How Karnataka Bank Drove Higher LTR & CTR with a Digital Audio Campaign | Paytunes

 

 

Campaign Overview / Background

Karnataka Bank is one of India’s most trusted private sector banks, known for its strong regional presence and growing focus on digital-first customer engagement. In July, the bank partnered with paytunes to execute a 30-day digital audio campaign aimed at building deeper brand attention among urban, digitally active audiences. The campaign ran across premium music streaming platforms including Wynk, JioSaavn, and YouTube Music, using short-form audio ads supported by clickable companion banners to create a focused and engaging audio-led brand experience.

 

Objectives

• Increase user engagement, with primary focus on Listen-Through Rate (LTR), followed by Click-Through Rate (CTR).

• Maximize reach within the 24–55 age group across priority urban markets.

• Deliver high audio completion rates to strengthen brand recall and message retention

 

Strategy & Execution

• Focused on P1 and P2 markets, with higher budget allocation toward Bangalore and key metro cities.

• Used programmatic buying to manage reach and frequency, averaging three audio impressions per user.

• Integrated clickable companion banners to complement audio messaging and encourage interaction.

• Maintained audio ad duration within 30 seconds to sustain attention without causing listener fatigue.

 

Key Results & Outcomes

 

 

• Achieved an LTR uplift of approximately 1.11× over baseline, indicating stronger listener retention.

• Delivered a 1.43× uplift in CTR, reflecting improved user interaction with companion banners.

• Maintained reach at 1.00x  while significantly improving engagement quality.

 

Audience Demographics & Segmentation

• Targeted users aged 24–55 years, with a noticeable female skew.

• Highest concentration observed in the 25–44 age segment.

• Strong penetration in P1 urban markets, especially Bangalore, with steady delivery across P2 markets.

• A balanced media mix enabled consistent messaging across diverse geographies.

 

Device Type Breakdown & Reach Strategy

• Mobile Android
  Dominated delivery with ~87.74% share of total impressions.
  Primary driver of LTR and CTR uplift across the campaign.

• Mobile iOS
  Accounted for ~10.92% share, representing the second-largest contributor.
  Played a key role in complementing Android reach, especially among premium users.

• Tablet (Android)
  Very minimal share (~0.6%)
  Likely contributed to incidental or passive listening sessions.

• Desktop (Other)
  Represented ~0.42% of impressions.
  Minimal engagement; not a core device for audio-based interaction.

• Smart Home Devices / Smart Watches
  Combined share 0.17%, highlighting negligible interaction on wearables or IoT devices.

• Tablet (iPad)
  Lowest delivery at ~0.14%, indicating limited usage among the campaign’s target demographic.

 

Insight: The campaign’s engagement metrics, like LTR and CTR were primarily driven by mobile-first consumption, validating Paytunes’ strategy of focusing on audio delivery across smartphones, where user attention and interaction were most consistent.

 

Karnataka Bank Ad Execution

 

https://youtu.be/PRhsiFTCR_E?si=ItkESi1VdWQBkIey

 

Daypart / Timing Insights

• Engagement levels remained stable throughout the campaign period, with only minor day-to-day variations.

• Consistent performance reflected effective planning around delivery timing and frequency.

 

Geographic / Regional Performance

 

• Bangalore and key metros were the primary focus, receiving the largest share of budget and impressions.
• Adjacent states including Telangana and Tamil Nadu showed moderate engagement, suggesting room for growth.
• Regional allocation aligned well with expected market priorities.

 

The campaign delivered strong Listen-Through Rate (LTR) uplift across major metros and key growth markets, highlighting cities where audiences showed higher-than-average attention to the audio creatives. The following cities emerged as the top LTR performers.

 

City Wise Segmentation

 

 

• Bengaluru (1.18× uplift): Strong uplift reflects high creative relevance and sustained listening among a digitally mature audience.

• Hyderabad (1.18× uplift): Consistent uplift indicates effective message resonance within a high-engagement metro market.

• Mumbai (1.16× uplift): Above-average uplift highlights steady listener attention despite a fast-paced media environment.

• New Delhi (1.17× uplift): Solid uplift points to strong recall and attentive listening among urban audiences.

• Kolkata (1.17× uplift): High uplift reflects deeper audio consumption and receptivity to the campaign message.

• Chennai (1.16× uplift): Stable uplift indicates reliable engagement in a well-established regional audio market.

• Patna (1.19× uplift): One of the highest uplifts, showcasing strong listener attentiveness in an emerging growth market.

 

Key Learnings & Takeaways

• Audio ads combined with clickable banners create a strong, multi-touch brand experience.

• Frequency control at around three impressions helped maintain listener interest without overexposure.

• High completion rates confirmed the relevance and clarity of the audio messaging.

 

Challenges & How They Were Addressed

• Balancing reach versus engagement metrics ensured quality over quantity in audience interactions.
• Geographic tiering enabled focused spend, managing budget effectively while driving impact.

 

Recommendations for Future Campaigns

• Introduce hyper-local targeting with region-specific creative adaptations.

• Test varied audio durations or dynamic creatives to further improve CTR.

• Use deeper daypart insights to identify peak interaction windows.

 

Audio Attention in the Real Attention Economy

In today’s digital landscape, the battle for user attention is fiercer than ever. The average human attention span has fallen to about 8 seconds—shorter than ever before. Brands must not only grab attention but also sustain it long enough for their message to drive real impact.

 

The Problem: Fleeting Attention on Most Digital Platforms

• Banner and display ads on websites usually keep user focus for only 1.6–2.6 seconds before they are ignored or scrolled past.
• Short-form video ads and reels hold attention for about 7–9 seconds on average before users swipe away or skip.
• This fleeting engagement translates to lower brand recall and minimal action.

 

The Unique Edge of In-Stream Digital Audio

• In the Tata Realty campaign, only 30-second in-stream digital audio ads (accompanied by clickable companion banners) were deployed—no other audio or video formats were part of the strategy. 
• Here’s why it matters:
  The campaign achieved a Listen-Through Rate (LTR) of approximately 1.15x higher than industry norms.
•  This result means a substantial share of the audience listened all the way through—far higher than what visual formats deliver in the same time frame.

 

Attention Economy Benchmarks (per 100 exposures):

Platform/Format	Avg. Attention (seconds)	Completion Rate (per 100)	Audio Attention Uplift
Banner/Display Ads	2–3	12–18	4–8x lower than audio
Short Video (Reels)	5–9	18–25	3–4x lower
Full Video (In-Stream)	7–10	15–25	3–5x lower
Audio (30s spot)	≥25	70–95	1.15x  higher

 

• Banner ads are rarely noticed long enough to reinforce a message, leading to weak recall.
• Short-form video and reels offer a slightly longer window but are quickly dismissed with a swipe.
• 30-second digital audio ads command undistracted, multitasking-friendly attention, leading to 70-95 more completion events per 100 impressions than most display or short video placements

 

Conclusion 

The Karnataka Bank and Paytunes collaboration clearly demonstrates how digital audio, when paired with interactive elements, can deliver meaningful attention at scale. By focusing on listener experience, mobile-first delivery, and smart frequency control, the campaign achieved strong LTR, improved CTR, and consistently high completion rates. For brands looking to cut through digital noise and build real engagement with urban audiences, programmatic audio offers a proven path forward.

 

Ready to unlock the power of audio attention?
Connect with Paytunes to explore how digital audio campaigns can work for your brand.

 

Also Read – Tata Realty × Paytunes Audio Campaign Case Study