Immersion, defined as “a scientific measure of emotional connection and attention.” is an important metric because it measures attention and emotional connection and is predictive of sales. To measure immersion, the researchers tracked variations in participants’ heart rates as they consumed a media reel of 22 clips across eight media types.
“The results show that audio content and personalities connect and engage audiences at a much deeper level than other media types,” said Idil Cakim, Senior Vice President of Research and Insight at Entercom. Cakim presented the study at the virtual CES 2021 conference.
“Immersion is predictive of sales,” Cakim said. “Therefore, advertising dollars placed with audio will turn into business.”
Some additional key findings included:
- One-third of broadcast over-the-air listeners have taken action after hearing an ad or a host recommendation as part of a commercial or audio show
- Local audio content and host trust are the largest influencers of listenership
The study was conducted on a nationally representative sample of 1,008 adults aged 18-54 in the fourth quarter of 2020.
To learn more about how to get your brand’s message on the immersive medium of audio, contact SMI today.