How Streaming Audio Builds Emotion That Drives Brand Loyalty

In the past, we may have chosen our media platforms based on entertainment value. But in the modern digital landscape, consumers choose channels based on trust and emotional connection. And there’s no better channel to capitalize on this shift than streaming audio. For instance, when you sponsor a listener’s most-loved music playlists and streaming audio stations, you’re connecting with listeners on a deeper level—creating positive connections and goodwill. Subsequently, these emotional connections breed consumer loyalty and keep them coming back. 

How you make your audience feel matters. Explore why streaming audio is a top advertising channel when your goal is to drive lower-funnel metrics like brand loyalty. 

Why emotional connection matters for brand loyalty

Emotions build customer loyalty. Not discounts, not coupons, but emotions. A study of nearly 19K consumers found that emotional attachment accounted for 43% of business value, outranking “product and use.” When advertisers prioritize consumer beliefs and values over coupons and gamification, the result is emotionally connected customers who are more committed to brands, willing to consider purchasing, and likely to give recommendations to their family and friends. 

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. When someone is weighing two brands, they're comparing features and price, sure, but they’re also comparing how the brands make them feel. Imagine an ad evoking nostalgia for a consumer with sound effects that remind them of their childhood. Or think of an audio ad that uses a voice actor who reminds them of one of their loved ones. These emotional associations are what bring consumers back to a brand.

Using the unique power of sound to influence emotion

There’s no better channel than audio to evoke emotion, as sound boosts moods and anchors memories to specific moments. Think of the song playing during a wedding’s first dance. Or the music playlist at a holiday gathering. It can be hard to make memories when you’re staring at a screen. But it’s not difficult to remember the background audio during your most cherished moments. These memories stick with us because audio creates emotional ties that other channels like display can’t match. 

Creative strategies to build emotional connection in streaming audio

Match the mood

Music has long been a mood booster, with 77% of our listeners saying music improves their mood and 75% saying music relaxes them. Pandora’s mood targeting lets you reach people based on how they're feeling in real time. Whether they're celebratory, energetic, relaxed, or focused, you can catch them in their feels and show up at the right moment. Brands that align with listener moods see positive brand associations and the potential for a +52% increase in ad recall.

Tap into activity targeting

Music is a constant companion that follows listeners throughout their daily routines and activities. Six in 10 listeners say it helps them pass the time. And nearly six in 10 say it accompanies their daily activities. With Pandora, you can do more than reach listeners during their activities in real time. Activity targeting lets you reach people when they're cooking, entertaining, working out, or winding down. Instead of interrupting their listening sessions with a generic message, you're meeting them in the right context with a personalized message. 

Make them laugh

Humor works. Fun fact: 90% of consumers are more likely to remember funny ads and 80% are more likely to buy from the brand again if it uses humor. Just as a listener turns to music to boost their mood, your ad can have the same effect. A well-timed joke grabs the listener’s attention and sticks in their memory. Just keep it light, relatable, and never at someone else's expense. The best comedy in advertising surprises, uplifts, or pokes fun at relatable situations we all recognize.

Personalize the message

When you personalize your message, listeners perk up and pay even closer attention. Pull them out of distracted moments and into a conversation with you. Armed with contextual targeting, you can adapt your ads based on their real-time context and listener data—from weather, to location, to mood. The result feels less like advertising and more like someone actually gets them. For instance, on a hot summer day, you might serve an ice cream promo to those based in warm weather locations and spending the day outdoors. 

Tell a story over time

Sequential advertising is the best way to squash ad fatigue and generate interest in your brand over time. This strategy uses storytelling across multiple touchpoints, and sequential audio delivers a step-by-step narrative. Listeners can tune out repetitive ads, but if the next ad builds off the last one, they build stronger associations. You're not repeating yourself, you're advancing the plot. This technique keeps listeners engaged, increasingly emotionally invested, and ready to learn more. 

Leveraging emotion to boost awareness and engagement for a health insurance advertiser

Here’s what’s possible when you combine the power of emotion with streaming audio. A health insurance advertiser partnered with us to build awareness for their services during open enrollment while driving engagement. They wanted to reach both current members and potential new customers with messaging that resonates and drives emotional connections. 

The campaign ran across the SiriusXM Streaming Network, using solutions like mobile audio, connected home audio, display, and more. It specifically targeted consumers who are aged 45-64 and parents who are aged 35-54. 

Just look at these results:

• 21.5M impressions 

• 6.9M unique reach

• 0.78% click-through rate

Build brand loyalty through streaming audio advertising

The brand that associates itself with positive memories, nostalgia, authenticity, and trust is the brand that has the consumer doing more than “add to cart” but hitting “purchase.” When brands build an emotional connection with consumers, they’re also building loyalty. With us by your side, you have access to loyal, high-value audiences, reach, and advanced solutions to connect with audiences on an emotional level.

When your goal is brand loyalty, streaming audio advertising delivers the emotional connection that turns casual listeners into devoted customers and creates lasting impressions. Let's talk.

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