For brands, the holiday season is a lucrative time to be in the audio space as there is an increase of listenership specifically for holiday music, but it may be challenging. Companies are competing for similar audiences in a sea of holiday ads but there is a way to emerge successfully. It is crucial to not only stand out from other brands, but to select the marketing channels that will allow you connect with your target audiences most effectively. Podcasts, music streaming platforms, and radio stations offer flexible, inexpensive, and effective ways of reaching audiences during the holiday season, and here’s why:
Increased Listenership for the Holidays
It wouldn’t truly feel like the holidays without everyone’s favorite Christmas songs filling the airwaves starting around November 1st, giving brands plenty of time to disseminate their holiday messaging. During the holidays, stations that play festive music receive noticeably higher ratings, which means more impressions and a larger ROI for advertisers. While COVID-19 reduced the number of holiday radio listeners in previous years, the pandemic has greatly subsided in 2022, and in-person holiday shopping is projected to reach levels similar to 2019. Brands that utilize radio advertisements during the 2022 holiday season can expect substantial returns on their initial advertising investments.
Podcasts Are the Perfect Travel Entertainment
We all know how chaotic travelling can be during the holidays. Many are vacationing from work during similar dates and migrating all over the country to visit friends and family. Long drives, flights, or delays give travelers a perfect excuse to catch up on their favorite podcasts, while also providing marketers a great opportunity to connect with listeners. The wide variety of podcast content, topics, and themes make it easy for advertisers to select a program that most aligns with their brand and target audience, creating a stronger connection between the listener and the product.
Audio Advertising is an Inexpensive Compliment to Other Advertising Channels
Advertising on podcasts, radio stations, and music streaming services is a relatively inexpensive addition to the marketing mix that can stand alone or compliment any digital, linear or connected television advertising campaign. This is primarily due to the low production costs that are associated with creating audio ads, as well as the cost of the ad placements themselves. Brands who want to maximize their marketing budget without sacrificing the number of impressions generated should consider audio as part of their holiday campaigns.
Not All People Who Stream Music Are Subscribers
Music streaming popularity has skyrocketed over the past decade. While many users opt for an ad-free subscription, tens of millions of users on each platform continue to listen to ads between songs. A perfect example of this is YouTube Music, which has over 2 billion listeners, but only 50 million subscribers. This large disparity between subscribers and users, combined with the approaching boost in holiday music listeners, provides marketers with a massive audience that can be targeted through audio advertising.
Looking to jumpstart your holiday campaign? Chief Media is here to help fulfill all your audio advertising needs with customizable media placements and trackable results. Our team of media buying specialists ensure that your campaign’s budget is always maximized to generate the highest ROI and increase brand awareness. To learn more, contact [email protected].
