Four takeaways on how and why brands thrive with new audio technology

The study measured 180 US consumers listening to over 1,500 hours of audio ads content in listener homes over a four-week period. Participants were recruited by the vendor panel, opted in, and were provided monetary compensation in exchange for participation. Participants were assigned to listen to their music or podcast sessions either on mobile, desktop, or smart speakers. The study used handheld devices to measure consumer engagement¹ while listening to ad-supported streaming audio content. We compared engagement scores for each device group, and found smart speakers generated +1.5x higher engagement than the same content delivered on mobile, and 1.1x greater than desktop.²

Consumers in the mobile, desktop, and smart speaker groups were exposed to the same music playlists, podcasts, and brand messages. However, consumers who heard the messaging through ad-supported content on smart speakers reported a more favorable perception of that message. For example, consumers were +1.3x more likely to report a brand message was “relevant” when they heard the message through ad-supported content on smart speakers, than the same ad heard on desktop.³ Similarly, brand messages delivered through ad-supported content on smart speakers were more likely to be reported as funny, entertaining, and interesting than the same messages delivered through mobile or desktop.

In addition to measuring engagement, the study also collected surveys before, during, and after every listening session. These surveys captured participants’ moods, likes/dislikes, and asked recall, awareness, favorability, and purchase intent for the brands to which they were exposed. Our research found that brand scores were higher in the group exposed to the messaging on smart speakers compared to the groups who heard the same message on desktop or mobile devices. For example, participants reported +1.2x greater brand awareness for messages delivered through ad-supported streaming content on smart speakers versus the same messages delivered through mobile.⁵

Voice-interaction can help increase engagement and impact for content delivered on smart speakers compared to other devices. We further support this hypothesis by highlighting the impact of ads with Alexa CTAs versus no Alexa CTA. Alexa CTAs refer to voice calls-to-action delivered across ad-supported content on smart speakers. Alexa CTAs can include asking your smart speaker for brand-related actions on Amazon such as adding an item to cart, requesting more information, or setting a reminder. While Alexa CTAs can run on Streaming TV and display ads, we focused this study on audio ads with Alexa CTAs.

Our research found that ads with Alexa CTAs outperformed ads without in brand awareness and association with positive brand attributes. For example, audio ads with Alexa CTAs scored +1.1x greater on brand awareness metrics in post-exposure surveys.⁶ In addition, brands using Alexa CTAs were +1.3x more likely to be scored as high quality, +1.1x more likely to be scored as innovative, and +1.2x more likely to be reported as relevant for me than messages without Alexa CTAs.⁷

In our next article, the final in a three-part series for the Audio’s Impact on Emotions Study, we will explore the importance of content and context. We will review industry-specific insights and explore the impact of tailoring messaging by music and podcast genre.

Can’t wait to learn more? Check out our free report (available in English only): Audio’s impact on emotions: The science of brand building with sound whitepaper study.