The power of audio

When was the last time you heard a great radio ad that connected with audiences through contextual and culturally relevant audio content? All too often radio ads are an afterthought, based on poorly adapted TV scripts boasting low-quality production values.

This was one of the key questions posed at the recent Mediamark SoundGen conference, attended by brands, advertising agency creatives and strategists. The event aimed to inspire a renewed enthusiasm for audio media among brands and strategists and to encourage them to explore innovative digital audio elements such as interactive and personalised sound experiences in their campaigns.

Audio advertising is evolving beyond traditional jingles and straightforward messaging towards more innovative approaches, such as immersive storytelling and personalised audio experiences. The use of advanced sound technologies is increasingly showing how ads can evoke strong emotional connections and drive brand engagement. Audio can be as dynamic and impactful as any other medium, pointed out Creative Circle chair Carl Willoughby.

As the marketing industry goes on the defensive, metrics such as reach, impressions and engagement are being used to show value. Recognising that marketing is the ultimate value driver for any business, it’s time to go on the offensive, asking the hard questions and taking calculated risks that lead to memorable wins without compromising brand integrity.

One way to get marketing back to its rightful place at the boardroom table is to implement “offensive” creativity and marketing, an approach that gets brands pushing boundaries and asking tough questions like: Who is actually seeing the programmatic ads we are placing? Where is the cultural nuance in these radio ads? Is this a reach plan or a plan that will encourage sales, profit and margin? Have we scrutinised our media plans as much as we have our creative executions? and: Is this mediocre?

Return on media investment has become an increasingly important metric, especially when compared with traditional return on investment metrics. Audio’s unique ability to forge personal and emotional connections makes it a powerful tool for driving engagement and brand loyalty. Additionally, audio campaigns often incur lower production costs than visual media and can reach highly engaged audiences through targeted channels like podcasts and streaming services. This combination of cost-effectiveness and intimacy makes audio an attractive option for brands seeking to maximise their media investment.

There is good reason for investing in radio, said Nando’s CMO Doug Place, the 2024 marketer of the year; among these is that radio boasts 11 times higher attentiveness than social media ads and that radio advertising is cheaper than digital on a per-attentive-second basis. Place reminded delegates that creativity without consequence is vanity, and vanity metrics without consequence are deadly.

Charlie Wannell is the head of marketing at Mediamark.