What’s the sweet spot in audio ads – the peak efficiency in reaching listeners? When should marketers curb frequencies to avoid waste?

Our ambitious, first-ever neuroscience study got to the heart of the matter, literally. Monitoring heart rates, we measured listeners’ immersion – their attention and emotional connection, which is a solid indicator of purchase intent. And we looked at that immersion second-by-second before, during, and after the ad, and again when exposed to the same ad multiple times.

And the results were surprising – in a powerful way. Audio simply does not erode. It hooks listeners right out of the gate, and delivers strong engagement and consumer action at even the highest levels of exposure. Over time, audio continuously delivers value and becomes increasingly engaging.

Here’s a deeper dive to help you plan your next audio campaign.

Audio Immersion Increases with Frequency

Across platforms, genres, and advertiser categories, audio content is immersive far beyond industry benchmarks. It begins engaging audiences at high levels, and that engagement increases with frequency, leading to strong brand and product recall, as well as strong purchase consideration and positive brand opinion.

Audio Doesn’t Break

Every audio impression counts, and audio doesn’t break – it just keeps building. Indeed, audio consistently drives consumer actions through higher frequencies across OTA radio, streaming, and podcast platforms.

Audio Repetition Drives Dramatic Lift in Purchase Consideration 

Immersion is also correlated with key brand success metrics. The higher the immersion, the higher the purchase intent. And frequency drives it all.

Audio Elicits Powerful Responses from Start to Finish

You just have to hear a whistle or clap at the beginning of a message to know that new stimuli naturally grab our attention. When audio ads mention the brand early and often, it activates the orienting response, a characteristic behavioral and psychological reaction to something that’s interesting. But then, the trick is to sustain and elevate attention. This study shows that revealing savings, innovation, or other unique benefits or characteristics of the product or service (e.g., savings, innovation, etc.) during the ad increases immersion. Finally, strong messaging at the end helps seal the deal. Together, these tactics deliver listener immersion that escalates within the 30-second ad, ending brand time with listeners on a high note.

Audio investments should be more than a quick touch. This groundbreaking study shows that exposing audiences to audio messages consistently offers resounding benefits in terms of brand equity and sales. Audio seizes attention and builds intention, frequency after frequency. It offers brands opportunities for engagement and impact throughout the life of a campaign. Audiences keep listening! Make sure your brand’s sound stays right there with them.

The Audio Amplification: The Connection Between Frequency and Purchase study used samples of Spark Foundry client advertisements in the retail, financial services, and QSR industries. Participants aged 18 to 54 were exposed to a randomized rotation of audio content and advertisements as many as 15 times over the course of a week. Through a follow-up survey, it also measured key performance indicators including recall and intent to purchase.