message with the right audience for the highest levels of resonance. Metrics including demographics, behavior and more can all be dissected to determine significance. Resonance is imperative in order to create an emotional connection.  

Past research has shown that more emotional ads lead to higher action intent and improved brand favorability, further emphasizing the incredible value of connecting with your audience on an emotional level. 

Additional tests, both in this study and earlier studies, prove placement of the brand name within an audio message is similarly important. Placement makes sense at either the very start of an advertisement or at the very end, but not in the middle, a strategy public media has followed with success for years. In this study, there were particularly strong results for ads that had branding early on – ads that followed this formula saw the biggest peaks in emotional reactions.  

The Impact Of A Familiar Voice

Using celebrities to promote brands on TV has been successful for decades. Research from this study showed that it’s no different in the audio sphere. Using a celebrity voice in your audio ad can increase both engagement and emotional reaction by 21%.

Public media, especially public radio, takes a unique approach in this regard. Rather than leveraging mainstream celebrities, public radio taps into its roster of esteemed hosts and correspondents. These individuals are celebrated not for their star power, but for their credibility and rapport with the audience.

In the context of public radio, a familiar voice from the station can resonate deeply with listeners due to the preexisting trust and respect earned over many broadcasts. Aligning with these respected figures ensures that the brand message is not only heard but is also received with a level of earnestness that only comes from a genuine source. This approach underscores the importance of authenticity in advertising, ensuring that the association between the talent’s persona and the brand’s values is congruent and impactful.

Maximum Impact For Your Brand Message 

Remember when ads had fun or quirky background noises to gather your attention? It turns out those sounds are still engaging listeners. Additionally, subtle cues are not to be underestimated.  Implementing both can only increase brand recognition and listeners’ reactions.

Sonic branding in particular is taking off. Considered an audio expression of your brand, it can tune the listener into your message before a word is ever spoken. Much like the Law & Order intro that would send you running into the TV room to tune in, a sonic signature lets a listener know to “listen up” as your brand has something to say.

This same study found that a gaming company had trained its audience to associate a sonic signature with a popular gaming title. As a result, when that audio cue was used, an increase in positive emotion was measurable. It actually launched an upward trend in purchasing for the remainder of the ad’s run.

Help Your Brand Stand Out With Audio Advertising

It’s proven—audio advertising is premier in connecting your brand with consumers on an emotional level. To keep them engaged and loyal, implementing sonic signatures and familiar voices can ensure continued growth. Let us show you more ways in which you can increase brand trust and gain customer loyalty. It’s what we do.

Leave your contact information below and we will have an account executive reach out to you regarding public radio’s treasured audience, remarkable voice talent and more. One thing’s for sure: audio, the original influencer, is here to stay!