Make Dynamic Audio Ads that WOW!

Carel: 0:08

Hello again, I'm Carel, host of AV123, an audiovisual show powered by Voice123. The largest and most trusted voice over network where you can hire any voice actor for any AV project. In this episode, we chat to Jack Gillard, creative production manager at AMA - who are leaders in dynamic creative audio. Jack's worked in the audio industry for the best part of a decade, combining performance, creativity, and storytelling at the very forefront of audio advertising.

Jack: 0:39

So, we already can serve people adverts saying, "Jack, what are you doing this Monday?" But we've made a very conscious decision not to, because, as you said, um, I think it will really turn off listeners still.

Carel: 0:51

Those in the know are calling dynamic audio advertising the next big thing. So let's find out just how big it is, shall we? Jack, welcome to AV123. Jack It's really great to be here. Carel I can hardly think of a company name more evocative than A Million Ads. What does that mean exactly, and why do you guys call yourselves that?

Jack: 1:15

We've actually had a rebrand recently, so we're AMA. I think a lot of our clients used to refer to us as AMA, so it's AMA or A Million Ads. But in a nutshell, it comes down to the fact that you know, through dynamic advertising we're able to not just serve one copy of advert anymore, or just a piece of advert with a tag on the end, we could, if you want to save up to a million different variations of this so that's by changing the lines through lots of different data triggers, through locations, through weather. Um, so, in a nutshell, every time you hear an advert that's, you know, comes through our system, hopefully it should be a completely unique advert for you. So yeah, that's where A Million Ads comes from.

Carel: 1:55

Jack, what exactly is dynamic audio, and how does it differ from traditional audio in advertising?

Jack: 2:03

So yeah, dynamic audio is simply audio that the messaging or the creative changes as a result of a data point that we have the biggest difference between sort of the mediums between the traditional audio and dynamic audio is how we tailor our messaging to audiences. So, with traditional audio advertising, you generally have that one piece of creative, as I mentioned earlier, that has to relate to as wide an audience as possible. Um, we can change those up with, um, sort of broadcast regions by adding tagging to localized regions but again, you still have to try and reach as big an audience as possible. The amazing thing with dynamic, uh, advertising is that we can then change the messaging and the creative to make it much more personal to the listener. And the, in that moment where they are, um, and everything else that's going on around them, it can even match their, their interests and ultimately that makes a much more engaging advert that will resonate with the listener without losing the sort of scale and, you know, adaptability that audio advertising has. Carel Is that the future of audio advertising, do you think? Jack I think so. So obviously we, well, we've heard of the death of radio many a time and I don't think you know, we're anywhere near that, but we're moving a lot more into a digital world, and we've got a lot more people vying for our attention all the time. I think, you know, we're in a world where you see advertising everywhere. You know, you step off the bus, you'll see an advert, you'll hear an advert and I think as consumers, we're a lot more used to it. So where dynamic and digital audio can come in is, it can engage you much more. So it's a lot more relevant to, to your moment, to what you're thinking. And it's a much more, it can be a much more enjoyable experience rather than just being an advert that completely comes in out of nowhere and, you know, changes up your mood.

Carel: 3:57

How would one set about recording something like that, though? Because you'd, you'd need how many data points to make it work?

Jack: 4:04

Um, it's one of those, how long is a piece of string you can have as many as you like. So, um, you could just base it on one so sort of the, the most, you know, easy to grasp dynamic content would just be using a call out very much in a traditional linear advert. You might have a car advertiser who wants to do just a call out to every, every different dealership across the country. Normally you'd do that by lots of different linear scripts, then tagged on at the end for each local broadcaster. With dynamic we can, we can use that so that when we are, when we serve an impression, then we get the locations of the nearest dealership. So that's sort of, you know, one data point we could use, but we could use five, six, seven. So we could use, um, well, one thing we really like to do is engage the listener with their moments. So that time of day, as I mentioned earlier, it's about capturing them in the same space that the listener's in, so that when they hear a message, they hear something relevant. So it might be talking about a sofa when you come home. So what we're and it's the afternoon so where we can create that feeling of just wanting to slip your shoes off and jump, jump on your sofa, ready to snuggle down and watch the latest box set, and that builds that, that brand feeling the same as using rotation. We can use rotation so every time the the listener hears the advert, they'll hear something different. So we could highlight a different product feature. This not only allows us to create better creative, cause we don't have to try and shove everything into 30 seconds and have a really fast advert, it also decreases the, the ad fatigue. So, it just pricks up the ears a little bit and goes,"Oh, that's a little bit different I've learned something new about the product." So, or we could be using weather so it could be raining where you are right now. And we could call out a feature on a car, such as automatic wipers or automatic lights to, to, to make their drive a much more pleasurable and safer experience. So it's how, how bold you want to go with it. But ultimately I think when you're deciding these, these, these dynamic points it's about the message of the advert. So the key thing is to use it to enhance and elevate the advert rather than just using a location to get the shock factor that can be great to listen, but actually is it adding to your message? If it's a premium product, we don't want that. We want something that's a bit more subtle. It's just talking a bit more about your lifestyle and how we can fit in with it. So, it's all about appreciating that end goal and target of the advert.

