There is almost an art to measuring the optimal ad frequency in a campaign. Audacy has just released a study that examines ad frequency effectiveness for audio that debunks previously held assumptions.
The company hosted a webinar moderated by Audacy CMO, Paul Suchman that explored the study results. Panelists included Devora Rogers, Chief Innovation Officer, Alter Agents, Adam Weiler, Executive Vice President, Data, Technology, Analytics and Insights, Spark Foundry and Idil Cakim, Senior Vice President, Research and Insights, Audacy.
The study was conducted by Alter Agents in partnership with Odyssey and Spark Foundry and demonstrated that exposing audiences to audio messages consistently and frequently offers benefits to both the listener and the advertiser because it increases immersion. Immersion is defined as attention plus emotional connection, according to Cakim.
Audio advertising, the report concluded, improves brand equity, growth and sales essentially across the funnel. The assessment, according to Suchman is that, “Ad engagement climbs with each audio exposure across industry categories across platforms and across genres. Audio advertising works.” He noted that the report proves that audio seizes attention and encourages retention, offering brands engagement and impact that drives consumers to action.
But how much frequency is too much? What is the right balance for audio exposure? Weiler noted that, “Radio as a platform is fairly established as a traditional channel but the audio landscape itself is growing and transforming.” Advertisers now have to think more holistically around context, creative and channel while still being able to measure on more traditional metrics such as reach and frequency.
The challenge within the study was to ascertain the right amount of frequency without, as Cakim explained, “bombarding the participants with too high frequency.” The decision was to go with up to 15 frequencies within the limits of the study and then measure variations. She expected peaks because she knew that, “audio was highly immersive,” but, even so, the optimal level was surprising. “The big surprise was how participants became increasingly immersed in a variety of audio messages at increasing frequencies. I was expecting a breaking point or drop off, but that didn't happen,” she revealed.
The study was configured using neuro methodology, measured by a smart watch rather than all of the more intrusive traditional tools of neuro measurement such as gel caps and MRIs. In this way a more uninterrupted experience by the listener could be achieved. Rogers explained that the smart watch captured the variable heart rate which is tied to immersion which is a measure of emotional engagement and responsiveness. The study also included stated data where one could match neuro responses to stated responses from the participants thus blending old and new methodologies together.
“We relied on second-by-second immersion data (biometric feedback from the audience) to measure creative resonance. And we coupled that with surveys that measure key brand effect questions on recall, familiarity, intention, etc,” explained Cakim.
The results speak for themselves. It is well known that immersion levels are important because it is highly predictive of a consumer action with an accuracy of greater than 80%. The study demonstrated that small differences in immersion can lead to significant changes in behavior. Audio, noted Cakim, “deeply holds attention.”
The key takeaways included:
Ø As frequency increases, so does immersion. The more you expose people to audio ads, they become more attentive and the more ingrained in the content. And this occurred across genres and across audiences. “Deeper and deeper immersion occurred with audio frequency,” Cakim asserted, offering advertisers greater opportunities to place ads in audio. “Frequency in and of itself can be an important tool in helping to understand what an audio plan can do,” Weiler added. “We saw increased engagement as frequency grows.”
Ø As immersion increases with exposure, so do positive brand opinions and brand equity. By fifteen exposures, immersion and brand opinion reach a high point for advertisers. “The scale for immersion measurement is from 1 to 100. The higher the score, the more immersed you are in the content. We are seeing levels of 59, going past 60 while the average for the industry in advertising immersion is 53. This is a significant difference,” Cakim revealed.
Ø Immersion also drives consumer purchase consideration with immersion scores in the low 60s. “This helps us to understand that radio is very effective at moving people through the funnel and advancing potential targets on their purchase journey,” stated Weiler.
Ø Creative matters. The most effective ads were those, “that explained what was in it for the customer and held attention to the end,” Cakim noted. Attention is easier to get at the beginning but hard to hold and sustain until the end of the message.
What can advertisers, especially those who may be new to audio, do with all of this information? “A recommendation to an advertiser new to audio is - go big and bold, devise a total audio strategy, leveraging OTA and digital platforms. And don't be afraid to go to higher frequencies across the board to drive your message home and immerse your audiences in your brand,” she concluded.
This article first appeared in www.MediaVillage.com
Artwork by Charlene Weisler
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