Aligning with Rituals: Contextual Alignment in Audio Advertising Boosts Brand Favorability, Search and Purchase Intent
According to a recent study conducted by MAGNA's Media Trials unit and Audacy, aligning with listeners' rituals and daily routines creates positive environments for advertisers, resulting in improved brand favorability, search intent and purchase intent. The study -- Aligning with Rituals: The Contextual Foundation of Audio -- analyzed the impact of genre and ritual-based contextual alignment on weekly audio listeners from a representative online panel. The participants were randomized into exposed or control groups and selected content to listen to for approximately 30 minutes.
The study found that advertisers who aligned with listeners' rituals experienced a greater lift in brand excitement (+10%) and brand relevance (+8%). The study also noted that consumers experience greater "feelings of connection" with brands that synchronize with their audio rituals (+12%) compared to non-aligned ads (+3%). Download the full study report published by MAGNA below.
Kara Manatt, Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Intelligence Solutions at MAGNA, explained that the study aimed to explore how consumers reacted to all types of audio advertising, from contextually aligned to non-aligned, across every daypart and layers of the funnel. "We were especially intrigued to note how daily rituals imply moments of calm and continuity in listeners' lives and that brands that tap into these touchstones benefit tremendously," she said. "Our previous research has shown that reaching people when they are in the right mindset is one of the main drivers of contextual effectiveness. Advertisers continue to see gains when they align with content by genre, and synching with listening rituals goes that much further in creating an optimum environment for a spot."
Idil Cakim, Senior Vice President, Head of Research and Insights at Audacy, emphasized that "audio advertisers can amplify the effectiveness of their buys through ritual moments." The study participants agreed that the stronger the match between advertisement and content, the better the outcome for key performance indicators (KPIs) like brand favorability and purchase intent.
The study's ranking of typical listening rituals featured in a previous Audacy study, Audio Rituals, showed that 85% of consumers listen to audio while running general errands and 74% incorporate audio into their daily rituals. Additionally, 40% of participants planned their day/activities around audio content.
Aligning with listeners' rituals creates positive environments for advertisers and improves brand favorability, search intent, and purchase intent. Contextually aligned ads have the propensity to both excite and create relevance for brands, especially among those who are in-market. Advertisers can amplify the effectiveness of their buys through ritual moments and by creating stronger content/ad matches.
Download the full report below to learn more about the impact of genre and ritual-based contextual alignment in audio advertising.
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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet.
Jack Myers
Media Ecologist, Founder: MediaVillage and Advancing Diversity Hall of Honors Jack Myers is a media ecologist and founder of MediaVillage, the media and advertising community’s leading resource for market intelligence, education, business connection…
