Audacy Chief Marketing Officer Paul Suchman has elaborated on the company’s latest “State of Audio” report on how emotional connections, measurement technologies, and the rise of creator-driven content are reshaping the way brands use radio.
Suchman was joined by Senior Vice President of Advertising and Audience Products Kevin Greenwald in a discussion on the evolving landscape of audio advertising during an Ad Age webinar.
Suchman highlighted the unique ability of audio to forge deep emotional connections with audiences. “Creative that resonates on an emotional level and connects with the mind and heart is going to drive action,” said Suchman. This emotional resonance enhances brand awareness, influences perception, and inspires actions such as product purchases or website visits.
Audio’s lack of visuals, according to Suchman, allows the “theater of the mind” to take center stage, creating a more personal and immersive experience. Elements like music, scriptwriting, and sound effects combine to form what he called “audio’s superpowers,” which amplify emotional impact.
Greenwald emphasized the importance of high-quality creative in driving successful campaigns across all stages of the marketing funnel. Audacy’s research shows that creative incorporating emotional storytelling consistently outperforms generic or repurposed ad copy. For brands, this means treating audio as a primary creative platform rather than an afterthought.
Suchman noted that the influx of data is transforming audio’s value proposition. “We know it’s the number one reach medium. But now because of all this data we have, the value proposition shifts from one of just reach and frequency to reach frequency and precision. We’re able to target better. We’re able to target more efficiently. And then we’re able to see how advertising is resonating and what’s happening and feed that back to our talent, feed that back to our creators who are using it.”
The webinar highlighted the growing role of creators and influencers in audio, from traditional radio hosts to podcasters and other personalities. Greenwald pointed out that creator-led campaigns often outperform others due to the unique trust these influencers build with their audiences, like with female hosts leading female-focused podcasts or shows.
Near the end, Suchman acknowledged a persistent disparity between time spent with audio and ad dollars allocated to the medium. “Despite the fact that most people spend about 20% of their daily media budget in audio…advertisers only allocate 3.1%, according to one study, of their media spend on audio. That’s a huge disparity, given the amount of time that you and me and everybody else in this country are consuming audio.”
The full webinar is available via Ad Age.
