Based on the early findings from Pandora, ad recall had double-digit increases for both 10-second and 30-second spots. The 30-second length yielded higher ad recall, although the 10-second span did perform particularly well among younger listeners, with the best results for the age 25-34 group. Finally, the 10-second ads equated to higher time spent with the advertiser’s landing page compared with the 30-second ad.
These preliminary results echoed research Pandora conducted with Nielsen that found 8-second ads yielded high recall for listeners in the 13-24 age bracket. In the blog post sharing the current findings, Pandora noted that there was still a need for longer spots, but recommended more flexibility in length to better tailor messages to particular listeners.
“Should you squeeze a 30 second ad into a 10?” the post asks. “Probably not, as there are many variables to consider – but we think your media mix might look different in the years to come.”