Study Shows Audio Advertisements Triumph Over Video in Garnering Attention and Enhancing Brand Recall

 We should all stand up and take notice when one of the world's largest media agencies publishes a study that upends what we thought we knew about the world of marketing. That is precisely what happened when media giant Dentsu published its study about media attentiveness across several types of advertising mediums.  

What is Media Attentiveness?  

The concept of media attentiveness can seem a bit vague and abstract to some, but the Advertising Research Foundation defines advertising attentiveness as:  

"The degree to which those exposed to the advertising are focused on it." 

People are very easily distracted these days by the various things that are always competing for their attention. It is always a battle for all advertisers to try to get their messages in front of people in a way that will be memorable to them. To do so they must first capture the attention of those that are targeted by the advertisement. Thus, advertisements that achieve an elevated level of media attentiveness are highly prized in the industry.  

The Study: Lumen AM/FM Radio and Podcast Attention Study from Dentsu 

There were a number of interesting things to emerge from the Lumen AM/FM radio and podcast attention study conducted by Dentsu. They were specifically trying to determine the level of effectiveness of audio advertisements compared to visual advertisements and other forms of advertising. A few of the key findings that emerged from this study include:

• Audio advertisements received 56% higher attentiveness scores than the Dentsu norms that they were compared against. They also scored 128% higher than television advertisements.   

• Audio advertisements also received a score that was 8% higher for brand recall than Dentsu norms.  
• In terms of cost-effectiveness, AM/FM radio advertisements are the king of the hill. They are eight times more cost-effective than television ads and eleven times more cost-effective than a Dentsu benchmark advertisement. Podcasts also scored 43% more effective than the Dentsu benchmark advertisement.  

The Implications of This Study  

There are certain takeaways that one should try to glean from the Dentsu study. A few of the implications of what was found include:  

• Visual Ads Aren't Superior to Audio Ads - There is a common myth that visual advertisements are far superior to audio advertisements. Marketers often pay a significant amount more for visual advertisements than they do for other mediums of advertising. However, the Dentsu study shows that audio advertisements can certainly be just as effective and often cost far less.  
• AM/FM Radio Ads Should be Part of Your Media Strategy - The use of AM/FM radio advertisements is something that ought to be part of the marketing plan for every company. They are extremely cost-effective and should be part of every advertising strategy.  
  
• Podcast Ads are Worthwhile - Marketers often feel that podcast advertising is both too niche and too expensive to be worthwhile. However, this study and its findings refute those claims. This study has uncovered the fact that podcast advertising can reach a broad audience and create quite the impression on them. They should at least be considered for most company's advertising strategies. 
  

These are some takeaways from the Dentsu study that every marketer should think about when constructing their advertising efforts.  

The Attention Pathway  

The Association of National Advertisers has a list of three stages related to the attention pathway. Those stages are:  

• Get Noticed - A successful advertisement is one that draws the attention of the desired and targeted audience. The ability of the advertisement to get noticed is a good indicator of how successful the ad is. It is the first step of the attention pathway, and it is one of the most important things that marketers should work on.  
• Holds Attention - Getting noticed by an audience is far different from holding the attention of that audience. A successful advertisement must also hold the attention of the audience. This is always a challenge given how many potential distractions there are out there.  
• Impact Memory - The greatest advertisements of all time are those that stick in our minds long after the advertisement is no longer being run. When an advertisement burrows into the audience's mind, it is clearly a successful ad that will have the impacts that the company behind it is aiming for.  

This is the step-by-step pathway of a successful advertisement. Attempt to follow this path with any kind of advertisement to produce a successful ad.  

What Does It All Mean?  

Simply put, there is a strong case for creating audio advertisements. In fact, depending on the goals that one has, audio advertising is likely to be a better medium for accomplishing those goals. 

Should you decide to use broadcast radio marketing in your arsenal of tools for bringing in new customers, Mid-West Family will be happy to help you make it happen. We have much experience creating memorable advertisements for broadcast radio, streaming audio and podcasts. The Dentsu study provides a wealth of evidence that audio advertisements still carry a lot of weight to them. The significant outperformance of audio advertising over video advertising in terms of media attentiveness alone is something worth noting.  

To harness that power for your own purposes please contact us and let us know how we can be helpful for you.  

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