Audio advertising is already a well-established channel in the modern media mix. With more than two-thirds of Americans consuming digital audio at least once a week and adults spending more time with audio than most social media platforms, businesses recognize the importance of reaching their audiences here.
Like all mature marketing channels, audio continues to evolve. Audio technology and listening experiences are becoming more flexible, immersive, and engaging. These advances enable forward-thinking brands to create ads that challenge tradition, capture attention, and drive impact.
From interactive audio to autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) and spatial audio, there are new strategies to deliver the best of audio to precisely targeted, receptive audiences. Embracing such innovative approaches can be the key to staying ahead of the curve for brands committed to creative thinking.
“Nothing is more efficient than creative advertising,” says Stephen Vogel, Chief Creative Officer at advertising powerhouse Ogilvy & Mather Germany. “Creative advertising is more memorable, longer lasting, works with less media spending, and builds a fan community faster.”
Here’s the latest ways to bring more creativity to your audio campaigns.
Interactive ads
New audio ad formats let listeners interact with their devices while simultaneously allowing marketers to measure this engagement in real time, increasing intel on ad engagement, time of exposure, and the actions that follow.
Voice-interactive
Smart speakers have given rise to audio ads that are voice interactive. And that comes with a lot of benefits for brands. One study by Neuro-Insight found that branded smart speaker ads triggered a 25% increase in brain activity compared to traditional audio ads, suggesting they are more memorable and emotionally resonant. With smart devices in homes reaching 98 million individuals aged 12+, voice interactive ads are full of potential for advertisers.
Voice interactive ads typically use voice commands, combining the convenience of voice technology with the power of audio advertising on smart speakers or other voice-enabled devices. Users can respond vocally, triggering specific actions such as adding an item to a shopping cart or navigating the brand’s website.
Motion-activated
An emerging form of interactive audio ads is motion-activated formats, which let audiences do things like shake their phones to download an app or learn more about specific products or services. This new technology, including ShakeMe from AdsWizz, allows users to easily and quickly take an action, producing as much as 60% more interactions than traditional audio campaigns.
Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR)
ASMR is a sensory phenomenon that has grown in popularity in the last decade thanks to social media, especially YouTube. ASMR provokes a pleasurable sensation of tingling and relaxation in audiences purely through the power of audio. In a world in which many people feel overwhelmed with ads, ASMR can deliver something different—and more pleasurable—than the typical ad experience.
Brands such as KFC, Audi, Zippo, and Michelob have already used ASMR with great success.
ASMR in audio ads can allow the creative to explore a product’s sensory or emotional attributes, giving consumers a new perspective focused on sensory experiences rather than specific features. When targeted to those most receptive to this kind of ad format—typically younger audiences—this creative approach can help your brand stand out.
Spatial audio
Spatial audio, also known as 3D audio or 360 audio, is a sound experience that differs dramatically from the mono output of audio’s originator, terrestrial radio. The earliest form of spatial audio was stereo sound, which advanced to surround sound with larger speaker arrays and subwoofers for lower frequencies. Spatial audio ads represent an opportunity to create dynamic ad soundscapes that go beyond delivering a message to allow listeners to experience it.
Life is full of sounds happening around us that are not fixed. Spatial audio mimics this, creating an engrossing and realistic ad experience that listeners feel a part of. Spatial audio campaign tests have shown a 3.5x increase in ad recall and 1.8x increase in brand awareness compared to traditional audio.
Innovate alongside the industry
It can be tempting to get caught up in new tools to build relationships with your audience, but it’s important to mindfully integrate innovative strategies into your current media mix and audio assets. Staying focused on your goals and audience’s values always produces the best results. After initial tests, leaning into creative strategies that are targeted to the appropriate demographics can offer opportunities to excite new audiences and build more profound brand affinity.
Choosing when, how, and what kind of creative can be a puzzle for marketers developing audio advertising. With new technologies and strategies added to the stack frequently, the idea of adding the innovative formats above may feel overwhelming. Yet, it's vital to stay on the cutting edge to remain competitive and produce big results. Leaning on guidance from audio experts like ARM’s team of industry insiders can produce well-received campaigns that deliver both excitement and results.
Ready to explore how fresh creative can reinvigorate your audio campaigns? Let’s talk.
