iHeart and Ad Clients Highlight Radio Campaign Results, and a Big Disparity, at AudioCon

quotWe have huge reachquot iHeartMedia CEO Bob Pittman said quotWe not only give you access to relevant audiences but access to the data and analytics to now target and measure performancequot He said that radio reaches about 90 of adults weekly That39s according to Nielsen And Edison Research reports that 30 of Americans 12 listen to podcasts monthlyInvite job candidates to apply live during the Media and Advertising Community39s Black Talent Outreach Week at MediaVillagecom and AdvancingDiversityorg October 1720 Apply for jobssubmit your resume hereamp160Some marketers may be reluctant to dive into radio more fully at a time when financial markets are sputtering and the economy is uncertain But iHeart39s Chief Marketing Officer Gayle Troberman argued that brands should shake up advertising during such times quotPeople are listening to audio and now is the time to make real changequot she saidData from analytics firm Neustar deepened the picture It showed that advertisers in the telecom auto and financial services sectors are on average 2223 underinvested in audio If brands shifted a fraction of ad dollars to audio they would see measurable results according to Neustar39s Vice President of Consulting Services Joe Pagano quotMove money from less efficient tacticsquot he advised marketers quotYou can change the mix and move the needlequotThat39s been automaker Hyundai39s experience Three years ago when the auto manufacturer wanted to revamp its media mix the company39s agency partner Canvas Worldwide suggested doubling down on audio quotThey said 39There is a way to reach another dimension of the audience because they aren39t all watching TV39quot Hyundai39s Chief Marketing Officer Angela Zepeda recalled quotWe can reach them in a really powerful way with audioquot In a recent study Zepeda said audio ads showed a 20 lift in brand favorability quotAudio is working very hard for us It has strong metrics behind it and the ROI is favorablequot she said quotWe really blossomed It was about making emotional connections with audiences and that39s the beauty of where we found a new way to connectquotSimilarly in the hypercompetitive telecom industry TMobile wanted to reframe its media strategy and reach consumers more effectively quotWe needed a place we could dominate and be the top spenderquot noted Chief Creative Officer Peter DeLuca quotDisruption was the start but it39s also about storytelling and radio has allowed us to extend in a big wayquotLeaning into one of audio39s selling points both Hyundai and TMobile work with popular radio personalities and podcasters on custom spots and integrationsIn one activation Hyundai featured Scrubs alums Zach Braff and Donald Faison They host the Fake Doctors Real Friends podcast The actors revisited old Scrubs locations in LA while driving around in a Hyundai On The Bobby Bones Show when Bones39 cohost Eddie Garcia launched a drive to raise money for foster care Hyundai backed his efforts and helped raise 250000With these efforts quotIt wasn39t showing up to talk about the car it was about the connection and shared valuesquot Zepeda saidSimilarly streaming service Hulu is using audio to reach large audiences engage consumers and raise awareness for its originals said Vice President of Media Sharon Boddie The strategy is working In brand lift studies Boddie said they saw more than a 30 increase from radioFor audio to play a larger role Publicis Media COO Chris Boothe said audio should be included in the early stages of campaign planning Too often he said audio is tacked on at the last minute If audio was included quotupstreamquot it could have more impact he asserted adding quotWe39re seeing growth with our clients We talk about emotional connections with audio and clients get itquotJacki Kelly CEO of dentsu Americas also referenced the emotional aspect She said that when speaking to clients about audio she emphasizes the intimate onetoone environment and listeners39 connections with beloved hosts quotYou have access to artists and things that make people feel things and that trust in that relationshipquot she notedHowever quotaudio has a perception issue with decisionmakersquot Kelly added To combat that she advised audio media companies to educate marketers and work closely with agenciesTo dispel misconceptions about audio and in a play on the event39s name iHeart39s Troberman shared some quotaudio consquot and then set out to knock them downOne common misconception she said is that consumers need video ads to visualize a product or service People don39t need to watch cheese melting on pizza to want a slice Troberman insisted Instead she implored marketers to produce compelling audio storytelling that helps listeners create mental pictures quotAudio can be perfectly targeted and relevantquot she said quotIt can be just as powerful as sight sound and motionquotAnother falsehood is that audio doesn39t stimulate listeners39 brains Troberman added In studies of the same audio and video spots the audio ad produced more brain activityWhen marketers say audio spots are lackluster Troberman begs to differ Audio companies including iHeart offer inhouse studios that can create engaging campaigns Even better she said they work quickly and with much lower budgets than video For instance when iHeart was tasked with quickly creating a campaign for liquor company Bacardi they generated a simple idea quotDrink Bacardi Tonightquot and paired it with catchy musicAccoring to Troberman the campaign was produced in two days and ran for eight weeks generating tremendous engagement quotIt was the cheapest campaign ever created in the history of marketingquot she said quotAnd it workedquotClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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iHeart and Ad Clients Highlight Radio Campaign Results, and a Big Disparity, at AudioCon

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Alli Romano

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iHeart and Ad Clients Highlight Radio Campaign Results, and a Big Disparity, at AudioCon

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