Commercial radio celebrated its 50th birthday last month. Since the launch of LBC and Capital Radio in 1973, commercial radio has come on leaps and bounds, surpassing the BBC in terms of listeners. Here’s what we think is next for the future of audio.
We have seen huge advancements in digital audio, from targeting capabilities to complex activation approaches. We can apply specific targeting to our campaigns and individual listeners, such as demographic, geographic and behavioural data, to acutely refine our targeting approach – personalising content for each user to enhance engagement and drive results.
Personalisation, paired with innovation around AI, is becoming prominent within the industry. We expect targeting to become more focussed on specific user listening habits, rather than demographical data. Spotify has already started to make advancements in this space. Spotify’s AI DJ, a personalised playlist generator, utilises AI algorithms to curate music based on user preferences and context. Advertisers can tailor ads to fit individual playlists, targeting specific demographics and optimising engagement by aligning with users’ musical preferences. This approach will enhance ad relevance and increase the audience’s attention.
Take Kopparberg as an example. If they wanted to use digital audio AI to create highly personalised and contextually relevant campaigns Spotify’s AI could be used to generate personalised playlists. The platform would create a playlist that caters to users’ musical tastes and their specific listening habits, moods, and preferences. If a user listens to indie rock during the evening, their playlist will feature relevant tracks alongside Kopparberg ads at appropriate times.
Looking ahead, there are exciting developments in the future of audio, and one of these paths lies within the dynamic realm of digital technology. Advances in AI showcase the potential to tailor content based on user habits and preferences. By leveraging these technologies, advertisers have the potential to create finely tuned, personalised campaigns that synchronise with individual listening patterns. This level of precision and relevance in ad delivery holds the key to capturing the audience’s attention and driving engagement, shaping the future landscape of audio advertising.
