Even from Home Studios, NPR Sponsorships Deliver for Listeners, Brands

To assess how the athome spots compared to studioproduced messages the organization called on its partner Veritonic which offers copy testing and optimization to assess listener reactions Listeners heard two spots and were asked assess the sound quality and 87 percent said the audio quality was good or very good Both midrolls performed above the Veritonic benchmark average and brandintent ratings scored higher for the audio featuring a customer voice than standard midrolls As media organizations continue to adjust to working under Covid19 restrictions Bryan Moffett NPM39s Chief Operating Officer and Erica Osher Senior Director for NPR Sponsorship Products and NPM Creative discussed how NPM is coordinating remote production what the Veritonic data says about remote production quality and how NPR sponsorships deliver positive equity association for brandsAlli Romano The coronavirus has upended the audio industry and forced organizations to be nimble What did it take to make this possible Erica Osher Most of the individuals featured in Brand Soundscapes aren39t professional talent they are actual customers or employees of the brands we39re working with so they likely do not have a home studio We are providing featured speakers with a USB microphone and simple recommendations to make the best possible inhome studio setting with what they have available Small things like avoiding rooms with high ceilings and choosing a location away from vents can make a big difference in audio qualityRomano Is this something that you39ve practiced or prepared forOsher NPM prides itself on producing bestinclass audio for our sponsors and that39s not changed We have extensive experience conducting interviews remotely instudio so we have strategies to make talent feel comfortable and to speak naturally even when we aren39t facetoface We have also recorded audio onlocation in places with less than ideal acoustics for recording so cleaning up imperfect audio is not a totally new experienceRomano What surprised you from the Veritonic data What did it confirmOsher I was pleased to see that the vast majority of listeners did not perceive a difference in audio quality with the remotely recorded audio In this case the data showed that the power of having an actual customer39s voice has a larger impact on engagement than having perfect audio qualityRomano Are you going to make any changes as a result of the feedbackOsher Overall the test results are an affirmation of the steps that we39re taking now We39ll continue to be transparent with our listeners and disclose that the speaker is on the phone in our introductions Although the vast majority of listeners didn39t notice a difference in quality we want to prepare them for any slight difference in the ambient sound We will continue to iterate as we test new equipment to ensure that the audio quality is always top notch and to come as close as possible to studioquality soundRomano How are you using this information in your conversations with current sponsors and prospective clientsBryan Moffett We39ve always tried to educate brands about the value of authentic factbased messaging with the NPR audience and that39s more true now than ever before A new study from Ipsos found that 61 percent of people agree quotnow more than ever it is important to hear from brands to know what they stand forquot It is critical brands strike the right tone with the messages be helpful and informative rather than overly salesyRomano What does this say about public media sponsorship and its effectiveness for brandsMoffett Public media has always been a trusted source for our audience and that has a halo effect for the sponsors who support NPR 75 percent of NPR listeners hold a more positive opinion of brands that support NPR Our audience is open to changing opinions about issues or brands and in this unique time they are eager to learn not just what39s happening in the world and their local community but also how brands are responding to this crisis Which brands are supporting their employees Protecting their customers Looking for ways to help local communities NPR sponsorship offers a uniquely effective place to provide this type of messagingRomano What are the biggest takeaways from this data and this experience so farOsher We know our audience expects bestinclass audio quality and it was validating to see that all the work we put into creating a successful remoterecording experience paid off We have had to adapt and learn quickly to adjust to these new realities and we are proud to continue offering highperforming custom audio solutions to our sponsors We are all learning from each other and the collaboration has been inspiringClick 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 MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Even from Home Studios, NPR Sponsorships Deliver for Listeners, Brands

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