Magna Finds Culture Eats General-Market Audio Ad Strategies For Breakfast

By Joe Mandese, Published on MediaPost

IPG Mediabrands’ Magna unit this morning revealed findings from new research on the effectiveness of audio ads that is bound to put pressure on creative shops seeking to connect with multicultural audiences.

The study, one in a series of Magna “media trials” conducted with media suppliers, was commissioned by audio ad giant SXM Media, and found that audio spots that are created to be culturally relevant to distinct audiences outperform general-market ones, especially when targeting Asian, Black and Hispanic consumers.

The aptly named “Challenging the ‘One & Done’ Approach,” puts the onus on creative agencies to develop unique ads relevant to each segment.

Specifically, the study found:
• General market audio ads had lower impact on brand favorability and brand preference.
• Cultural audio ads drive “positive emotion” and brand impact among multicultural audiences, as well as brand relevance.
• Culture-specific audio ads connect with multicultural audiences on a deeper, cultural level.
• Multicultural audiences want to see “authentic representation” of their cultures in ads.
• “Relatability” is a key driver for “likeability” of culture-specific audio ads:

The findings are based on a study that recruited digital audio listeners across two advertising categories — clothing and dining — and collected responses from representative samples of three multicultural groups, as well as the U.S. general population.

“Diverse audiences respond to representation in advertising, and they react more favorably to ads that are ‘blanket’ multicultural and, more so, culture-specific, with these two types of ads well outscoring those created for general population on a range of indicators,” Magna Managing Director of Intelligence Solutions Kara Manatt said, noting: “As long as the spots ring true and do not fall to stereotypes, brands that create advertising for specific, diverse communities will reap positive outcomes across favorability, preference and relevance.”

Read the Full Study

 

Read the Article on MediaPost

NEW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CULTURALLY FOCUSED AUDIO ADS DRIVE BRAND RELEVANCE & FAVORABILITY AMONG GROWTH AUDIENCES OR SEGMENTS

Study Commissioned by SXM Media, MAGNA & Identity Finds that Audio Ads that Leverage a Cultural Connection Drive Brand Growth

NEW YORK (Dec. 19) — MAGNA Media Trials, MAGNA’s industry-leading, proprietary research offering, and Identity, Mediabrands’ cultural consultancy arm, collaborated with SXM Media on a study, released today, on multicultural audiences, including AAPI, Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino audiences. The study, titled “Challenging the ‘One & Done’ Approach,” reveals how critical it is for brands to invest in digital audio creative that culturally connects with multicultural audiences to drive growth. The study also highlights what levers brands should pull or avoid to connect with diverse audiences more authentically.

Many marketers leverage a “one and done” creative approach for all audiences, without being mindful of the multifaceted nature of diverse audiences and the cultural nuances that make them so distinct from one another, even within their own segments. To address this pitfall, the study set out to determine the most impactful digital-audio, ad-creative strategy for Growth/multicultural audiences. The report analyzed the importance of culture for today’s American consumer, along with what happens when brands connect to multicultural consumers on a cultural level through digital audio ads.

“We are living in a time when culture is more accessible than ever. And as this continues to happen, we are rediscovering our history, celebrating our roots, and reclaiming our pasts to make it a prominent part of our present,” said Deidre Smalls-Landau, EVP, Managing Partner, Mediabrands Identity. “As such, we are expecting brands to also do their homework to acknowledge the multidimensional nature of our communities, as well as realizing that the bar on authenticity has been raised. Authentically reaching diverse audiences requires an understanding of how we code switch, when we accentuate, and how fluid identities truly are.”

The study recruited digital audio listeners across two industry verticals, clothing and dining, and collected responses from three multicultural groups, as well as the U.S. general population. The types of digital ads tested were General Market advertising, mainstream ads aimed at broad audiences, Blanket Multicultural advertising, ads customized for all multicultural groups combined, and Culture-specific advertising, ads customized for specific cultural groups (in this case AAPI, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino) by referencing specific food, dialect, themes, etc., pertaining to that group. The multicultural versions of scripts and spots for this study were crafted by the creative team at Studio Resonate, an audio agency that creates campaigns for advertisers within the SXM Media portfolio.

