Culling findings from advertising researchers and experts on marketing effectiveness, the Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group has put together a handbook of “Audio Creative Best Practices,” summarized in Westwood One’s weekly blog.
In terms of creative overall, the blog sets the stage citing Nielsen’s study showing that creative drives nearly half (49%) of sales lifts. When it comes to AM/FM radio, other research finds that while ads drive an emotional response of happiness or surprise in 43% of cases, neutrality is the emotional response half of the time, suggesting that creative should avoid being dull.
“High-quality creative has a strong impact on holding attention and creating memories,” Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard says, noting another study finding that “brands that have consistent creative foundations, a culture of consistency, and consistent executions generate much stronger creative test scores, brand performance, and business outcomes. The greater the creative consistency, the better the ads test.”
Specific to audio ads, other Nielsen research finds that in a 30-second spot, advertised brands should appear within the first two seconds, and five times after that, with more brand mentions driving lifts in familiarity, affinity, and the likelihood of seeking more information. Additionally, more brand mentions drive higher ad recall, from 59% for one or two mentions to 77% for seven mentions or more.
Generally, clarity and brevity also drive recall. “Whether host read or pre-recorded, take great care to say the name of the brand slowly and clearly,” Bouvard says. “Eliminate ten words from the ad and creative standout improves by 1%. Each point of standout improvement generates a .25% increase in website response rate.” Bouvard also points out a Kantar Millward Brown study finding that “the fewer the messages an ad communicates, the greater the likelihood a single message can be recalled. Conversely, more messages cause recall to plunge.”
The blog notes Plot Twist Creativity Principal and Chief Creative Officer Dallas Christopher Smith’s thoughts on radio ad creative. “In advertising, you need to have one thing to say. AM/FM radio’s sixty seconds of ad time just gives you the chance to say it in an entertaining and memorable way.
A radio spot is not a hotel: You don’t have to fill all the space. No commercial needs to be wall-to-wall talking, sound effects, or music. Sometimes silence draws people in more.”
A study from audio ad testing firm ABX finds that ads need to score high in message delivery, clarity, and understandability. “Ensure your ads are not rushed,” Bouvard says. “Speaking voices should be foreground, and not overwhelmed by music and background effects.”
Other key takeaways include the importance of emotion as a selling tool, with research showing that emotion-based campaigns drive stronger brand equity and business outcomes, and the importance of using music to create emotion, especially with jingles and sonic logos with a melody that says the name of the brand. “Music and sound are powerful, triggering an emotional response through audible familiarity. Utilize a consistent music theme to become your brand anthem,” Bouvard says.
With research showing consumers don’t get tired of ads, brands shouldn’t worry about replacing successful campaigns, Bouvard says. “Data shows there’s no such thing as advertising ‘wear-out,’ so save your new campaign budget and spend it on making your current ads effective for longer.”
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