Dennis Donati busted 4 myths about audio advertising today on the ARN Stage at South By Southwest.

• Radio keeps us alert and engaged… it’s aligned to that self-actualization 
  
• Music streaming enhances the mood… your brain is reacting to sadness, happiness…
• Podcasting is all about lasting memory… it really activates memory

With this range of audio usage, people now have more audio opportunities than ever and are actively selecting their use of audio content depending on what their needs and emotions are at the time. This presents many opportunities for advertisers to reach them with the right messages on the most appropriate audio content platforms.

1. Digital audio IS NOT killing radio, it is enhancing it
2. Audio IS as effective as visual media and works in harmony with other media or on its own, especially while you are doing something where you can’t watch a screen
3. You can successfully buy ads via audio platforms, iHeart offers many opportunities and also controls where ads are placed when iHeart audio is delivered on other platforms as well
4. You CAN measure the effectiveness of audio, “it is more measurable that most marketers think”

“Podcast listeners are not skipping the ads,” said Donati. “Audio has the lowest skip rate of any medium (10%) compared with more than 60% for video.”

With 277 million pieces of audio content available to audiences, audio is the fastest growing mass medium in the world. Brand awareness and brand recall is high for audio, according to studies conducted for ARN.

ARN’s presence at SXSW continues all this week. Advertisers and marketers can find out more by visiting the ‘ARN House’ at Tumbalong Park Darling Harbour.

Elsewhere at SXSW, the Discovery stage featured speakers highlighting the power of content marketing.

“Stop interrupting and be the entertainment,” was the message, highlighting the power of content as a marketing tool.

Content marketing for radio can be live reads, promotions and client activations.

In podcasting the offerings can range from host read ads and product endorsements to branded podcasts for particular product types, such as beauty products.

In a session on social media at Clear Hayes House, young social influencers, podcasters and Youtubers spoke about the need to avoid controversy and deliver authentic content in their content to attract advertisers. One to two weeks lead time to understand products and integrate product promotions into their content was the consensus on how much in advance marketers needed to supply influencers with campaign content. The influencers were also strong on the need to respond authentically to the products they are promoting, rather than follow scripted talking points or a story board.

And, in a clever live marketing activity at SXSW, promoters of the new Smile 2 movie sent walking advertisements around high trafficked conference areas. The models didn’t speak, they just looked menacingly at passers by in the same way as the smiling killers in the movie do. A very effective marketing campaign conducted with no words, just a branded t-Shirt and a smile.