Carel: 6:42

Storytelling and engagement are terms that are frequently bandied about in today's advertising. Is that how dynamic audio would contribute to an ad's storytelling ability?

Jack: 6:56

Yeah, I think, um, it's that, that relevance is a real key part. So if we're, we're trying to to sell a product we want, we want them to know what benefit it's gonna have to, to the listener's life. So creating that world which is very similar to them, we, we can create a much more engaging product. How, how, how it will fit into their day-to-day routine. But we can also use things, um to enhance the story we tell. So sequence, we could for example, um, have a, a dating app. The first time the listener listens to the advert, they could hear about a couple's first date. The second time, then you'll hear about their wedding day. The third time you hear the advert, then you could hear about the family they've just started all coming back with perfect love stories coming from this app. And it's, um, it's, I think we're definitely moving that way as people are getting braver with dynamic we, we can tell those bigger stories. It's, um, yeah, it's, it's something that I think can really enhance the lifestyle. The same with, um, say if a film was coming out and it's a fantasy film and we can say far in the distance stands a hero, their outline in the mist, if it's misty. So then you're engaged in that world because you feel the mist around you. But if it's a sunny day, it could say, there stands a hero, their sun, uh, their armor glistening in the sunshine.

Carel: 8:20

Yes!

Jack: 8:21

And it, it just brings you into that world with them. So it's, it's about just creating those moments where you can really feel a part of the story.

Carel: 8:31

Yes! At Voice 123, our business is voice acting and helping clients who want their stories told to find the perfect voice to do the telling. What role does voice over play in crafting effective dynamic audio content?

Jack: 8:48

I think it's, um, very similar to any sort of commercial acting. I think you need to be prepared. You need to read the script beforehand, understand what you're trying to sell. Um, the, the positioning. What the brand is, if they're a bit more premium, if they're high energy, if it's a sports read, we want a bit more punchy. If it's a luxury brand, we might want to pull back. So being prepared going into the session is, is key. Um, personal experience again, we don't, we don't want to take that away from from the voice over artists, they might really engage with the brand. They, they might have a story that they want to tell and ultimately people buy from people. So we want to keep that all those great elements that you can have in a typical commercial. I think where it differs is very much the same as, you know, a, an audiobook read or a long corporate session. What we need is consistency, vocal conditioning, and strength and for that, I mean, the sessions are just that little bit longer. Normally, you know, we could get one advert done in 15 minutes or, you know, the top I'd say for a linear advert would be an hour. These sessions tend to be two hours, three hours, and we need that same energy, intonation from the start to the end. So that when we put together the advert there, every line sounds like it sounds like each other. So we could be speaking about a location and say,"visit us in London." But then by the end of the session, the voice over might be tired and say, "Oh, visit us in Manchester." That obviously isn't going to sound exactly the same with the line before it that was recorded, so we need to make sure that we've got those, you know, that conditioned voice, that strength and enthusiasm right at the, the end of the session as we do at the, start.

Carel: 10:38

Before we continue, let me just ask everyone listening to the show, are you an audio producer? Do you know Voice123 has an AV resource center with everything from filmmaking hacks to video game guides? No? Then visit www.voice123.com/blog or click the link in the description. So Jack, tell me, what are the challenges of integrating dynamic audio into a marketing strategy in what is a very saturated market?