“Diverse audiences respond to representation in advertising, and they react more favorably to ads that are ‘blanket’ multicultural and, more so, culture-specific, with these two types of ads well outscoring those created for general population on a range of indicators,” said Kara Manatt, EVP, Managing Director, Intelligence Solutions at MAGNA. “As long as the spots ring true and do not fall to stereotypes, brands that create advertising for specific, diverse communities will reap positive outcomes across favorability, preference and relevance.”

Additional takeaways from “Challenging the ‘One & Done’ Approach” include:

    • General Market audio ads fail to resonate with multicultural audiences: General Market audio ads had lower impact on brand favorability and brand preference. While the general market audio ads saw a +13% lift in brand favorability among general audiences, the lift was only +4% for multicultural audiences. Similarly, the general market audio ads drove an +11% lift in brand preference for general audiences, and only +5% for multicultural.
    • Cultural audio ads drive positive emotion and brand impact among multicultural audiences: People feel happy and excited after hearing cultural ads, and brands benefit from higher brand relevance. Cultural ads drove a +6% lift in brand relevance among multicultural audiences, while the general market ad only drove a lift of +3%. Similarly, these culturally relevant ads drove +8% lift in brand favorability among multicultural audiences.
    • Culture-specific audio ads connect with multicultural audiences on a deeper, cultural level: Surpassing General Market audio ads and Blanket multicultural audio ads, Culture-specific audio ads have a halo effect on the brand, making multicultural audiences feel as if the brand itself is culturally conscious. In turn, this fosters the perception that the brand is “relevant to them.”
      • Multicultural audiences who strongly identify with their race and ethnicity like the Culture-specific audio ad more, which ultimately leads to increased purchase intent.
    • Multicultural audiences/growth segments want to see “Authentic representation” in ads: Authenticity in ads is important to the majority of multicultural audiences (76%), as surface level references in Culture-specific audio ads, such as exaggerated accents and limited language insertions, are not enough to achieve authenticity.
    • “Relatability” is a key driver for likeability of Culture-specific audio ads: Relatability is complex as you get more specific; references might not feel relevant to everyone in the group. When the references in the Culture-specific audio ads are directly relevant to the specific cultural group, brands benefit from higher brand preference.

 

“While brand ads have become much more inclusive these past few years, culture-specific messages are still not every advertiser’s top priority,” said Nidia Serrano, Vice President, Sales Marketing, SXM Media. “Specificity matters, especially for an increasingly culturally connected group who doesn’t always hear or see themselves in ads. Digital audio is an easy and effective way for brands to celebrate all voices and to be more relevant and gain the love and attention of multicultural consumers.”

The full study can be found here.

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About MAGNA

MAGNA is the leading global media investment and intelligence company. Our trusted insights, proprietary trials offerings, industry-leading negotiation and unparalleled consultative solutions deliver an actionable marketplace advantage for our clients and subscribers.

We are a team of experts driven by results, integrity and inquisitiveness. We operate across five key competencies, supporting clients and cross-functional teams through partnership, education, accountability, connectivity and enablement. For more information, please visit our website: https://magnaglobal.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Identity

Identity is a diversity consultative practice under IPG Mediabrands. With specialties in the Hispanic / Latino, Black/African Americans, Asian, LGBTQ, Gen Z consumer segments, Identity designs cultural solutions to help organizations futureproof their business and thrive internally and externally. Identity adheres to a proprietary approach, known as CULTURESMART™, as a way to strategically map the DNA of cultural influence, to unlock opportunities and accelerate the momentum for brands. By doing this they focus on the most influential, high growth audiences and cultures most relevant for a brand.

About SXM Media

SXM Media is the gateway for marketers to the largest digital audio advertising ecosystem in North America. As the combined advertising revenue organization of Sirius XM Holdings Inc., SXM Media spans across leading owned and operated audio platforms Pandora, SiriusXM, and Stitcher; innovative ad tech solutions powered by AdsWizz; sonic creative consultancy Studio Resonate; and an extended content network featuring exclusive monetization agreements with Audiochuck, NBCUniversal, SoundCloud, and many more. Reaching more than 150 million listeners each month, SXM Media delivers audiences tailored brand experiences while putting creators first, making it easy for every marketer to produce, plan, buy, and measure across its entire audio universe.

