How Timezone Drove 1.12× LTR & Uplift 2.4× CTR with Paytunes’ Multi-City Audio Campaign

 

 

Campaign Overview/Background

 

In a world where audiences are constantly multitasking, grabbing—and holding—their attention requires more than just a message, it takes the right medium. That’s where audio advertising steps in.

Timezone, a leading gaming and entertainment company known for its immersive gaming zones and innovative experiences across India, partnered with Paytunes to connect with urban audiences in moments when they were most receptive—while streaming their favorite content. By combining engaging audio spots with clickable companion banners, the campaign created a seamless path from listening to action.

With Paytunes’ expertise in optimizing Listen-Through Rate (LTR), Click-Through Rate (CTR), and Reach, the campaign didn’t just reach audiences—it kept them engaged and inspired them to interact. The result? A clear demonstration of how in-stream audio, when executed strategically, can drive both attention and action without compromising on scale.

 

Objectives

• Amplify brand presence in key demographic segments.
• Generate higher engagement values, measured by Listen Through Rate, Click Through Rate, and Unique Reach.
• Leverage regional and platform-based customization to optimize campaign delivery.

 

Strategy & Execution

• • Creative approach: Short, attention-capturing audio creative designed for in-stream consumption with a clear CTA and companion banner. 
  • Platform mix: Mix of audio streaming platforms plus companion clickable banners to capture interest and provide immediate action. 
  • Targeting: 
    • Demographic layering (age, gender, inferred interests where available). 
    • Geo-targeting for higher-priority regions. 
    • Daypart optimization to concentrate delivery during times with higher completion rates. 
  • Measurement: 
    • Primary engagement KPIs: LTR (listen-through rate), CTR (click-through rate), and Reach.
      
    • Performance tracked at the platform and regional levels.
      

Key Results & Outcomes

 

 

• LTR uplift: Achieved a 1.12× uplift in listen-through rate versus baseline — a meaningful improvement in audience attention and ad completion. 
• CTR uplift: Achieved a 2.40× uplift in CTR — a robust improvement indicating the creative + companion banner combination translated listener interest into action. 
• Reach: Effectively maintained reach, reporting a 1.00× (no loss in scale) while optimizing for quality engagement. 
• Qualitative outcome: The campaign successfully shifted audience behavior from passive listening to active engagement without sacrificing audience breadth.

 

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 was primarily driven by mobile-first consumption, validating Paytunes’ strategy of focusing on audio delivery across smartphones, where user attention and interaction were most consistent.

 

 

Audience Demographics & Segmentation

• Targeted men and women aged 13-44, with messaging tailored for urban, tech-savvy, and entertainment-oriented segments.
• Segmenting by affinity and listener history enabled granular creative optimization, supporting higher daypart completions and unique reach multipliers.

 

Timezone Ad Execution –

 

 

Daypart/Timing Insights

• Scheduling audio spots during evening and weekend hours yielded up to 1.5× higher listen completion and interaction rates than other slots.
• Campaign frequency capping minimized ad fatigue without sacrificing reach, contributing to better overall engagement metrics.

 

Geographic/Regional Performance

This campaign was executed across multiple metropolitan regions in India. For this geographical performance analysis, we are focusing specifically on the Spotify, JioSaavn and PocketFM platforms, deliberately excluding YouTube Music, with Listen-Through Rate (LTR) serving as the primary metric to gauge audience engagement and interaction. Among the targeted cities, certain locations stood out by delivering impressive LTR values, indicating strong listener retention and a positive response to the audio creative.

• In Bengaluru, the campaign achieved an exceptionally high Listen-Through Rate uplift of 1.20x, reflecting robust audience engagement

 

• New Delhi recorded a very strong LTR uplift of 1.17x, demonstrating that a significant proportion of the audience stayed engaged throughout the duration of the audio spots

 

• Mumbai posted an LTR uplift of 1.16x, indicating steady audience retention and suggesting that the campaign’s messaging maintained listener interest 

 

• In Pune, the campaign reached a notable LTR uplift of 1.17x, reflecting consistent engagement levels and demonstrating that the audio content successfully captured attention 

 

• Chennai garnered an LTR uplift of 1.17x, showing solid listener retention and confirming that the campaign’s audio executions were well received by audiences

 

• Kolkata stood out with an impressive LTR uplift of 1.19x, positioning it among the top-performing cities and highlighting strong audience interaction with the audio messaging

 

• Ahmedabad saw a commendable LTR uplift of 1.17x, underlining that the campaign resonated well with listeners in the region 

 

• Finally, Bhopal delivered an LTR of 1.19x, demonstrating exceptional audience retention 

 

Key Learnings & Takeaways

 

Creative & CTA combination matters: When audio creative is tightly aligned with a visible companion CTA, CTR can increase dramatically (2.4× observed).

 

Quality over sheer scale: Maintaining reach while increasing attention (1.12× LTR uplift with stable reach) is feasible with the right frequency and timing controls.

 

Platform-specific tailoring: Different platforms behave differently — test creative variants per platform rather than using a one-size-fits-all asset.

 

Daypart optimization yields outsized returns: Targeting prime listening windows improves completion rates significantly and supports stronger downstream CTRs.

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Challenges & How They Were Addressed

• Early data gaps were mitigated by implementing a real-time dashboard, enabling rapid campaign optimization based on live feedback.
• Unanticipated day-to-day dips in engagement were countered by dynamic creative rotation and audience prioritization adjustments.

Recommendations for Future Campaigns

• Enhance platform reporting standardization, ensuring seamless cross-channel analysis.
• Further amplify regional creative production to sustain engagement multipliers.
• Invest in predictive optimization tools, leveraging campaign dashboards for agile targeting.

 

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 Timezone 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 saw average Listen-Through Rates (LTR) approximately 1.12x 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	1.12x  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 Timezone multi-city audio campaign demonstrates how strategically crafted, data-driven in-stream audio can capture and sustain audience attention in today’s fragmented digital landscape. By combining short, engaging audio spots with companion clickable banners, the campaign achieved notable uplifts in Listen-Through Rate, Click-Through Rate, and overall engagement, all while maintaining reach across key urban markets. These results highlight the effectiveness of mobile-first, platform-optimized audio strategies in driving both attention and action. Brands looking to harness the power of audio to engage audiences meaningfully and measurably can connect with Paytunes for tailored campaign solutions and advanced audio advertising expertise.

 

Also Read – LIC Housing Finance × Paytunes: Digital Audio Success Story