Jack: 11:08

Um, I think, you know, one of the biggest challenges that I find personally is, um, the positioning of dynamic audio. Currently, I think a lot of clients, they'll have their, their budget for online, they'll have a budget for out of home or print and then, uh, an audio budget. And that audio tends to be radio and, and dynamic or sort of in one or radio, digital and dynamic. I think we need to start positioning digital audio and therefore dynamic audio as another piece. So when we, when we brief it in, yes, we might be adhering to the same sort of brand messaging, the same tone and arch as as the traditional linear. It's respecting that we're, we're meeting the listener in a completely different headspace. So digital listening tends to be a lot more personal. It, um, you know, it might be listened to in headphones on your own podcast, for example. And we want to speak to the listener in a way that engages them there. The great thing obviously about broadcast is you're reaching as many different people as possible and you need to keep it generic to meet those people. And you sort of expect it within the context of a radio show that you've got these adverts, but when you're coming in off of a, a Spotify playlist, for example, you, you're, you're taking them away from their moment with the music, what they've chosen to listen to. So we have to respect that and serve an advert that relates to them, that gives them something that they want to engage with. So I think it's really, yeah, positioning within the whole realm that whilst it's still got all the beauty of an audio advert, it's, it's a different beast to to, you know, to broadcast.

Carel: 12:52

Speaking of cost, though, can dynamic audio be cost effective for smaller brands or startups trying to stand out in what is a very saturated advertising market?

Jack: 13:04

So I think, um, it certainly can in, in terms of creative costs. So if you were trying to plan your, your budget for the whole year, uh, a lot of the sort of downfalls with, you know, a traditional audio advert would be, you would record one script and then pay a license for that and then go away. A couple of months later, do it again. So you're paying for another recording sessions, you know, paying for the, the BSF for the studio time for the licensing again. However, with dynamic advertising, we can encompass your whole year's messaging into one. What, what you would then do is, you know, rather than paying for four or five, one hour sessions have one, two to three hour session at the start of the year and create copy that can be relevant to your messaging across the whole year. So again, using whether we can have lines, which call out the amazing sunshine in the summer, or, you know, the cold in, in the winter and link those with products. So if it's a clothing brand, you'd want to sell shorts and T-shirts in the summer and, you know, big body coats in the winter. So using that as an example, it might seem quite high at the start for your creative, but actually you're spending a lot less across the whole year. So that that's one way in which I believe that it's a lot more cost-effective. Also the, we just see that it performs really well in terms of engagement with, with the brand. So we'll get uplifts in, you know, in. in the positioning of brand for, for a listener or that reduction in ad fatigue. So you're actually getting a much more engaged audience through dynamic audio. So whilst the cost per impression might be that little bit higher, you're getting a much more engaged audience. As a result of it, and therefore hopefully driving much better brand results.

Carel: 14:57

Jack, what sort of future trends do you foresee in the use of dynamic audio in advertising?

Jack: 15:03

I can see, uh, as people are getting more and more used to dynamic advertising, I'm hopefully, you know, by by positioning it in as its own way, we can just see people just being a bit more bolder, or and even subtler in their ways of using dynamics. So we don't have to be quite as direct in saying that, you know, we know your location, we're actually just giving them little product, subtle hints, little things, which, which engage in softer ways. Um, obviously AI is being used a lot more across the, the industry as a creative tool for, you know, script writing, idea generation, but I also see that it could play a great role in sort of real-time data gathering and hopefully we'll get to there. For example, we could use live Olympic medal scores. So if we have one of the, the Olympic sponsors with us, we could do a call out to, um, you know, to congratulate one of our winners or say, come on team GB we've got 10 gold medals, for example, all using pre recorded lines that we have. But this is then just updated in, in our software through, through that data gathering. But, I believe the, you know, the, the biggest thing that I can see and the biggest advantage for dynamic audio is the, the death of the cookie in online marketing. Uh, it's going to get harder and harder to, to personalize your online messages because you're not going to be able to get that information in the, in the way that we used to, but dynamic audio advertising can really excel here in creating those worlds through, you know, easily accessible data like time of day, weather, location. And using company's first-party data as well so that we've got ethically sourced data by tailoring that message to you exactly where you want it. So I see this as a really, really great position for dynamic audio to be in. And you know, digital audio listening and digital audio advertising spend is only continuing to grow. So you need, so it's about positioning your message in a way that'll stand out against all those other adverts. That's where dynamic can come in and make your advert that much more relevant to a listener.