For more information, please go to: https://www.sxmmedia.com/.

About Studio Resonate

In 2009, Studio Resonate created the world’s first streaming audio ad with Pandora. Over 200,000 audio ads later, that spirit of innovation is still what drives us. From global sonic strategy to cutting-edge advertising to daily audio production, we are the makers behind the signature sounds of countless beloved brands. We may not be able to see what the future holds, but we do know what it sounds like. Tomorrow’s audio is being created by Studio Resonate and its advertising partners.

To learn more visit https://www.sxmmedia.com/studio-resonate.

 

Media Contacts

Zinnia Gill
VP, Global Corporate Communications
Mediabrands
[email protected]

 

Victoria Chow
Director, Corporate Communications
SiriusXM
[email protected]

 

 

 

 

Americans See Audio As Safe Haven In Deepening Sea Of Misinformation, Survey Says.

Published on Podcast News Daily

Misinformation is a growing issue for Americans with just seven percent of people in a new survey saying they rarely encounter it as part of their media diet. Roughly seven in ten people agree that misinformation is “an issue” and that it is also getting “out of control.” But when it comes to where they are finding it, the study by Magna and Zefr shows most Americans believe audio is by far not the problem.

Traditional AM/FM radio ranks dead last for where people surveyed say they most often encounter misinformation. Podcasts rank second to last. Across media types, people reported they encounter misinformation the most on social media (94 over index), followed by television (57 over index).

The low numbers for radio and podcasters is especially good news since rather than reporting misinformation to a publisher, the most common response by people when they encounter bogus content is to simply boycott the platform or publisher going forward. Among those surveyed, 37% said that is the move they make compared to 23% who said they send a message to the platform alerting them. “Platforms cannot rely on user reporting to detect misinformation, as most people either do not message the platform or ignore misinformation altogether,” the report says.

The study also helps to justify why marketers are focused on misinformation as a brand safety issue. That is because Americans spread the blame equally when an ad appears adjacent to bogus news.

The survey results show a majority (53%) put the blame on the publisher or author, but not far behind is the 49% who blame the platform and 44% that attach some blame to the adjacent advertiser. And nearly two-thirds (63%) say that misinformation has a negative impact on how they see the marketer’s brand.

To gauge the real-world impact of misinformation on brands, researchers asked people about real brands using hypothetical scenarios. What they found was half of people surveyed said they were less likely to buy a brand that they connected with misinformation. And 53% were less likely to have a favorable view of the brand. The same number said they would be less likely to recommend it to others. The data points to consumers seeing brands as just as responsible as the perpetrators of misinformation.

“People want brands to be proactive in tackling misinformation,” the report says. The survey results reveal that when it comes to misinformation, 87% of people believe brands need to take responsibility when associated with misinformation. And 86% said brands need to take every effort to avoid being next to misinformation.

“In a fractured news environment, 93% of respondents told us they view misinformation as being ubiquitous, and while they’ve developed skills to identify it, our study revealed that consumers are not reporting it, which puts even more responsibility on brands to be aware of ad environments,” said Elijah Harris, EVP Global Digital Partnerships & Media Responsibility at Magna. “A resounding 87% of respondents told us they expect brands to take responsibility for misinformation, and combatting it is becoming a critical industry issue of our time.”

Magna conducted focus groups with individuals across the U.S. as well as surveyed 2,045 people online for the study. If there is an upside in a divided America, the results show misinformation is an issue everyone can agree on.

The study discovered that political ideology does not necessarily shape opinions when it comes to issues around misinformation. Left-leaning (72%), right-leaning (73%), in the middle (66%), and apolitical (66%) identifying respondents all agreed within a similar survey range that misinformation is “out of control.”

The findings are also good news for study partner Zefr, which works with advertisers on brand suitability targeting and measurement. “It’s clear the time is now for brands to demand third-party verification for misinformation and help protect their long-term brand values as well as their short-term business results,” said Zefr Senior VP Christopher Murphy.

