How voice-activated devices are increasing radio listening & elevating audio branding
Many people have experimented with voice-activated assistants such as Siri and Cortana since they were first introduced in 2011, but the screen has remained the predominant interface for the devices on which they are found. Getting Vocal, co-funded with Radioplayer and Global, set out to capture a UK perspective on ownership and usage of screen-less voice-activated devices, explore their impact on radio listening, and consider how brands might adapt to an increasingly voice-activated future.
The Main Findings
How radio promotes brand growth
1.Both audio-visual and audio advertising have a significant effect on helping brands spring to mind more readily in purchasing situations (salience)
2. When included in the mix, audio advertising significantly increases the effects of brand communication over audio- visual advertising alone:
a. Expanding a brand’s network of mental associations
b. Building brand associations amongst a wider audience
c. Increasing share of mind for a brand
3. When applied to broadcast media, these findings demonstrate how including radio alongside TV can improve the cost-effectiveness of brand campaigns
Key
Takeouts
Echo is rapidly becoming established as mainstream technology
Adoption of Amazon Echo has been rapid since launch in autumn 2016, with over 14% of UK households owning one or more devices; claimed intent to purchase suggests household penetration of voice-controlled smart devices could hit 40% by early 2018. Eight out of ten owners aim to set up Alexa in-car once the technology becomes available.
Echo is a shared experience for the whole household
Despite requiring users to learn voice-only navigation, Echo already plays a central role in the home and is used by all family members. In single-device households, the predominant location is in a shared space such as the living room, kitchen or dining room, meaning that it is easily accessible for and used by all members of the household.
Once adopted, Echo quickly becomes an important part of the daily routine
The vast majority of owners use Echo regularly – 81% at least once a day or more – with the audio-only output making it a perfect partner for multi-tasking. Reasons for use vary across the day to reflect the user’s needs e.g. functional bite-sized information gathering in the morning to prepare for the day ahead compared to more immersive entertainment-led activities when relaxing in the evening. In households with more than one, additional devices are likely to be found in the bedroom, which is leading to Echo challenging the mobile phone’s dominance as the first and last device used during the day.
Audio entertainment – and radio in particular – dominates time spent with Echo
The primary reason for purchase is greater access to audio entertainment and this dominates current usage. Listening to radio or on-demand music services is the most widely reported use of Echo with the frictionless experience leading to increased listening for both live radio and on-demand music services such as Spotify and Amazon Prime Music. Despite all of the other functions available, radio dominates listening on Echo accounting for 72% of all Echo time spent with audio entertainment – aided by the improved user experience delivered through the UK Radioplayer skill (i.e. the Amazon Echo equivalent of an app).
Radio advertising is the most natural route for brands to communicate via Echo
Developing a consistent brand sound now will benefit advertisers in an audio-led world
As audio-led user-interfaces proliferate and search becomes not just triggered but also delivered by audio, brands will need to develop distinctive brand sound to help them stand out from the crowd. Consistent use of straplines, music, and voice – over time and across different platforms – helps drive brand recognition, likeability and deeper engagement.
IMPLICATIONS
FOR ADVERTISERS
This study highlights how radio adapts to new technologies, making it more resilient to change and helping to keep it relevant for listeners and advertisers. It also suggests that audio entertainment will account for a larger proportion of people’s overall media consumption as penetration of voice-activated devices grows. In turn, this should mean that audio advertising assumes greater important as a brand communications medium.
It is generally assumed also that at some stage search will become not just triggered but also delivered by audio, making it even more vital for brands to develop a distinctive brand sound to help them stand out from the crowd.
Radiocentre research into brand sound (Turning Art into Science; Strike a Chord) has a clear learning: listeners respond positively to familiarity. Familiar music, voices, constructs, and straplines -used consistently over time and across different platforms – help the listener instinctively recognise who is speaking to them, and drive likeability of and deeper engagement with advertising content.
Distinctive audio branding used across advertising, search, brand skills (as well as other audio touchpoints), may come to define successful businesses as audio-driven technology prospers. With brand sound set to become as important as a brand logo, forward-thinking advertisers can gain advantage now by testing and refining their approach with audio advertising.
