An e-commerce retailer’s recent six-month audio advertising campaign has yielded impressive results, according to a study conducted by Upwave in collaboration with Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s Audio Active Group. The campaign utilized the power of AM/FM, streaming, and sponsorship of the Katy Perry-narrated podcast Elizabeth the First, dedicated to the life and career of Elizabeth Taylor.
Upwave’s analysis involved surveying a total of 2,109 consumers, dividing them into two categories: 1,004 who were exposed to the campaign and 1,105 who were not. The study focused primarily on women, with 302 exposed and 698 unexposed, as they were the target audience for the retailer’s campaign.
The study used a pixel in the digital audio ad server to identify consumers based on their exposure to the campaign. Effectiveness of the campaign was based across five key brand equity metrics: familiarity, brand image, consideration, purchase intent, and customer growth forecast.
Among the exposed group, the study reported a 33% increase in consumers saying the brand “partners with all my favorite stores.” There was an 81% rise in the perception that the e-commerce retailer “is a brand I trust.” Possibly the most dramatic, audiences had a 140% jump in associating the brand with offering “the best sales and coupons.”
Further, compared to those who were not exposed to the campaign, the exposed group showed a 54% growth in brand familiarity, a 31% lift in average brand image, a 37% increase in brand consideration, a 55% growth in customer growth forecast, and a 102% surge in purchase intent.
Marketing experts have outlined some best practices for direct-to-consumer marketers based on the study’s findings. Researchers Les Binet and Peter Field recommend allocating 74% of marketing budgets to brand building aimed at creating future demand. Only 26% should be directed towards immediate sales activation.
Binet and Field also suggest that online brands should focus on reaching out to new customers for growth, emphasizing that narrow targeting often results in low sales and profits. Emotional messages are far more effective than rational advertising in crowded online categories, according to Binet and Field.
A study commissioned by Westwood One suggested that markets with heavy GRP weight saw a significant 16% increase in visitation to the retailer’s website, emphasizing the importance of ad frequency.