Read the Full Study

 

Read the Article on AdAge

MISINFORMATION IS THRIVING—AND WHAT BRANDS SHOULD DO ABOUT IT

By Maia Vines, Published on AdAge

Magna and Zefr find misinformation thrives on social media and TV

Brands need to be especially careful when it comes to running ads in places where misinformation thrives: That’s because consumers are just as likely to blame a brand for so-called fake news it appears next to as the author who posted it, according to a new study.

Ninety-three percent of consumers are exposed to misinformation, with most agreeing that it’s “out of control,” regardless of political ideology, according to a study published today by IPG agency Magna and data and technology company Zefr. Unsurprisingly, the bulk of misinformation is found on social platforms, followed by TV.

When those surveyed were asked who they think is at fault when a brand’s ad appears next to misinformation, participants blamed publishers, the platform and the brand more or less equally. Consumers believe that a brand that appears next to a piece of misinformation is supporting a website or platform that publishes misinformation, supports the misinformation itself and isn’t careful about where it advertises.

Brand safety and appearing alongside misinformation has long been a fraught issue for brands, especially on social platforms, and continues to be top of mind in the wake of Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter. Last week, several brands’ Twitter handles fell victim to impersonators who purchased blue check marks, which have served as a verification of sorts on the platform. For Eli Lilly, this resulted in a fake account posting that they were giving away free insulin. Among the biggest concerns for brands, as it relates to Twitter, is the potential for Musk to allow misinformation to thrive on the platform.

Elsewhere, during the midterm elections, TikTok failed to catch 90% of ads featuring false or misleading messages about elections, according to a report in the New York Times.
When consumers see a brand adjacent to misinformation, the inclination for consumers isn’t necessarily to privately contact the brand to let them know they saw them appear next to misinformation, with only 23% saying they would message the brand. Instead, 37% said they would boycott the platform or publisher and 31% would share it on social media, according to the Magna and Zefr study.

Brands appearing next to misinformation face more than just reputational risks, as integrity may also affect revenue, researchers find. According to the study, 50% of consumers reported they were less likely to purchase from, and 51% reported they were unlikely to search for, brands perceived as supporting misinformation.

When a brand does find itself next to a piece of misinformation, 87% of those surveyed said it should take responsibility for its actions. Ultimately, consumers are looking for brands to be proactive, with 87% saying that brands should make every effort to avoid being next to misinformation; 84% saying they should have a policy regarding misinformation; and 79% saying brands should express their stance on misinformation.

Magna conducted four focus groups of around 20 individuals across the country along with 2,045 people surveyed online.

Read the Full Study

 

Read the Article on AdAge

NEW MAGNA RESEARCH WITH ZEFR REVEALS 93% OF CONSUMERS ARE EXPOSED TO MISINFORMATION, AND EXPECT BRANDS TO TAKE ACTION

New York, NY – November 15, 2022 – MAGNA Media Trials, in collaboration with brand suitability leader Zefr, released a new study today that examines the impact of misinformation on consumers and brands. Voices on Misinformation takes an in-depth look at consumer sentiment and perceptions of misinformation and identifies how people are dealing with it in their daily lives. Further, the study highlights the potential impact on brands thought to be associated with misinformation.

Voices on Misinformation found that consumers continue to be exposed to a high-volume of misinformation, and a majority view this as increasing over time (82%). Approximately 7 out of 10 people agree that misinformation is “an issue” and that it is also getting “out of control.”

The study found that misinformation transcends the political divide, as respondents representing a variety of political affiliations agreed on many key issues. Across media types, people reported they encounter misinformation the most on social media (94 over index), followed by television (57 over index).

As people are increasingly exposed to misinformation, they have also become equally savvy in identifying it. Most study participants (83%) claimed to incorporate at least four signals to identify misinformation on their own, demonstrating the significant legwork people undertake to effectively vet content. That said, while many people are actively vetting the content sources they view, they aren’t as engaged with combating misinformation once they’ve encountered it. A vast majority of participants (78%) reported they simply ignore misinformation when they see it.

