Four Ways Brands Can Harness Audio in 2021

Few companies are better positioned to make that claim Pandora is part of the leading audio entertainment company in the US SiriusXM Holdings which also includes SiriusXM podcast publisher and audio analytics firm Stitcher and audio distributor SoundCloud See some of the insights below that Pandora39s experts have shared about growth opportunity and harnessing audio39s potential1 Embrace Audio NowAs programming and accessibility expand digital audio usage is booming Digital audio is now more popular than AMFM radio with 55 percent of all audio listening being consumed on digital platformsFrom podcasts to music Pandora can connect brands to the right audience and brands can target any demographic psychographic and even moods Pandora can dig into more than two billion data points from its loggedin users across SiriusXM Pandora Stitcher and SoundCloudquotWe can serve up a network of listeners with incredible targeting capabilitiesquot said Denise Karkos chief marketing officer for Sirius XM and Pandora quotThat39s the gift we are able to give to the media buying communityquotPodcasting is a major platform to tap into According to Edison Research more than half of Americans have listened to a podcast and 104 million Americans tune in monthly up 16 percent from last year Pandora SiriusXM and Stitcher offer huge menus of podcasts and Pandora39s algorithms suggest other shows that users might like which helps with discovery and extends the time spent listeningThis year podcasting is wellpositioned to draw money away from television The secret sauce is the intimacy that exists between hosts and loyal listeners advocates sayquotIt is different than TVquot said Laci Mosley host of Pandora39s popular Scam Goddess podcast quotIt is a personal relationship I have made with my fans They trust me I don39t advertise anything I don39t like and I don39t advertise anything I don39t use Advertisers need to understand this is the future You need to change and adaptquot she added2 Lean into InnovationFrom voiceactivated speakers to connected cars Pandora aims to be everywhere and anywhere Advertisers should be willing to experiment too SiriusXM and Pandora39s Chief Product and Technology Officer Chris Phillips says about 17 million users currently tune in to Pandora through connected devices and even more access SiriusXM and Stitcher on those devicesEach one requires a different user experience and brand message Some platforms allow users to interact with a screen or a remote control while others are voicefirst quotIt is important to tailor content to the context of the devicequot Phillips explained quotThe accuracy and ease are criticalquotWhen it comes to voice integrations Pandora is in latestage beta testing on interactive ads where listeners engage with products and services through verbal responses In one early effort Dunkin39 Donuts asks listeners if they39d like to place a pickup order If the response is affirmative the user39s Dunkin39 app opens Another spot for Hellmann39s mayonnaise asks if the listener would like a recipe for using mayo in grilled cheese Say quotyesquot and the instructions come upPhillips said early measurement of voice ads shows quotphenomenal resultsquot with intent to buy going up 27 percent and quotsaythroughquot rates 10 percent higher than clickthrough rates on ads with screens quotThese creative options are awesome to do storytelling in a native audio format and give consumers more controlquot Later this year Pandora will roll out voiceinteractive ads to all of its brands Phillips saidSuch innovations are an example of audio39s unique value proposition noted Dave Smith SiriusXM and Pandora39s senior vice president of monetization and yieldquotIf what you39re trying to do is deepen your relationship with a customer expand a customer39s thinking about what your product set is or different ways you can be serviced by the retailer or any business that fits beautifully with Pandora and audio in generalquot3 Embrace Diversity Inside and OnAirFollowing last spring39s racial equality protests media companies and brands have taken a hard look at diversity within their own ranks and with their business partners Karkos said her company redoubled its efforts This year Pandora is taking a closer look at its creative work Studio Resonate the company39s inhouse audio creative studio is encouraging brand partners to be more representative of American society and its consumers quotWe know decisions we make around who voices ads makes a big difference on the listeners that hear themquot said Executive Creative Director Roger GehrmannWhile people of color make up about 40 percent of the American population white voices are still the default for audio ads In the first half of 2020 Studio Resonate found that 90 percent of its voice casting requests didn39t ask for a specific voice yet 93 percent were cast as whiteTo quotbetter reflect the rich spectrum of voices in our communityquot Pandora instituted a new casting policy as of June 2020 Gehrmann explained Unless a brand requests a specific race or ethnicity to voice their spot Studio Resonate is committed to casting voices of color 50 percent of the time He said advertisers have been supportive and the ads are still as effective making it good practice and good business4 Find Your VoiceTo effectively capitalize on audio Pandora experts say brands need to dedicate time and resources to sonic branding and voice strategy The days of recycling audio from video ads are over Marketers must invest in a dedicated audio strategy including consistent voices sounds and messaging quotVoice identity is part of brand strategyquot Gehrmann saidIt isn39t just about music and podcasts As consumers experiment with voice technology they39re accessing audio in new forms Audio versions of journalism fitness online dating and even pornography are gaining popularity Being able to untether from a screen and still consume media is a huge advantage for all forms of audio including marketingquotVoice is quickly growing far beyond being a virtual assistantquot Gehrmann said quotIt is going to be the primary user interface for the futurequotFor more insights Pandora for Brand39s fivepart quotBreaking the Sound Barrierquot series is available on demand until the end of FebruaryClick 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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Four Ways Brands Can Harness Audio in 2021

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Alli Romano

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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