How Ryan International Schools Improved Listen-Through Rates with a Programmatic Audio Campaign

 

 

Ryan International Schools is one of India’s most recognised education brands, known for its focus on holistic learning and strong academic foundations. During the critical admission period in May, the brand partnered with Paytunes to create a focused programmatic audio campaign aimed at reaching parents at moments of high attention. The fifteen-day campaign used short-form audio messaging on premium streaming platforms to reinforce urgency around admissions while strengthening brand recall among families in key cities.

 

Campaign Objectives

• The primary objective was to improve Listen-Through Rate (LTR) by delivering audio messages that parents would hear in full.

• The campaign also aimed to maximise reach among admission decision-makers and then drive Click-Through Rate (CTR) to the admissions landing page.

• A secondary goal was to build strong brand recall using audio-led storytelling rather than relying only on display formats.

 

Strategy and Execution

• Paytunes targeted males and females aged 25–40, aligning with parents actively involved in school selection.

• The campaign was geo-targeted to education-focused and high-potential cities such as Noida, Gurgaon sectors, Indore, Nagpur, Durg, Kharagpur, Faridabad, Sohna Road, and Greater Noida.

• Ads were delivered across premium music and audio platforms including JioSaavn, Wynk, Pocket FM, Triton, and YouTube Music.

• Audio creatives of up to 30 seconds were designed for music-listening environments and focused on urgency around admissions.

• Frequency was controlled to maintain recall without overwhelming listeners.

 

Key Results and Outcomes

 

 

• The campaign delivered a 1.03× uplift in Listen-Through Rate, showing strong engagement with the audio message.
• Click-Through Rate showed a strong 2.07× uplift, indicating that engaged listeners were motivated to take action.
  
• Reach remained steady with a 1.00× uplift, ensuring consistent exposure across the target audience.

 

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.

 

Ryan International School Ad Execution –

 

 

Audience Insights

• The audience consisted primarily of parents aged 25–40 using mid-to-high-end devices.

• Engagement was balanced across genders, with a notable concentration of women in the 30–34 and 35–44 age groups.

• This aligned well with household decision-making patterns for school admissions.

 

Timing and Engagement Patterns

• Performance improved as the campaign progressed, with LTR remaining consistently above baseline.

• CTR increased during the later phase of the campaign, crossing 1.5× compared to early days.

• Evenings and weekends recorded higher engagement, matching typical parental listening habits during commute and downtime.

 

Regional Performance

• Cities such as Noida, Gurgaon, Indore, Nagpur, Durg, and Kharagpur delivered stronger-than-average results.

• Urban education hubs showed higher engagement, validating the hyper-local targeting approach.

• The strategy helped concentrate impressions where admission intent was most likely to be high.

 

Top Cities by Listen-Through Rate (LTR) Uplift

 

 

City-level analysis from the campaign highlights several markets that delivered exceptional listen-through rate uplift, reflecting stronger audience attention and higher completion of the audio message.

• Indore (1.15× LTR uplift): Indore showed strong listening consistency, indicating high receptivity to the brand message throughout the audio.

• Nagpur (1.15× LTR uplift): Nagpur delivered a healthy uplift in listen-through rate, suggesting effective alignment between the message and local audiences.

• Durg (1.14× LTR uplift): Durg recorded steady improvement in LTR, contributing quality attention from an emerging regional market.

• Gurugram (1.18× LTR uplift): Gurugram emerged as a top-performing metro, delivering one of the highest LTR uplifts and strong message retention.

• Kharagpur (1.15× LTR uplift): Kharagpur demonstrated solid listen-through performance, adding incremental value from a focused regional audience base.

• Faridabad (1.18× LTR uplift): Faridabad matched the highest uplift levels, indicating strong engagement and sustained listening behaviour.

• Noida (1.18× LTR uplift): Noida stood out as a high-attention market, delivering peak LTR uplift and consistent completion of the audio creative.

Key Learnings

• Audio-led campaigns on Paytunes platforms are highly effective at improving LTR before driving CTR.

• Companion banners worked well in reinforcing recall and supporting action after audio exposure.

• Geo-specific targeting significantly improved efficiency by focusing on high-intent parental zones.

 

Challenges and Optimisation

• Mid-campaign delivery fluctuations occurred due to platform-level algorithm changes.

• Paytunes addressed this through real-time optimisation to stabilise impressions.

• While retargeting CTR softened slightly, the strategy successfully prioritised total click volume and overall impact.

 

Recommendations for Future Campaigns

• Scale audio-led LTR-focused campaigns across similar platforms to drive stronger downstream results.

• Refresh creative elements every three to four days to maintain engagement.

• Expand into nearby cities while increasing investment in top-performing regions such as Noida and Gurgaon.

• Use time-based optimisation to focus on evening and weekend listening peaks.

 

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 Ryan International 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 1.03x 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	1.03x  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

This campaign clearly demonstrated how programmatic audio can deliver meaningful engagement for education brands when timing, targeting, and creative messaging align. By focusing first on Listen-Through Rate and then driving action, Ryan International Schools successfully connected with parents during moments of high attention and intent.

If you are looking to create impactful audio campaigns that truly get heard, connect with Paytunes to plan your next success story.

 

Also Read – Ksheer Audio Campaign Case Study: Driving Higher LTR & Engagement with Paytunes