Originally published in Polish on Signs.PL
Familiar with digital technologies, users have become multitasking masters and have become accustomed to the techniques used by the creators of advertising. This means that standard display ads are sometimes not enough. Effective attention grabbing requires marketers to develop messages that resonate with the recipients, reaching them through significant amounts of information noise.
Making the recipients listen to our content requires an innovative approach to a typical element of advertising - the sound provided in the programmatic model.
Connecting to the digital evolution of audio ads
Programmatic audio campaigns are nothing new. The idea of automatic sound matching gained popularity when in 2017 the Spotify service made available a library of songs through an open exchange. This streaming services giant announced that by mid-2018 profits from programming materials constituted 20% of their total revenue. However, this option has not yet been fully utilized in many markets .
This is due to various factors. Some say that the slow development of this branch of advertising is due to its misunderstanding. Many ad creators have not yet realized that the digital transformation has solved many of the old audio problems, such as the limited ability to take measurements or sales infrastructure issues. Others, however, think that regional development is associated with certain limitations, and low awareness of the benefits that audio campaigns can bring to advertisers makes brands not use them on a wider scale.
What benefits does the programmatic audio model provide?
In Poland, 70% of consumers (22 million people) listen to the radio on a daily basis, and one in five Internet users regularly listen to podcasts. This means that audio is a medium with a huge, multi-channel range, and its diversity additionally increases its value. In contrast to visual media, audio does not limit the performance of other activities. Recipients can consume content anywhere, anytime, such as at work or at the gym. In addition, through audio advertisements, you can build an emotional bond with consumers through engaging content and evoke feelings that resonate with them.
Combined with intelligent programming technology, audio gives advertisers the opportunity to increase engagement at the individual recipient level. By using details about the behavior of audiences that provide audio platforms, the creators of ads can real-time adjust the goals of the campaign to the specific habits of recipients to establish a deeper, personal relationship with them. For example, thanks to information about the history of listening, it is possible to determine when a given user usually activates an exercise playlist and send them messages adapted to this context.
What's more, the fact that most people consume audio content via mobile devices opens up the opportunity to use location data. Brands can send advertisements that encourage you to visit a store you pass while listening to your morning podcast or radio program.
Thanks to data and immediate targeting, audio advertising can not only be delivered in the addressable model, but also has the chance to become a fuel for higher returns on investment and a way to achieve desired results. For example, a retail client chooses a personalized KPI based on tangible, measurable results to increase the number of visitors to its flagship store.
Equipped with data on the reach of the campaign and on customer traffic in the store, marketers can show a direct correlation between their activities and the increase in the number of visits. but it also has a chance to become a fuel for higher returns on investment and a way to achieve desired results.
What will the future bring?
Audio is constantly changing. Thanks to the digital transformation, it enters the new golden age in which technological diversity allows recipients to listen to what they want, wherever they want, using a variety of digital and offline channels. Currently, programmatic audio advertising is in an early stage of development. However, automation will undoubtedly be the dominant method of media trade. Algorithm-based campaigns will also be standard in the case of audio content.
For market-minded marketers, this means that it's time to see the potential of data-driven messages published in real time. Precisely timed advertisements that reach the recipients at the perfect moment will soon be the only way to get their attention in the flow of messages. Thus, if the creators of the ads want the recipients to listen to them, they should quickly join the sound revolution.
