How Brands Can Get a Little Extra Under the Tree During the Holiday Season

KATZ STUDY FINDS HOLIDAY THEMES BOOST AD EFFECTIVENESS

Radio offers brands festive, engaging, and wildly popular environments during the holiday season. Stations that flip to all holiday music stand to see massive increases in listenership - a sampling of stations in top 10 markets saw an average cume increase of +46% last year (Nielsen PPM data). But what about brands? Can audio advertisers benefit from a holiday flip of their own regarding their ad creative? Katz surveyed adults across the U.S. in December to see how different versions of audio creative resonated with them during the holiday season. 

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME FOR BOOSTING CREATIVE

The holiday season is renowned for consumers' joyful consumption of all things festive -  experiences, media, food, and goods - and the holidays offer an advantage for brands that tap into this enjoyment. Katz found that 7 in 10 adults enjoy this time of year "very much," and believe it is a good idea for brands to embrace it as well. 72% of consumers feel that advertising is more effective when a holiday theme is added. 

HOLIDAY THEMES INCREASE BRAND CONSIDERATION

Katz tested two versions of audio ads for advertisers from financial, insurance, recruitment, and healthcare provider categories in order to compare the impact of generic, non-holiday themed ads to those with holiday elements, such as music or sound effects. Results showed that while every tested ad improved brand consideration, ads that incorporated “holiday spirit” into the copy averaged a +27% boost in effectiveness. 

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The holiday season is a joyful, festive time that consumers overwhelmingly enjoy. It also has a variety of familiar music, sounds, and references to "decorate" generic ad creative and help boost consumer response. All brands have the opportunity to tap into the festiveness of the season to drum up increased brand consideration during the holidays. 

Radio is a Must for Engaging Hispanic Consumers

RADIO REACHES 9 OUT OF 10 HISPANIC CONSUMERS ACROSS GENERATIONS

Nielsen recently turned its focus towards Hispanic consumers as part of its comprehensive Audio Today series. This robust view of Hispanics' media landscape reveals the massive power of audio and radio in their lives across generations. 

Radio is the top reach medium among Hispanic consumers, reaching 97% of HA18+. Radio claims the top spot among young Hispanics as well, at 95% for HA18-34, ahead of all other measured media, including smartphones, television, and other internet devices. Radio's top reach extends well into the older age breaks, reaching 98% of both HA35-49 and HA50+. Radio even edges out TV by +3% among the typically heavy TV cohort of A50+.

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THE HISPANIC TOTAL AUDIO AUDIENCE IS POWERED BY AM/FM RADIO

Broadening the scope to all audio, Nielsen finds that Hispanic consumers' total audio usage (across AM/FM radio, streaming services, satellite radio, and podcasts) garners near universal monthly reach across all age breaks. Brands that use traditional and digital audio options in their media plans have the chance to engage 99% of Hispanic consumers across generations, more than all other media measured by Nielsen. 

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The vast majority of Hispanics’ total audio reach comes from the AM/FM radio audience. With levels spanning 95%-99% among the major age breaks, AM/FM radio is the only audio platform that can deliver the scale that advertisers need to effectively engage with Hispanic listeners. Marketers that include radio in their audio mix can generate +64% more incremental reach on top of their digital and other audio buys. 

Audio's diverse offerings are truly capturing Hispanic consumers' time and attention, with AM/FM radio as its strong foundation. Reaching over 9 in 10 Hispanic consumers of all ages, radio is standing the test of time in the evolving media landscape, making it imperative for advertisers to include AM/FM in their audio mix.

Seize Moments of Engagement With Audio

NEW AUDACY REPORT ON AUDIO & MOMENTS THAT MATTER

Think of everything you have done so far today, and every other day this week. What daily habits or rituals do you engage in? Drinking coffee... exercising... commuting to and from work... How many of those daily activities have media accompaniment? Audacy turned this thought experiment into an ethnographic study to find out how audio matches up with daily activities and creates potential moments of engagement for brands.

AUDIO IS THE SOUNDTRACK TO DAILY HABITS

Audacy found that audio, including OTA radio, streaming radio, and podcasts, is at the heart of consumers' daily habits. 74% of listeners consume audio during their daily rituals, with listening even higher for Gen Z at 86%. Passion runs high for the 40% of listeners who plan their day around audio content. Audio accompanies more rituals than any other media included in the study - consumed during 11 discrete daily activities, roughly double the number for TV and social media. 

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11 RITUALS BRING MOMENTS THAT MATTER 

Because audio is an everywhere and anytime media, consumers listen during a variety of daily rituals. As they multitask throughout their day, advertisers have ample opportunity to reach attentive consumers in different mindsets, primed for relevant messaging. 

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BONUS "STOLEN" MOMENTS FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T SEEM TO GET ENOUGH

Audacy discovered a 12th ritual for listeners - all of the stolen moments for consumers who simply want more time to listen. 6 in 10 listeners have found a way to spend extra time with their favorite radio station or podcast, including sitting in driveways, parking lots, and even bathrooms longer, just to squeeze in some extra listening. 

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BRAND OPPORTUNITIES TO CAPTURE MOMENTS OF ENGAGEMENT

A key way brands can seize these moments of engagement to influence consumers is to align messaging to the audience, ritual, and content. Guided by key rituals, brands can target and tailor messages for listeners when they are primed and attentive to relevant messaging. Utilizing strong creative practices such as audio signatures, sonic stimuli, and branding early-and-often breaks through and resonates as consumers go through their rituals. And aligning with influencers establishes a personal connection between listener and brand, helping to earn trust and authenticity. 

For more information from Audacy.