Editor’s note: John Fix is responsible for returning Procter & Gamble into the world of audio advertising. Since his recent retirement from P&G, John has opened his consultancy and Westwood One is excited to be one of his early clients. At P&G, John was one of the first to be dedicated to media analytics, from planning to attribution. He was responsible for the analysis and selection of media measurement applications and planning tools. At one point, John led U.S. media mix modeling, multi-touch attribution, and market testing. In his years at P&G, they went from non-existent to first in radio over a 5-year period.

I recently talked to an advertiser about using audio in media plans for new products. As their focus was new brands, they wanted to know the role that audio can play in the media plan as they seek to create mass awareness for the brand and the product with the ability to allow the consumer to find the product on the shelf.

A long-held perception is that sight is needed to create product identity. The following is a framework that was used to talk about the role of media in different situations. It ties into how audio can work with a well-thought-out product.

Audio, specifically AM/FM radio, creates reach and brand awareness. This is important for new products as building awareness is key. A product cannot sell if consumers are not aware of it.

Brands are afraid that audio may not create awareness for new products because there is a belief that it is hard to talk about a product that consumers have not seen. The fear is that awareness may not translate to identifying the product at the point of sale (on the shelf) to make a purchase.

Incorporating audio in a media plan, especially a new product with a budget that does not include traditional mass reach media like linear TV, can be game changing. The next points elaborate on how awareness can work. 

New product introduction and the role of audio

• BRANDING: Say the brand early, often, and spell out the name. Audio best practices highly recommend strong branding and using the name of the band. The brand name would ideally be spelled as it sounds so that saying the brand easily translates to recognition of the brand as it would appear on the label. If the brand name uses non-traditional language or an acronym, spelling the brand would not be a bad idea. Think of all of the new brands with names like “Sploosh” or with names of foreign origin. Lyft, Tumblr, Krispy Kreme, etc. are brand names that may require an audio prompt like “Krispy Kreme, spelled with a ‘K.’” The phrase “spell it out” may be taken literally.
• BENEFIT: Lead with a recognizable benefit for the consumer. Products exist to serve a purpose. Advertising can be weak when the benefit is an indescribable aesthetic, which is why beauty brands used to stay away from audio. Advertisers believed that beauty relies on sight and motion. Beauty advertisers learned the way to describe the benefit of “silky hair,” “brilliant, white teeth,” and identifiable terms for curly hair. Laundry learned to use adjectives to describe “clean laundry.” Even scented products learned their way into describing scents (nature fresh) with audio. Brands should utilize their consumer research to find the clearest, simple description of the product benefit and use it in the audio. If a brand can articulate a benefit, then audio will work. If there isn’t a strong recognizable benefit to the consumer, then a brand will have to think very hard about the product and the right of the product to succeed. Natural products tend to be safe and environmentally friendly. If that is the point of differentiation in a category, it should be said. “Natural” all but speaks for itself. Elaborate with audio.
• PACKAGING: Tell the consumer what to look for on the shelf. Products ideally have a form similar to the category. Mouthwash is typically a clear bottle with a large cap. Laundry and dishwashing detergent used to be a box with powder. Then they became a bottle with liquid and now, a novel container with pods. If the new product is in a form unlike the category or if the product uses assets unlike those familiar to the brand, then the audio should describe what the consumer should look for: “found in the bright yellow bottle,” “the toothpaste not in a tube,” “dishwasher detergent in a pod.” This allows audio to tell the consumer what to look for on the shelf. This would help a consumer to identify the brand and find the product at the point of sale.
• DISTRIBUTION/SHELF: Be descriptive on where to find the product in its category. If a product delivers a tangible benefit, then finding the product shouldn’t be hard. Market structure determines that retailers place substitutable products near each other: cleaning products, auto, household goods. New products should be in outlets where the category is sold. A brand, especially a new innovation, should say which product category it is associated with if necessary: “Found where cleaning products are sold.” This is also where the description of the package can help: “Available at grocery stores in the orange bottle.”

Audio can help your brand become “easy to mind, easy to find”

This framework was very helpful to the advertiser of innovative products. The framework tied the brand name, the appearance, and the strengths of the product to the applicability of audio.

More can be said specific to the belief that “sight is necessary to convey a benefit.” Cosmetics and beauty have long held the idea that the aesthetic benefit requires a consumer to see the end result. A good media brief for an image or video ad would describe exactly what would be desired in a visual medium and that language should be compelling in audio.

Audio best practices stress the importance of branding and conveying the benefit of the product. This framework adds the importance of making the brand physically identifiable and shows that it is possible for audio to lead a consumer to the shelf to find the product that will deliver the job to be done.

John Fix can be reached at johnfixltd@gmail.com.