Month: September 2021

Audio advertising has gone through some seismic shifts in the last decade thanks to a number of factors. There’s more listeners and more ways to listen. According to Edison Research ‘The Infinite Dial’, 2020, 74% of 25- to 54-year-olds are regularly streaming music, news and podcasts, with smart speakers emerging as one of the most popular ways to listen. And perhaps most importantly technology has made it possible to harness the power of data to create truly targeted advertising.Another breakthrough from the creators of the Adthos Ad-ServerThe Adthos Ad-Server was released 1 June this year, and has since been downloaded thousands of times across the planet. Now, Adthos is back with another world premiere. Adthos Creative Studio enables the production of broadcast-quality advertising audio using synthetic voice technology for on-the-go spot creation, with a powerfully targeted approach.

More than a text to speech solution, Adthos Creative Studio is a first-of-a-kind browser based multitrack editor that allows broadcasters and advertisers to collaborate online, combining music, human and synthetic voice to produce real-time audio advertising.  With the kinds of features commonly found in Digital Audio Workstations – including equalisers, compressors, limiters and even an option to use professional plugins.Hearing is believingAdthos Creative Studio harnesses the power of AI to produce natural sounding and programmable audio that needs to be heard to be believed. Within the standard package choose from up to 14 US – English different voices, with many more available in Adthos’ exclusive voice talent library available as part of the professional voiceover package. It’s also possible to add a specific voice or voices to the library as an additional service.Once selected, voices can be brought to life with character and personality. Control intonation, speed and apply reading rules for certain types of content such as phone numbers or emails to deliver realistic and engaging audio.Advertising that’s always a step aheadAlongside the text-to-speech functionality, Creative Studio’s one-of-a-kind embedded webserver allows the insertion of content based on different data sets to produce timely, relevant advertising. From web-based information such as the weather pages, using geo-targeting for location-based advertising, or even Excel files in the case of information such as pricing catalogues for supermarket deals.Taking care of the humansOne might think this takes away opportunities from voiceover professionals, but it’s quite the opposite. There are several ways for the voice talent to monetise their synthetic voices, like through a royalty system. They will also have access to a complete audit of where, when and what their voice has been used for, including being able to playback the recording, with the opportunity to opt out of various kinds of advertising e.g., Alcohol or adult-themed content. Astonishing possibilities. Unbelievable price.Adthos Creative Studio comes in at just USD49.99/month for a standard subscription.While it’s ready for production and available, Adthos Creative Studio will launch initially with Limited Access, meaning customers must apply and be approved by Adthos before they can access it.  Once approved, customers will get the chance to experience and utilize the full potential of broadcast-quality AI-generated audio advertising.Curious? Prepare to be amazed at http://www.adthos.com/creative-studio […]

GfK recently conducted the yearly GfK Radio Insights study to investigate the appeal of radio to listeners in today’s digital era, as well as during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia.According to the findings, radio has a huge role to play in music discovery with 74 percent of listeners rely on radio for music discovery more than Facebook / Instagram / TikTok (41%) and Spotify (33%).The study also demonstrates that radio still has a firm hold on the market today. More than half of total listeners have at least one official Malaysia radio station app installed on their device (53%). This is more than other streaming apps such as Spotify (42%), JOOX Music (33%) and Apple Music (14%). According to findings, the popularity of radio station app is driven by the availability of a variety choices of playlist or radio stations (91%) and also the fact that it doesn’t incur any subscription charges (76%).

