Brands are facing mounting complexity in delivering relevant, contextualized, and personalized content to an ever-increasing number of channels. For most leaders, reaching their audiences in crowded digital channels is a major concern.
Savvy brands have moved beyond keyword-stuffed blog posts and uniform, one-way content, instead embracing audio to deliver magic and excitement to their audiences in highly targeted, emotionally connected ways.
A volume of research (for example, this entire series of reports from Spotify) supports what we all intuitively understand after listening to our favorite songs or podcasts: Sound influences emotion—as well as our memory and cognitive engagement centers.
Tuning into audio content makes consumers happy, creating a halo effect for the ad experience. One-third of participants in a study reported feeling “happy” or “cheerful” after engaging with any content—sad songs or happy ones, true crime podcasts or wellness podcasts—on a platform like Spotify, and 25% reported feeling “calm.”
How and when are consumers engaging with audio? And what does it mean for brands? Let’s explore listening habits and marketing opportunities.
Listening is a ritual
Podcasts and playlists are part of many people’s daily routines, and audio reaches them as they move through their busy lives—on commutes, while cooking, or hitting the gym. This means digital audio offers advertisers access to an attentive audience throughout the day. More than 60% of people surveyed by Spotify said the platform is “important to their everyday lives.”
It makes sense then that the daily total time spent listening to audio content is steadily increasing, having already reached more than four hours, according to the latest research from Edison.
It’s memorable—because it’s emotional
Emotional resonance built through audio, especially podcasting, is powerful for listeners. Approximately one-third tune in specifically to connect with hosts they admire, and a significant 75% express trust in these hosts. That creates a powerful cocktail that advertisers can tap into with relevant messages, which are all the more memorable because of their emotional component.
According to research from Wondery, podcast ads had a 27% higher emotional intensity reaction from survey participants than social media video, paving the way for greater connection and implicit trust.
Where they listen
According to Edison’s most recent Share of the Ear research, the majority of Americans (54%) spend most of their time on ad-supported media. Thirty-seven percent tune into AM/FM radio regularly, and 17% of the population also uses ad-supported digital audio platforms. An additional 46% pay for ad-free digital platforms.
Most streaming listening (62%) happens at home, followed by at work and in the car. Podcast listenership has increased the most in recent years, taking up 38% of all listening time, a 28% increase from 2017.
What genres are trending?
The top five podcast genres are comedy, news, society and culture, true crime, and sports. The top three podcasts in early 2024 reflect this broader trend. They are “The Joe Rogan Experience,” “Crime Junkie,” and “The Daily.”
When it comes to music streaming, in March 2024, the most streamed genres were rock and alternative (43%), hip hop and R&B (38%), country (37%), and pop (34%).
An important note for advertisers seeking to enter the audio space or expand their presence is that while the most popular genres offer a golden opportunity to increase reach, niche content is equally as powerful. Advertisers can reach highly targeted and contextualized audiences with very specific interests and values with tailored messages guaranteed to resonate.
What does this mean for advertisers?
As much as 93% of the brain’s engagement with digital audio transfers directly into ad engagement. This means that people really hear your ad when it enters the podcast in their headphones or playlist in their car.
As a result, there are best practices to keep in mind to make the experience better for your audience and more productive for your business.
Context matters
Listeners are more responsive to messaging when it matches the mood of the music or podcast they’re listening to. Consider your campaign targeting and spend time researching the values and needs of those tuning in. Research shows that memorability increases when ads are relevant to the moment or setting that audiences are likely listening in.
Authenticity over everything
To that end, keep it conversational, be honest about your brand values and value proposition, and leave jargon at the door. Write concisely with short, straightforward sentences. In host-read endorsements, let them lead with creativity and heart. They know their audience well, so trust the creators you partner with.
Tell a story
Consider the voice you use and the ambient sound you incorporate to paint a scene in the listener’s imagination. Sounds can be used before words—and in fact, sound can do some of the heavy lift of setting the mood while saving on ad word count, creating an appealing spaciousness. But keep in mind that while music can enhance mood and tone, don’t go overboard. Keep it simple to maintain coherence.
Meet your people where they’re at
Audio provides an intimate, one-to-one connection to receptive audiences who can’t wait to learn about your brand. The channel consistently reaches listeners in impactful, uninterrupted ways at scale, with targeting that goes beyond digital methods. And in a post-cookie world, audio is a powerful means for brands to recalibrate and scale their marketing efforts.
Audio isn’t going anywhere. Audiences are consistently tuned in and growing, opening up new pathways to leave a lasting impression. Let’s talk about how you can start new dialogues with your people. Reach out to one of our audio experts.
