Last week, media agency Dentsu unveiled a groundbreaking study on media attentiveness, comparing audio ads on AM/FM radio and podcasts with visual advertisements such as TV and online display. The study was assisted with data from Audacy, Cumulus Media, and iHeartMedia.
This week’s Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group blog unpacked those numbers in detail – here’s what radio needs to know.
Dentsu, in collaboration with Lumen, engaged 1,700 respondents to explore audio ads, measuring attention similarly to visual media. Various factors, including ad recall, brand choice uplift, and attentiveness, were considered, with methodologies reflecting real-world listening experiences.
There were three key findings. The first is that audio outperforms visual. Audio advertising on OTA radio and podcasts exhibits 56% greater attentiveness scores compared to Dentsu’s standards, 128% stronger than TV. It also leads to 8% higher brand recall.
The second is that AM/FM radio is eight times more cost-effective than TV, and podcasts are 43% more cost-efficient compared to Dentsu’s attention CPM norm.
Lastly, AM/FM radio leads in brand recall, brand choice, and has a low attention CPM of 40 cents. Podcasts offer an attention CPM of $2.80, considerably below the Dentsu average of $4.30.
These findings not only refute the idea that visual ads with “sight, sound, and motion” are superior to audio ads, but it proves audio’s effectiveness in creating memories, growing brand recall, and increasing brand choice. The study emphasizes the necessity of including AM/FM radio in all media plans due to its outstanding performance in various business outcomes and its cost-effectiveness.
It also means good news for podcasters, as the medium is revealed to be incredibly cost-efficient, offering an attention CPM well below the average.
Some other interested facts the Dentsu data included:
- MARU/Matchbox Study: Podcasts and AM/FM radio lead in attentiveness and concentration among audio platforms.
- Ads Least Skipped: AM/FM radio, print, and podcast ads are noticed and skipped the least.
- Audibility Factor: AM/FM radio ads are more effective since listeners are 27-29% more likely to hear them compared to Spotify and Pandora.
- ABX Creative Study: This study disproves the “sight, sound, and motion” superiority of video ads, showing that AM/FM radio’s creative effectiveness is 92% that of TV at a fraction of the cost.
- Attention Importance: The longer the ad is heard and seen, the greater the sales conversion.
Take a deeper dive into the data at the Audio Active Blog.