Despite the competition for ear-time from listeners’ own music collection as well as streamed music services, live radio remains the most popular form of audio entertainment that listeners are spending the most listening hours on in a week. The report revealed that live radio accounts for 43 percent share of total listening hours in a week, compared to 26 percent share clocked by streaming services, and 20 percent by owned music. Podcasts / audio books recorded 11 percent share.Homebound Malaysians continue to listen to radio, making it one of the top most consumed media amongst consumers in the country on a daily basis. The survey highlights that almost 9 in 10 radio listeners are listening to radio; for the same or even longer duration as during the MCO. In fact, over three in five (63%) indicated they are now listening more radio at home.In addition, radio listening occurs across multiple devices and platforms, which allows listeners to tune in to their favourite station whenever and wherever they want. Findings reported a surge in radio listening via portable device with 62 percent tuning in more frequently via mobile phone and 38 percent listened more via computer or tablet.“New media is changing the way listeners consume audio content. However, radio’s edge over the other platforms can be attributed to the fact that it’s live, free and gives an element of surprise once in a while, which is why it manages to retain the loyalty of its listeners.” said Alex Poon, President of Commercial Radio Malaysia.Radio has always played a vital role in companionship and providing emotional support to listeners. Findings show that 63 percent of listeners agree that they will miss radio if it is no longer available, an indication that radio has successfully established strong emotional connection with listeners during such trying times.Despite the rise of alternative sources of music, radio continues to appeal to millennials with 54 percent of them increased their radio listening during MCO. It also emerged as the most popular music source, with 76 percent of millennials claiming radio to be their favourite source for up-to-date music.With its widespread reach, radio advertising serves as a great launchpad; as the first touchpoint on a customer’s journey which is then followed up with an action taken at advertiser’s store. The study showed that 46 percent of millennials frequently visit the advertiser’s offline / online store after hearing a broadcast radio ad. The study also indicated that advertising on radio makes a brand seems more authentic or appealing, agreed by 65 percent of millennials. Meanwhile, 52 percent agreed that they will consider buying the product after hearing a broadcast radio advertisement.“Radio continues to engage Malaysians day and night across a range of devices and platforms even as we go through this challenging times together. The ability of radio to connect listeners with news, music, entertainment and community are the main driving factors why radio will continue to stay relevant and draw audiences back for more.” said June Pang, Malaysia Media Measurement Lead at GfK.Note:The GfK Radio Insights study is a yearly survey of radio behaviour in Peninsular Malaysia among radio listeners aged 15 to 49 with a sample size of 1,000. Survey was conducted online from 1 July to 14 July 2021. Millennials are defined as radio listeners aged 25 to 39 years old. […]

Selling Radio Direct with Pat BrysonEight things advertisers told me they wanted from our reps…

Before I started BBI, I was a market manager for radio stations. One night, I woke up at 3:00 AM with this thought: “What do retailers and agencies want from my salespeople?”It’s a simple question, but probably not one we ask very often. So, I decided to call up some of our best clients and agencies and ask them. Their responses were surprising only because they are so simple, logical and, many times, totally ignored.Here’s what they had to say:
Be interested in their business
Find out their goals before you bring them a campaign
Make the proposal fit what they need to buy not what we need to sell
Make an appointment: don’t drop in
Follow up after the sale and schedule
Be pro-active in anticipating their needs
Let them clear copy and hear the ad before it airs
They want a long-lasting relationship
Simple? Yes. Do we do these things? Not as often as we should.When was the last time you called on a business, pulled out the “package du jour” and tried to sell it to them? That may have been the first time you called on that business, but you were going up and down the street pitching the package. Did the package fit their goals? Maybe, but probably not. Don’t clients usually start asking you to modify the package in some way? That’s because it’s what we need to sell, not what they need to buy.When you are doing a needs analysis meeting or presenting a solution, do you have an appointment, a time the prospect has set aside to concentrate on what you are showing them? If they won’t give you their time, they won’t give you their money.If you want to see your client stare at you open- mouthed, show up the day after a sales and check on the results. Salespeople hide. We don’t come back to follow up. We are afraid of knowing.Today we need to function as idea and solutions people. We need to keep abreast of the business landscape and be pro-active in our interactions with our clients. What holidays are coming? What seasons are changing? What external events are causing business modifications that customers need to know about?If you have ever aired a commercial that contained errors or mispronunciations, you know WHY it is important that your clients clear their ads BEFORE they run. You never want to hear, “You’ve got my ad wrong!” You can feel the steam through the telephone.And lastly, number 8 is why new people need persistence and patience to build a business. Creating long-lasting relationships takes time. You can’t rush it, but you can make sure that every interaction you have with a client shows your professionalism and your concern for their business. Take an interest in their business. Know their goals. Bring them solutions.“It’s not about US: It’s about THEM”Higher revenue awaits, for us and for our clients.Pat has a New Book […]