Carel: 17:19

As a point of interest, digital privacy is becoming more and more of a thing. How would dynamic audio and dynamic advertising actually navigate those challenges where people feel your ads may be becoming a little intrusive because suddenly, you know, where I am.

Jack: 17:35

I think it's, um, it's one that the marketplace very much has to keep on top of and aware of. And this is a really great question, actually. Um, so for example, you might sign up to an audio listening app and they've got your name, they've got, um, you know, it's your name, your last name. So we already can serve people adverts, you know, saying, "Jack, what are you doing this Monday?" But we've made a very conscious decision not to, because as you said, um, I think it will really turn off listeners still completely, you know, be, be creeped out and.. Carel They would be! Jack Uh, and find it weird, so it's very much, you know, our responsibility as a company and that of, um, advertisers to keep their ear to the ground, follow trends, see what's working well, see, see what's not, what's not working well. For example, uh, first-party data that's really great for us is if a listeners listening to a rock playlist. We could then just change the music of the advert so that they hear rock music underneath it and the more upbeat read from the voice over that way they're not getting really messaging that that can put you off you're getting something which actually enhances your day because you haven't been cut out of the feeling of the playlist you're listening to. You've got an advert which is keeping that NG high. But the same with, if you're listening to a classical playlist, you, you know, you wouldn't want to hear that same advert with a rock track because suddenly you'd be thrown out of this, this world. So we could change it to a classical track. So that's where we can use those data sources, um, from publishers, because they know that you're listening to X, Y, Z track or X, Y, Z station, and then we all just tailor the creative to it rather than the messaging. So it's, it's about ways to enhance the experience to the listener rather than, you know, use something to shock or or get that value, as you said.

Carel: 19:40

Tell me something from a creative perspective, how important is collaboration between the sound designers, marketers, and other creatives in producing effective, dynamic audio advertising?

Jack: 19:50

So, I think it's the same with all ad campaigns. It comes straight from, you know, every member of the team, so from, from our sales teams to have a really great conversation with the client to make sure that we know their aims, what they want to achieve, the benefits for the listener, the, you know, why they should have this product. It starts there the same with all advertising campaigns. Then we can build that with our creative. So really respecting those, those goals and aims and seeing where dynamic fit into this, where it raises it. So if it is a, a sale campaign we could use a date date trigger to count down when the sale ends to create that urgency, or if it's a brand awareness, then it's more about creating a nice feeling around the brand. So it starts there, that collaboration, and then it goes all the way through to the team. As I mentioned about those recording sessions earlier, it can be a long time, it can be quite taxing and that relationship between me who, you know, I, I might be attending the, uh, the studio virtually to the engineer who I trust to be sort of my, my eyes and ears we need to make sure that each dynamic segment is no longer than the longest version, because if we suddenly have something longer than we might make an advert, one of our variations might come out longer than 30 seconds and it'll get chopped off. So I put a lot of trust in the engineers to, to, to be there, be my sort of safety blanket and the same with with, uh, the voiceover, I want them to bring their experience, their, their engagement and bring it to life. So it's, it's the same as anything creative. I think working together from the start can only make, uh, a better experience. And just because somebody isn't, you know, in a creative role doesn't mean they don't have something to say. I'm not a father, but someone in our accounts team might have children and we're advertising a baby products brand. So of course I'm going to use their experiences. Same with the voice over with the engineer if they've got a thought, let's bring it together and make a better piece of creative altogether.

Carel: 21:56

Jack Gillard of AMA. Thank you so much for having been on AV123.

Jack: 22:02

No, thank you. It's been a pleasure.

Carel: 22:04

And to all of you out there. If you ever need a vocal maestro to bring your AV projects to life, remember that it's as easy as Voice123. So click the link in the description to sign up for free and hire voice actors that can bring any AV project to life. Or if you want to add a couple of hours to your day make use of our A to Z project management service. You'll be so glad you did. We'll be back with another AV exploration soon, so don't forget to subscribe, comment, or let us know if you'd like to be featured in an episode of AV123. So, until next time!