Achieving the Right Dynamic: Tips and Tricks for Dynamic Audio

The battle for consumer attention is as competitive as ever. It’s not just about reaching the right person, but reaching the right person at exactly the right time with exactly the right message. And if you don’t? The consequences could be brutal: ad tune-out, wasted impressions, or even worse, negative brand association.

Personalization nowadays is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a must. Think about it, we live in a world full of customized experiences: social feeds, music stations, even shopping. Consumers expect brands to know who they are and what they like, and because of this, are more receptive to ads when they’re personalized. In fact, according to Epsilon, 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences.

And with Pandora’s Dynamic Audio, you can provide the customized experiences that consumers crave and drive them to action. By pulling in real-time data such as: - Location - Demographics - Date & Time - Weather - Device

...you can string together different elements to create a perfectly tailored ad for a specific individual (like Mad Libs for audio advertising!).

But with all the options available, it takes careful tinkering to get the equation just right. We partnered with our in-house creative consultancy, Studio Resonate, to outline the top creative best practices to get you the most out of your Dynamic Audio Ad.

Define the Role of Dynamic Audio

The first thing to do is focus on your strategy. Define exactly why you need dynamic audio and how it will enhance the listener experience, and go from there.

To demonstrate, imagine you’re an ice cream company: what’s one of the major factors that makes people crave ice cream? Weather! You can create different messages for different weather (sunny vs. rainy) to appeal to the listener’s current situation and state of mind. (Pro tip: always have a default option just in case there’s no data available).

Check out the examples below: Sunny: Enjoy the refreshing taste of vanilla bean to help you cool off on a hot day like today. Rainy: Enjoy the refreshing taste of vanilla bean, taking you back to those relaxing summer days. Neutral: Enjoy the refreshing taste of vanilla bean, made with real milk and locally-sourced ingredients.

Speaking directly, personally, and relevantly to your customers can help perk up interest and make them more likely to listen.

Keep it Simple, Smartie

We get it—dynamic audio is an exciting feature, and it can be tempting to throw every variable possible into the mix. However, focusing on one or two data points is more effective than choosing every one. Personalizing time of day, the weather, age, or location is usually enough to make the listener feel special.

Ready, Set, Record!

Ready to try your hand at dynamic audio? Get going with these thought starters:

Write a Basic Script Framework: Keep in mind you’ll be swapping out different variants to fill in the blanks, so keep the rest of the script simple.

Make it Local: Transform a national or regional buy into a local ad. For example: “Visit your [San Francisco] dealership.”

Align Product Value Props to Separate Audiences: Position a product differently for different demos. For example, for a car, promote safety for young parents, luxury for baby boomers, and adventure for millennials.

Maximize on Key Times and Environments: When are the most effective times to reach your target audience and their mindset, and how does your message shift? For example: for audio books, suggest career development titles for a weekday commute and travel guidebooks for a Saturday afternoon.

It’s important to note that while dynamic audio is powerful, it isn’t for everyone. However, if you’re ready to take your audio creative to the next level, dynamic audio is a great way to do that. Contact one of our sellers today to get started.

Even if dynamic audio isn’t right for you, Pandora has targeting capabilities and opportunities for businesses and campaigns of all sizes and objectives. Check out Studio Resonate, our in-house creative consultancy, to learn more.

Sources

Epsilon: “The power of me: The impact of personalization on marketing performance.” Jan 2018