Nielsen released new data which profiles Millennials by political affiliation. About half of the survey sample is unaffiliated with the two major parties. In the other half, nearly twice as many respondents identify as Democrats.
The study promotes audio marketing to Millennials, especially via AM/FM and satellite radio. Over half of all political divisions within the Millennial cohort (Independent, Democrat, Republican) claim radio as a source of new music discovery. Nielsen also notes that “digital channels have a big impact.”
“Music is already an integral part of most Millennials’ lives,” Nielsen observes, saying that the group spends more money on all kinds of live music events that other age groups.
In July, Nielsen ran numbers that revealed the extent to which music increases effectiveness of advertisements. In particular, music was found to increase the informational impact of marketing, and, to a lesser extent, the emotional reaction to advertisements. “These tracks often provide a ‘hook’ and add value to the information communicated in the ad,” the report noted. The value of music extends straight through ROI in some cases; Nielsen cited an HP campaign that used a Meghan Trainor song, and delivered a 26% lift in dollar value among her fans.
In political marketing, it might be worthwhile to match music affiliation to political preference. Nielsen found that Katy Perry was a key “tastemaker,” and that Hillary Clinton has invited the star singer to her campaign stages. Among Republican Millennials, Kid Rock is a key point of affiliation.
The power of music was discussed at the recent RAIN Summit Europe, in a panel discussion among agency buyers (audio below). Nick Emmel, Managing Partner of Strategy at the creative agency Mr President, noted that the audio elements in ad campaigns are, regrettably, often afterthoughts. He called this lack of prioritization “a huge miss.” In the same panel, Richard Shotton, Head of Insight at ZenithOptimedia), estimated that music adds 10-15% to the effectiveness of an audio ad.