Dos Highly Awarded Audio Creative Sell? · Clio Awards •164 audio advertisementsacross eleven industries •Emotional response attributes: excited, happy, authentic, interesting,

#ARFAxS

Dos Highly Awarded Audio Creative Sell?

Pierre Bouvard

Chief Insights Officer

Cumulus Media | Westwood One

Scott Simonelli

Co-Founder & CEO

Veritonic

Chris Smith

Writer and Brand Creatve Group Head

The Richards Group

Peter Field analysis of the IPA’s Databank:

“Ads that win creative awards are much more effective than ads that don’t. And the more creative awards they win, the more effective they tend to be.

But the striking finding is how efficient creative campaigns are. Ads that win creative awards are 11 times more efficient at selling stuff than other ads.”

- Les Binet and Sarah CarterHow Not To Plan

Creativity and effectiveness go together

VERITONIC evaluated US-focused audio ads from the most prestigious advertising and creative excellence awards

• 2015-2018 finalists and winners: Radio Mercury Awards, Cannes Lions, Clio Awards

• 164 audio advertisements across eleven industries

• Emotional response attributes: excited, happy, authentic, interesting, likable, optimistic, trustworthy, unique

• Pre/post-exposure purchase intent

• Tested across a U.S. general population audience ages 18+

Creative study design for creative excellence awards

Source: Westwood One | VERITONIC Testing of US-focused radio award winners at Cannes Lions (2018), and Clios (2018), Radio Mercury Awards (2015-2017 winners only, 2018 finalists and winners).

Sample specifications: VERITONIC collected data from a census-representative sample of 6,003 U.S. adults

Each audio advertisement was listened to by an average of 335 panelists

Total %All 6,003

Men 2,894 48%

Women 3,109 52%

18-34 1,778 30%

35-54 1,816 30%

55+ 2,409 40%


Largest audio creative test ever conducted

• Good creative sells: award show AM/FM radio ads improve purchase intent

• Female voiceovers are a huge opportunity

• Serious ads generate 75% more purchase intent than humorous ads

• Ads with disclaimers win creative awards and drive purchase intent

• Music, sonic identities, and jingles are major drivers of purchase intent

Executive summary


Good creative sells: Audio ads improve purchase intent by +7 points

Source: Westwood One | VERITONIC Testing of US-focused radio award winners at Cannes Lions (2018), and Clios (2018), Radio Mercury Awards (2015-2017 winners only, 2018 finalists and winners). Margin of Error +/- 1

Winners and finalists improved post-exposure purchase intent an average of 7 points versus pre-exposure purchase intent.

Consumer is asked about interest in purchase prior

to listening to an ad.

Pre-exposurepurchase intent:

Consumer listens to the ad.

Consumer is asked about purchase intent of offer

heard in the ad.

Post-exposurepurchase intent:

Difference betweenpre-exposure and

post-exposure intent(lift in purchase intent):

VERITONIC audio average: 6

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

61

754

Very few ads utilize female voiceover

Source: Westwood One | VERITONIC Testing of US-focused radio award winners at Cannes Lions (2018), and Clios (2018), Radio Mercury Awards (2015-2017 winners only, 2018 finalists and winners). Total number of ads tested = 164.

Gender of voiceover talent in Cannes Lions, Clios, and Radio Mercury Awards

All %

Male voiceover 116 70%

Female voiceover 7 4%

Both voiceover 43 26%

Opportunity for marketers:Female voiceovers test as well as male narrators


Average score by attribute by gender of voiceover talent in radio ad

Serious messaging has a 75% higher purchase intent


Average difference in post-exposure purchaseintent by style in the Cannes Lions, Clios, and Radio

Mercury Awards

Humorous 6.2

Serious 10.9

Serious spots had a higher average impact on purchase intent than humorous spots. One conclusion is that humor may be risky.

Ads with disclaimers can win awards too


It is rare to hear an award winning ad with a disclaimer.

Handled properly, disclaimers are not an impediment to creative and effective radio spots.

Award winners with disclaimers:

• “Dos Equis Coffee TableMost Interesting Man in the World” (2017)

• “Progressive Mic Ads from Dads” (2018)

• “Exchange BankOxymoron” (2018)

Music, sonic identities, and jingles made significant difference in purchase intent


Average increase in (post-exposure) purchase intent versus pre-exposure

+44% +58% +146%

• Good creative sells: award show AM/FM radio ads improve purchase intent

• Female voiceovers are a huge opportunity

• Serious ads generate 75% more purchase intent than humorous ads

• Ads with disclaimers win creative awards and drive purchase intent

• Music, sonic identities, and jingles are major drivers of purchase intent

Executive summary


#ARFAxS

We know what makes an award-winning radio spot work effectively.

So what makes an effective spot award-winning?

Chris Smith, Writer and Brand Creative Group Head, The Richards Group

#ARFAxS

Be single-minded: Say one thing

Snickers:“Credit Card Reader”

Volkswagen of South Africa: “Stalker”

Quikrete: “Church”

#ARFAxS

Radio is not a hotel:You don’t have to fill all the space

Quebec Marijuana Safety:“Reaction Time”

#ARFAxS

Be relatable, not “likeable”

Mountain Dew:“Poor Parched Mouth”

#ARFAxS

Create an expectation, then deliver on it with a surprise

Dos Equis:“Adios Amigo”(With a disclaimer)

Motel 6:“Millennials”

#ARFAxS

Turn limitations into creative inspiration

Perth Opera:“Copyright Infringement”

#ARFAxS

CVS:“Proper Order”

“Serious” doesn’t mean boring or un-creative

#ARFAxS

One spot that follows the rules and breaks them at the same time

Euro Pride:“Transition”

#ARFAxS

Thank you

Documents

Dos Highly Awarded Audio Creative Sell? · Clio Awards •164 audio advertisementsacross eleven industries •Emotional response attributes: excited, happy, authentic, interesting,