In 1991, an album was released that would go on to change the entire music industry. Nirvana’s Nevermind ushered in a new age by bringing grunge and punk to a fresh generation. It had such a dramatic impact, in fact, that it made its way into my seventh-grade English class. We dissected the lyrics discussing the meaning and what we got from them. Shout out to Mr. Sweeny for being an amazing teacher and finding a way to reach a bunch of pre-teens that stayed with at least one of them 30 years later.
That is the power of audio, in general, and music specifically. It can transport you across time and space, change moods, and create vibes. This is what makes it such a powerful medium and an amazing opportunity for advertisers.
Looking at the current state of audio, a specific Nirvana song comes to mind: “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The industry is moving out of its early childhood and gaining its first sense of self and confidence. And now the industry is in those awkward years that form it into a mature adult; its teens. That means defining and instituting best practices.
How can an audio advertising environment be created that provides the best value for advertisers, as well as one in which they feel comfortable? How does the industry show the world what is already known: Audio advertising is as good as it gets.
The answer is twofold and simple. First, audio platforms must deliver quality content. Second, the audio itself must be measurable. Good content plus verifiable impressions is the key.
“…Here we are now, entertain us…”
Ensuring quality content is no easy task. It requires multiple checks and steadfast vigilance. Some of the tactics that must be used include extensive creator vetting, comprehensive reviews of new content, real-time monitoring of content usage, bot detection, and advertiser measurement tools. These actions help keep most of the “bad” content off the platform and to demonetize the bit that might slip in.
Quality content isn’t just about keeping the bad stuff out, though. It’s critical to ensure that the best content is set up to thrive. And that depends directly on how processes are developed. In general, avoid building processes that present stringent barriers to entry. If the industry isn’t careful, it risks limiting creativity, diversity and innovation; all essential to growing the high-quality content that people want to consume.
“…With the lights out it’s less dangerous…”
Audio measurement is rare and nascent. Where it does exist, it is almost exclusively via first-party data. The industry has long lived with the lights off, and while it may seem scary (even dangerous), it is time to flip the switch. Widespread third-party verification is necessary to realize the trajectory expected in audio advertising spend. This includes supporting audibility measurement, delivery measurement, invalid traffic detection and brand safety monitoring at scale in a standardized fashion that is interoperable across platforms.
Streaming audio is leading the way. The Open Measurement Software Development Kit (OM SDK) now fully supports audio measurement, and vendors are bringing products to market and publishers are integrating it all.
Meanwhile, podcasts still lean heavily on first-party numbers as they lack industry standards to enable widespread third-party measurement. Podcasts present unique technical challenges, but they are not insurmountable. The industry must all work together to continue to build on streaming audio’s early success and bring podcast measurement to a level that advertisers expect.
“… Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile…”
The opportunity in audio is immense. But it will not be realized without building an environment that provides the same comfort already expected in display and video. That said, it can be done.
Everyone has those songs that touch their soul whenever they hear them or that podcast that they count down the minutes until its next episode. Audio advertising hits and works—just like the audio content listeners already love.
