How often do you listen to the radio? Do you listen to podcasts? Ever had a radio jingle stuck in your head?

Whilst it may seem second nature to listen to various forms of audio in our daily lives, it is less common to sit and consider the sheer power audio provides. The Publishing Show team recently attended The Future of Audio Europe, by Mediatel Events, which aimed to consider this point and explore the growth of the industry.

The event took place on Tuesday 28 June 2022 at RCGP’s office 30 Euston Square. Presented by Steven Scaffardi, Head of Mediatel Events, the day started with a presentation about the power of radio. 89% of people listen to radio each week (Rajar, 2022) and, in the era of fake news, it remains the most trusted source of news. It’s clear that the UK and Europe’s love of radio are longstanding and show no signs of ending any time soon.

Podcasts have experienced substantial growth; Spotify has invested over $800 million in acquiring podcasts (Bloomberg 2022) alone. Brands are realising the benefits of podcasting to connect with their audience. For example, NatWest launched their podcast ‘The NatWest Business Show’ where entrepreneurs discuss their business stories and challenges. 

The amazing work completed by radio stations to raise awareness of causes was also highlighted. In a fireside chat, Magic FM’s Emma B discussed the work achieved on a campaign about menopause. In research completed by Bauer Media, 70% of those researched feel more information should be available for managing menopause symptoms. The month-long campaign focused on different areas of menopause, included real-life case studies and was greatly received with large amounts of support from listeners.

After a quick hands-up poll of the audience, it showed that no one likes ads – so what can brands do? There were two great demonstrations of audio and conversational ads by AudioMob and Cashew. This new technology integrates with mobile games to play audio ads to players without disrupting gameplay to portray the brand message. Audio ads look to be a huge opportunity to increase advertising revenue. Top tips for creating audio ads include keeping the listener in the zone, being aware of what device people are listening on, tone, mood and volume.

What was made clear from the event was that audio helps to build connections and is a trusted medium helping brands like yours establish trust with their audience. So, how can your brand harness the power of audio? Perhaps you can consider adding podcasting to your content marketing strategy, you could include music or a jingle with your logo to build brand recognition or you could reconsider the formats of your ads to include audio.

The rise of podcasting, audio ads in gaming and research into the success of audio ads show huge growth opportunities for the industry. One thing is for sure, the future of audio looks bright!