NEW STUDY CONFIRMS AUDIO’S POWER TO EXTEND BRAND PRESENCE

Research Shows Radio Can Effectively Enhance Advertisers’ TV Messaging

New York, NY- February 25, 2013 – Katz Marketing Solutions, the national marketing arm of the Katz Media Group, today announced its findings of a new study that quantified the importance of audio elements in successful television commercials. The results show that audio, or radio, can efficiently and cost-effectively enhance a brand’s identification and messaging.

The study examined television commercials from 14 major brands including Allstate, Apple, Capital One, CoverGirl, Diet Pepsi, DirectTV, Dos Equis, Duracell, GEICO, Old Spice, Outback Steakhouse, Snickers, Taco Bell, and Warner Brothers. All audio and visual brand references were removed, and 300 respondents were served either the de-branded television clip or an audio-only version of the same clip. The respondents were asked to identify the brand, pinpoint their “aha” moment of recognition, and describe their emotional response to the audio and video segments.

Overall, the audio clips generated 93% of the brand identification metrics that the television commercial clips generated. Even with the absence of visual stimuli, consumers were able to correctly identify the brands being featured in the ads. The results also indicated that in certain instances audio triggered brand identification at a much greater rate than visual cues. For example, 25% of the respondents exposed to the Taco Bell television clip referenced visual cues as the brand trigger, while 55% mentioned the sound of the iconic Taco Bell “bong” as the “aha” branding moment. In Duracell’s television clip, 50% more viewers referenced its distinctive three-note audio signature as the brand trigger than any visual stimuli. And for Outback Steakhouse, four times as many respondents cited the announcer’s distinguishing voice as the brand trigger than any visual element of the commercial.

The audio clips alone also prompted emotional responses in respondents. For the Warner Brothers’ movie, “The Hobbit,” as many respondents to the audio clip expressed excitement and desire to see the movie as those exposed to the television clip. In Taco Bell’s case, the audio clip generated mentions of hunger almost as often as those exposed to the television clip. For CoverGirl, the audio clip was just as likely to invoke feelings of happiness as the television clip.

“In these days of tighter budgets and intensified focus on ROI, advertisers must maximize ad budget impact in every way possible,” said Bob McCurdy, President of Katz Marketing Solutions. “Marketers often allocate large sums of ad dollars to broadcast television commercials, which results in the creation of tremendous audio equity—a brand’s audio logo or signature–that can continue to carry the marketing punch of a television commercial. This data strongly supports the strategic and creative use of radio to supplement a television campaign.”

The complete study results are available at www.raisingthevolume.com/eyevsear. This study and additional data-driven analyses are part of Katz Marketing Solutions’ ongoing efforts to provide in-depth research on the power of sound and the listening habits of consumers. The division is one of the first media sales organizations to partner with USA TouchPoints, the most comprehensive syndicated research product to track all forms of consumer behavior and media consumption. In addition, Katz Marketing Solutions also works closely with Ipsos MediaCT to conduct ongoing evaluations of radio campaigns in order to relay radio’s key branding metrics and improve campaign efficacy.

Launched in 2008, Katz Marketing Solutions heads strategic marketing campaigns for the Katz Media Group, which is the nation’s leading media representation firm. The division is charged with developing new business for radio and creating customized campaigns for national advertisers. The New York-based company leads the Katz Media Group’s creative efforts while working closely with chief marketing officers, brand managers and their agencies in the earliest stages of the communications planning process.

About Katz Media Group:

Katz Media Group is the nation's leading full-service media sales and marketing firm serving the broadcasting industry and online community. A subsidiary of Clear Channel Communications, Katz Media Group is based in New York and has 15 regional offices. Founded in 1888, the company was the nation's first media representation firm and today represents nearly 4,000 radio stations and 700 television and digital multicast stations.  In addition, Katz represents more than 4,000 online publishers across audio, video, display email and mobile channels. Additional information can be found at www.katz-media.com.