A newly released advertiser survey conducted by EMARKETER, in partnership with Amazon Ads, is titled A Sound Move: Marketers say digital audio is ready for bigger investment. The field work queried 100 U.S. marketers about the value of investing in digital audio advertising.
A range of experience is revealed. “Many advertisers are new to the digital audio space and testing the waters,” we learn. At the same time, a hefty 79% have used the venue to some extent. Almost 40% started in digital audio within the past two years.
We also learn that 25% of surveyed organizations plan to increase their digital audio advertising investments within a year. Forty percent are “somewhat likely, and 26% are “not sure.”
Which marketing channels are most in use now, among the surveyed companies? Social media is tops, at 83% usage, followed by display advertising at 75%. Streaming audio and podcasts use is at 67%, the fourth-most used medium. That tells us this survey isn’t really about discovery, as much as potential shifting channel commitments.
The survey also revealed that twice as many marketing budgets included digital audio (67.0%) as broadcast audio (33.0%). Why the uptick? It’s about audience building:
“Advertisers champion digital audio because it builds new brand audiences, consumers that wouldn’t otherwise be engaged on other established channels.”
Incremental reach — the creation of new audiences for the advertising message — is perceived by marketers as the primary strength of digital audio, above audience engagement and audience targeting. The survey reports a whopping 83% of advertisers who believe that digital audio provides some degree of incremental reach.
Audio goes everywhere, so marketers consider environment in addition to content. This survey delivers a receptivity graph which strongly favors in-car / commuting listening — nearly twice as effective as hearing the ads at home:
With all the positives of digital audio advertising come challenges. Among the many typical candidates — such as budget, production, and resources — measuring the return on investment leads other worries by far.
The report concludes with four key advice takeaways. As always we recommend the source. It is a free download HERE.