For brands investing millions in advertising to establish their reputations, association with misinformation poses a significant risk. Among participants surveyed, 63% saw agreed that misinformation would have a negative impact on how they viewed the brand. As a result, brands are likely to see a loss across key performance indicators.

Given the current political climate, consumers expect brands to take a more proactive stance on combating misinformation. A majority of respondents expressed the desire to see brands “take responsibility when associated with misinformation” (87%), as well as “make every effort to avoid being next to misinformation” (86%). These findings suggest consumers are more discerning and critical when it comes to the type of content brands associate themselves with—a clear signal to advertisers on the need to adopt proactive strategies to avoid misinformation.

“Zefr’s mission to defund misinformation continues with our latest partnership with MAGNA and our joint research on its impact to consumers via platforms and their advertisers,” said Christopher Murphy, SVP of Global Business Development, Zefr. “It’s clear the time is now for brands to demand third-party verification for misinformation and help protect their long-term brand values as well as their short-term business results. Zefr looks forward to our continued partnership with platforms, brands, and agencies on this key issue.”

“In a fractured news environment, 93% of respondents told us they view misinformation as being ubiquitous, and while they’ve developed skills to identify it, our study revealed that consumers are not reporting it, which puts even more responsibility on brands to be aware of ad environments,” said Elijah Harris, EVP Global Digital Partnerships & Media Responsibility at MAGNA. “A resounding 87% of respondents told us they expect brands to take responsibility for misinformation, and combatting it is becoming a critical industry issue of our time.”

Voices on Misinformation key takeaways:

• Consumers under report misinformation. Only 23% of study participants revealed they contact the platform when they see misinformation. This is concerning, as many platforms rely in part on consumer reporting to assess and address misinformation on their sites. This finding suggests that the data platforms have on misinformation may be inaccurate and might require the assistance of third parties to effectively vet content.

• Author is a far less important signal than content for identifying misinformation. While many platforms use the author of the content as an indicator of misinformation, most consumers use the content itself as a signal for misinformation (23 over index). In fact, vetting a piece of content based on the author was one of the least-used signals (33 under index) among surveyed respondents.

• Brands thought to support misinformation take a hit to their bottom line. Brands appearing next to misinformation content face more than just reputational risks—there are also negative implications for advertisers’ financial bottom line, KPIs, and future growth. According to the study, 50% of consumers reported they were less likely to purchase from, and 51% reported they were unlikely to search for brands perceived as supporting misinformation.

• Misinformation is an issue everyone can agree on. The study discovered that political ideology does not necessarily shape opinions when it comes to issues around misinformation. Left-learning (72%), right-leaning (73%), in the middle (66%), and apolitical (66%) identifying respondents all agreed within a similar survey range that misinformation is “out of control.”

Magna conducted focus groups with individuals across the United States as well as surveyed 2,045 people online, with geographic, demographic and political diversity, for the report.

The full study is available here.

About MAGNA

MAGNA is the leading global media investment and intelligence company. Our trusted insights, proprietary trials offerings, industry-leading negotiation and unparalleled consultative solutions deliver an actionable marketplace advantage for our clients and subscribers.

We are a team of experts driven by results, integrity and inquisitiveness. We operate across five key competencies, supporting clients and cross-functional teams through partnership, education, accountability, connectivity and enablement. For more information, please visit our website: https://magnaglobal.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Zefr

Zefr is the global leader in brand suitability targeting and measurement across walled garden environments. Zefr’s products put brands in control of their content adjacency on scaled platforms including YouTube, Meta and TikTok, based on brand and industry standards like the Global Alliance of Responsible Media (GARM) framework.

Rather than rely on keywords, Zefr leverages a patented Cognition AI technology to offer brands and agencies more accurate and transparent targeting and measurement solutions on scaled platforms. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with offices in New York, Chicago, London, Brazil, and Dubai. For more information, go to: http://zefr.com.

Media Contact:
Zinnia Gill
Mediabrands
Vice President, Global Corporate Communications
(646) 965-4271

Andrew Serby
Zefr
[email protected]