Why Audio OOH Ads Should Be a Part of Your Advertising and Marketing Strategy in 2021

Just as DOOH has been and continues to be a growth driver for legacy OOH, Audio Out-of-Home (AOOH) ads is a natural evolution of legacy in-store music and messaging. Marketers have rapidly adopted and benefited from DOOH as a new way to reach consumers. At the same time, the consumer audio market is exploding with more listening options than ever. Whether that’s streaming, podcasts, or new entrants, advertisers are eager to take part in the growing opportunity to reach listeners. AOOH is the tech platform that enables all the same benefits of programmatic automation, data-driven decision-making and measurement of the results for retail venue audio. With visuals alone no longer being enough to build a consistent retail marketing strategy, AOOH is a new medium gaining momentum and enabling brands to reach shoppers directly at the point-of-sale.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) review, U.S. audio and ad spendings grew by thirty percent in the first half of 2019 to $1.2 billion. With this in mind, advertisers are choosing to opt for programmatic ads to level up their marketing game and target hyper-specific audiences. Similarly, The Digital Place-Based Advertising Association (DPAA) reported in their most recent Strategic Media Planner Survey that 61% of media planners now include DOOH in their planning with 63% relying on programmatic which continues to drive growth into 2024. Here are three reasons why Audio Out-of-Home advertising should be considered an essential part of your advertising and marketing strategy.

Precise, Relevant, and Easy-to-Scale Advertising and Marketing Strategy 

What makes this space so enticing is how brands are using digital’s strengths to take audio advertising to the next level – connecting with consumers where they work, shop, play, travel, and live. Up-and-coming Audio Out-of-Home platforms allow advertisers to broadcast their messaging on-location, capturing their audience’s attention when and where they’re ready to spend.

AOOH is seen as a flexible medium for buyers giving marketers the ability to target specific groups of users based on product availability, time of day, shopper age and gender. Not only does this allow advertisers to know they’re reaching the right people, but its reporting tools can help them understand how their ad efforts influenced a customer’s path to purchase.

Increases Brand Recognition and Buying Behavior

By advertising in the middle of engaging content, brands can weave themselves into the routines of their target customers, actively attaching themselves to the artists, songs and promotions. According to a recent study by MAGNA, listeners are thirty-five percent more receptive and open to audio ads than viewers. With Audio Out-of-Home custom music playlists and messaging, businesses can reinforce their brand identity and recognition with ease while prioritizing the overall customer experience. Audio Out-of-Home can also impact if and how customers spend money. For example, many customers will often not notice signage or marketing materials in stores. But with a well-placed, custom audio announcement, they are more likely to notice those special promotions, therefore more likely to take action on them.

Elevate Customer Engagement Rates

Increased customer engagement is obvious benefit advertisers receive when choosing to incorporate Audio Out-of-Home advertising into their strategy.

By combining ads with music playlists that tie back to a customer’s interests, they are more likely to listen while making a purchase or taking advantage of services. For example, 16% of unplanned purchases are driven by in-store promotions, therefore, if you’re shopping in a grocery store but hear an ad related to fishing equipment, odds are this information will not resonate with you because it does not correlate with your current buying needs. But if you hear an ad for food or house goods, you’re more likely to tune in on what’s being said. This personalized approach is guaranteed to increase overall engagement and make the customers experience more positive. 

A vast reset and reinvention of audio behavior is among us. Brands that follow suit and incorporate Audio Out-of-Home advertising into their marketing mix will be ahead of the game when it comes to reaching these engaged audiences. DPAA Media Planner Survey identified that thirty-eight percent of the surveyed decision-makers expect to recommend more spending on DOOH in the next two years. As consumer behaviors and media habits continue to transform, marketers and advertisers need to take it upon themselves to be a part of the change and search for creative ways to reach consumers across a growing number of channels and devices, and this new medium is the perfect fit.