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

Memory is something all advertisers want to always tap into. Advertisers strive to implant their messages into the minds of their target audience so they will think of them first when in the market to purchase a product or service sold by the marketer. By maintaining top of mind with their potential consumers, the marketer might very well be able to count on a reliable stream of revenue from those customers for the long run.  

Today, we will look at the results and findings of a recent study by Dentsu to see what it has to say about the most effective ways to create lasting advertising memories.  

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

You don't get to become one of the largest media organizations in the world without doing some interesting and important work. That is precisely what Dentsu has done over the years to earn its spot at the top of the hill of the media world. Dentsu recently released a first-ever study of media attentiveness that specifically compared radio and podcast advertising to advertising via visual mediums.  

The concept of media attentiveness is a measure of how focused those exposed to a particular type of advertisement is truly paying attention to it. Advertisements are so interwoven into our environment these days making it easy for many people to ignore them completely. Advertisers must constantly fight the battle to capture and hold the attention of their target audience. The Dentsu study uncovered some interesting details about how audio ads can be even more effective than visual ads in many respects.  

Findings From the Study  

The findings from the study produced some astonishing headlines around the advertising world. A few of the key takeaways included:  

• Greater Attentiveness Scores - Audio advertisements produced a 56% greater attentiveness score compared to the Dentsu norms. They also scored 128% higher on the attentiveness scale compared to television advertisements.  
• Better Recall Scores - Audio advertisements also score 8% higher on brand recall measurements compared to Dentsu norms. They scored 14% higher than online video and display advertisements.  
• Extremely Cost-Effective - The most interesting statistic to emerge from the Dentsu study was the fact that audio advertisements are much more cost-effective than other advertising mediums. AM/FM radio ads were eight times more cost-effective than video ads. Podcasts ads scored 43% better on cost-effectiveness than the Dentsu "attention CPM" norm.  

These statistics all came pouring out of the Dentsu study at the same time. The next step was for those who read the study to determine what the implications of all those statistics meant for them.  

Implications of the Study  

There are a few specific implications that should be considered from the Dentsu study's findings. Those are as follows:  

• Audio Ads Hold Their Ground Against Video Ads - Many modern advertisers gravitate towards using video ads because they feel video ads are more advanced and more modern. While that might be, video ads are often also far more expensive than other forms of marketing. Audio ads tend to hold up well compared to video ads, and in many ways, audio ads are more effective at what they seek to accomplish like consumer top of mind, brand recall, direct response, etc.  
• Podcast Advertising is Not as Expensive as it Appears - People sometimes think podcast advertising is too expensive to consider using for their marketing efforts. However, when you boil it down, podcast advertising is quite cost effective on an attention CPM basis. This is to say that for the amount of attention podcast advertisements draw, they are sold at a bargain price. The price tag might seem steep at first, but when you review the value you can glean from advertising this way, it makes it a worthwhile investment.  
• AM/FM Radio Ads Must be Included in Your Marketing Budget - There is nothing that should stop you from putting AM/FM radio advertisements into your marketing mix. The fact is this type of advertising is far more cost-effective than most. On top of that, it is a wonderful way to reach people in what can be an unexpected way. Not every marketer out there thinks about turning to radio advertising, but it remains highly impactful. 
   

The Attention Pathway  

Understanding how an advertisement rises above the pack and becomes one of the most memorable ads out there starts with an understanding of the "attention pathway". This concept was developed by the Association of National Advertisers and consists of the following three stages:  

1. Get Noticed 
2. Hold Attention 
3. Impact Memory 
   

A quality advertisement must do all three. First, drawing the attention of the target audience, holding their attention, and creating a memory they will not soon forget is all a part of the journey. The best advertisements hit all these themes and ensure the audience cannot forget about them.