Last Fall, Advertising Week published an article on great radio creative. When we plan campaigns for our clients, the three elements that must be done correctly are 1. enough weekly frequency 2. enough consistency 3. a relevant message. The third one, a relevant message, is often not used as effectively as we should. After all, radio's secret weapon has always been "theater of the mind".
Advertising Week's article investigated how the mind processes and retains radio ads. Neuroscientist Pranav Yadav, CEO at market research company Neuro-Insight US, stated that "audio is unique among media". People can divert their interest away from a video ad, but they cannot close their ears. And, through theater of the mind, consumers can create their own visuals to make the ad more relatable. This is why the movie is never as good as the book: the characters are never as you imagined them to be. (Think Jamie Frasier in Outlander!)
Brad Kelly, managing director of Nielsen Audio, stated also that radio and TV can be complementary. Each enters the neuro pathways in a different way. The audio portion supplements and amplifies the visual. The message becomes "stickier".
Also discussed was using audio hooks to make ads more memorable. How brands "sound" becomes an important piece of the puzzle in getting them remembered. Yadav explained that the memory does not store things chronologically. It stores moments and uses them to recreate past experiences.
Radio can use the power of sound to enhance the campaign results for our advertisers. Are your commercials creating word pictures?
