Study Shows Audio Advertisements Triumph Over Video in Garnering Attention and Enhancing Brand Recall

It is not always clear which types of advertisements will greatly impact the consumer base. The best advertisements appear out of nowhere like a bolt of lightning.

However, there is hard data and information that can be used to inform the way that advertisers develop their pitches. A groundbreaking study conducted by Dentsu has revealed some vital details about the impact of audio advertisements on consumers.  

The Study: Lumen AM/FM Radio and Podcast Attention Study from Dentsu 

It is fair to say that the study from Dentsu was a revolutionary one. Plenty of organizations have conducted studies related to the effectiveness of different forms of advertising before, but this study was unique. It sought to discover the level of media attentiveness that consumers pay to audio advertisements such as AM/FM radio ads and podcast ads.  

Dentsu is one of the world's largest media agencies, so they have the resources and the desire to learn more about the effectiveness of various forms of media. Their study is the first ever to look at a comparison of the media attentiveness that people pay to AM/FM radio ads and podcast ads compared to other forms of advertising.  

The Research Findings:  

Some interesting findings emerged from the Dentsu study. A few of the highlights that came out of this study include: 

• Audio has a 56% higher media attentiveness score than the Dentsu norms that it was compared against. Audio ads also scored 128% higher on media attentiveness than TV ads.  
• Audio ads also generated an 8% higher brand recall score compared to Dentsu norms that they were compared against. 
• AM/FM radio ads were the biggest surprise from this study. They were eight times more cost-effective than television ads, and they were eleven times more cost-effective than the benchmark that Dentsu compared them against 

These findings all emerged from the same study and painted a picture that the advertising world had not necessarily painted before. This is to say that many heads were turned, and people began to take notice that there may be more to audio advertising than they had previously thought.  

What Do the Study's Findings Mean?  

The data that poured out of the Dentsu study is valuable, but only if it can be contextualized. That is why it is important to understand what the Dentsu study findings truly mean for advertisers moving forward. A few of the implications that one can draw from all of this include:  

• Audio Outperforms Video in Many Advertising Categories - Long gone is the myth that video advertising is the only way to reach an audience. In fact, it might not even be the best way to reach the audience that you want to reach. Audio ads are more cost-effective and appear to stay in the minds of the listeners far longer than other forms of advertising.  
• AM/FM Radio Ads Still Have a Place in Today's World - Among the most cost-effective ways to reach your audience is to advertise via AM/FM radio ads. Many marketers overlook this type of advertising because they believe it is outdated. This has helped to keep the cost of radio advertising low. Despite the lower price tag, the impact of AM/FM radio advertisements can be enormous.  
• Podcast Advertising is Often Useful - Advertising via podcasts is something that is seen as niche to many advertisers. Indeed, there is an argument that podcasts only target a specific subset of the population. However, advertising on those platforms still plays out well for many marketers. The ads become engrained in the minds of the listeners, and that makes the cost of advertising on podcasts worth your while. 

These are some of the ramifications of the Dentsu study. These details should inform your broadcast radio marketing efforts and other advertising strategies that you might take on now.

The Attention Pathway 

There is a vital concept in marketing that everyone should know about. The Association of National Advertisers has labeled this "The Attention Pathway" and it refers to a set of steps that any effective advertisement must follow. The steps are:  

• Get Noticed - It all starts by getting noticed in the first place. This means there must be something special about the advertisement. People must care about it and find something unique and interesting about it. In a world that is overloaded with advertisements, this is not easy to do.  
• Hold Attention - Another challenging thing that advertisers must do is to look for ways to hold the attention of the people that they are trying to reach. Again, this is a challenge because the world is loaded with distractions. Breaking through and introducing people to your products, services, or ideas is never easy.  
• Impact Memory - Finally, the last bridge that an outstanding advertisement must do is impact the memory of the viewer. The ad should stand out to them for some reason and remain in their brain long after the ad has stopped playing.  
  

It turns out, based on information from the Dentsu study that audio advertisements appear able to do this work far more effectively than other types of advertising. With that in mind, marketers should try to convert a significant portion of their advertising efforts into audio ads.  

Here at Mid-West Family, we can help you formulate an audio ad that helps you reach the audience you seek to reach. We know that you want to put something together that will have the lasting impact of a powerful advertisement. Contact us so we can work with you to bring your best ideas into reality.