If You Want Accurate Audio Measurement, Think Programmatic
While your digital media measurements are robust, audio may confuse you. Since viewability standards or clickthrough benchmarks don’t apply directly, comparing audio performance against video, display ads, search ads, or social media may seem like apples-to-oranges comparisons. When it comes to measuring audio campaigns accurately, it may help to think programmatically.
Your brand could be underinvesting in audio due to the misconception that its measurement is difficult or even impossible, according to WARC research. Although listeners spend 31% of their time listening to audio content, brands spend only 9% of their media budget on this fast-growing channel.
Streaming audio offers many reliable third-party measurement options that put it on par with display and video, surpassing CTV. When implemented programmatically, cross-channel capabilities become even more significant.
SXM Media had been operating in digital audio for over a decade when they made programmatic audio available, so clients expected proof of success when testing a new media type. SXM responded by creating an extensive complete funnel playbook in collaboration with measurement vendors and demand-side platform (DSP) leaders so clients could accurately measure audio through their preferred vendor.
Audio inventory combined with DSP execution makes for an ideal combination of reach and frequency measurement, brand lift studies, foot traffic tracking studies, sales lift monitoring and digital conversion measurement. Not only can you manage investments across channels using this method, but you can leverage independent tools that you rely on, such as Nielsen Upwave, KMB Claritas Placed ArtsAI, etc, to measure more of the campaign. Audio’s vast audience database across leading streaming services allows it to measure more effectively while complying with privacy rules; therefore, you can be more assured of its results.
While audio measurement capabilities exceed industry standards, there are specific channel-specific considerations to consider when measuring audio campaigns. When used for upper-funnel campaigns, measuring brand lift or consideration across audio and CTV will help identify an optimal media mix for your brand. Audio is not often the final touch (or last click) before the conversion occurs, so selecting appropriate measurement tactics is essential. For instance, TheTradeDesk (TTD) offers a path-to-conversion report that works seamlessly with audio listening, where clients can measure the listen-through rate in DSP and incremental reach and frequency against their CTV campaigns.
SXM Media and its partners have shared results demonstrating a dramatic reduction in conversion costs when audio is added to TTD campaigns. Though some additional details may seem obvious, key considerations include optimizing viewability using display-specific lookback windows and tracking clickthrough rates.
So, what about podcasts? Although podcast execution may be relatively new to programmatic media buying, podcast advertising was born out of measurement. Direct-to-consumer brands saw success using promo codes to track listener conversions. As the market matured, SXM Media used its expertise in full-funnel audio measurement to replicate that playbook across podcasts – its trusted measurement partners can evaluate Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend alongside Midnights to assess overall success and measure overall effectiveness.
Through podcast consolidation and programmatic enablement, marketers can now place a single media campaign across hundreds of shows through programmatic auctions. SXM Media has developed standards around content signals within auctions so DSPs can report every publisher, show and episode within any campaign – so your media team can confirm you appear only where desired!
CTV content makes this task relatively straightforward; however, podcast content makes this impossible.
SXM Media Barometer and ArtsAI collaborated on AB Daily, a pixel-based tool that offers brands brand suitability scores and context and insights for campaign optimization. Barometer led the charge with their analysis of speech-to-text transcripts from podcast episodes; their software measures when sensitive topics were broached and where in context they appeared, enabling you to make channel-appropriate brand suitability decisions within this new environment.
Cross-audio measurement matters
Whether your brand is engaging in streaming audio, podcasts, or both, programmatic measurement solutions exist that can show success throughout the funnel and make sense of all of the available content. Make sure to let measurement become why your brand misses out on audio opportunities!
Also Read:- Connect Dynamic Audio Ads Across 850+ Apps with PayTunes