Digital Audio and the New Standard of Personalization
What’s your coffee order? Light foam, two and a half pumps vanilla, extra hot? We get it—we’re used to a personalized experience in every part of our lives.
The same goes for audio ads. An audience wants to hear messages relevant to them, and the numbers show that if you’re not personalizing, you’re not up to standard—90% of consumers find targeted personalization appealing, and 80% are more likely to do business with a company that offers personalized experience.* So, what should you as an advertiser be looking for as the bottom line?
Personalized targeting means your ad is more relevant, which means your audience is more likely to engage after hearing your message.
Logged-in listeners are basically advertiser gold. Knowing who is on the other side of the device—even info as simple as age, gender and geography—allows ads to be personalized. Advertisers get to speak to exactly the audience they want, and that audience likely wants to hear what they have to say.
In fact, Adobe reports that 42% of people actively dislike when content isn’t personalized to them.* It’s the same as the coffee orders above—listeners are used to having everything customized to them.
A personalized environment means people are spending more time there—which means more chances to get in front of your audience.
Listeners end up listening longer on personalized platforms, allowing for more ads to be played while they keep listening. For example, Pandora listeners listen to about five hours a day of audio versus the average American, who listens to about four hours a day.* More time spent is a win-win for listener and advertiser alike.
Personalized ad delivery means your message has a better chance of being heard by listeners who are at a receptive point in their listening journey.
Personalization isn’t just about the content itself—it’s also about timing. No one likes being interrupted right as they are getting into their listening groove. That’s where intelligent ad delivery—a feature exclusive to Pandora—comes in. By recognizing individual listener patterns, ads are delivered to them just at the right moment—a process that supports both the listening experience and advertiser goals.
For example, younger listeners tend to skip from song to song in the beginning. Serving up an ad to them right away could turn them off them as they haven’t settled into their listening experience yet. In turn, older listeners tend to pick a station and keep it on, allowing an advertiser to deliver a message earlier on and have it still be well-received. We think of this as a listener’s “personal clock”—knowing the flow of each individual’s habits so they hear ads when they’ll be most receptive.
There’s nothing like providing that personalized experience—whether it’s a cup of coffee or the product your consumer was looking for. From targeting to delivery, that’s just what Pandora’s personalization does for you. To find out more, talk to our team to explore how personalization can help you make an impact.
Source: Epsilon: “The power of me: The impact of personalization on marketing performance.” Jan 2018 Source: 2018 Adobe Consumer Content Survey Source: Edison Share of Ear, Q2 2019