Case Study
Leveraging interactive audio ads to drive awareness and consideration
Products used:
Goals
- Build awareness around Sony’s “For The Music” brand and their new LinkBuds S Noise Canceling Earbuds
- Drive consideration for the LinkBuds S noise-canceling earbuds
Approach
- Leveraged interactive audio ads to engage customers
- Ad creative allowed consumers to add LinkBuds S directly to their cart by using their voice
- Utilized Amazons new lifestyle artist fan segments to reach relevant audiences
Results
- 16MM+ delivered impressions
- Cost per add-to-cart 77% lower than Sony’s Amazon average
- 1.6x higher than the IAA interaction rate benchmark
- 5.8k+ total add-to-cart
- 2,000+ branded searches
Sony Electronics is known for creating products that have innovated and inspired music listeners for three generations and counting, which can be seen with the launch of their “For the Music” campaign, a strategic initiative designed to celebrate the bond between music creators and their listeners. By spotlighting artists’ stories alongside the Sony audio products that bring their work to life, the new brand platform struck a chord with music enthusiasts. “For the Music” champions artist development and supports creative endeavors including specialty content, activations, experiences, and more, all to benefit music fans. Additionally, the platform facilitates artist access and input on professional products and tools to improve content creation approaches and to enhance listening experiences for fans through consumer products.
To build awareness around “For the Music” and their new headphones, Sony collaborated with the performance marketing agency Tinuiti. They wanted to develop a unique approach to simultaneously drive interest and consideration for the LinkBuds S noise-canceling earbuds, designed in partnership with Grammy-winning artist Olivia Rodrigo, among Gen Z adults and millennials.
Embracing the power of interactive audio ads
Recognizing the changing digital landscape, Sony sought a new way to reach customers beyond the traditional realms of video and display advertising. The solution they found was the power of interactive audio ads, a strategy that perfectly aligned with their product.
“With interactive audio ads, we adopted a consideration mentality with a tactic historically evaluated on awareness,” explained Jonathan Cole, senior manager of enterprise commerce media at Tinuiti. “The interactive ad unit allowed us to not only drive reach but relevant add-to-carts to fuel shoppers down the funnel.”
By leveraging Alexa-enabled devices, the campaign enabled consumers to directly interact with the audio ad with the simple command “Alexa, add to cart.” This seamless shopping experience not only increased the likelihood of purchase but also helped keep the product top of mind for further research and consideration.
To ensure the campaign resonated, Sony utilized the new lifestyle artist fan segment, Audio Streaming-Olivia Rodrigo fans, to connect with Olivia Rodrigo fans for their targeting strategy. This allowed them to reach audiences that would be more likely to have an interest in Olivia’s partnership on the Sony LinkBuds S.
Finding measurable results and a frictionless approach to delight audiences
The Sony LinkBuds S interactive audio ad campaign delivered impressive results, including over 16 million impressions, more than 5,800 “add to cart” (ATC) actions, and a 0.04% add-to-cart rate (ATCR), exceeding the average IAA interaction rate. Additionally, the campaign generated 2,000 branded searches, with the cost per ATC notably lower than Sony’s Amazon average.
The Sony LinkBuds S interactive audio ad campaign demonstrates the potential of innovative thinking and the changing digital landscape. By seamlessly integrating technology, creativity, and consumer behavior, the brand was able to create a compelling and frictionless shopping experience that captivated their target audience.
As brands continue to navigate the evolving digital landscape, the success of this campaign serves as a testament to the power of interactive audio advertising in the customer journey.
“We were thrilled to see the success of this campaign,” said Maya Wasserman, head of brand marketing at Sony, “and be able to track the results of this activity full funnel, from awareness down to ATC.”
Source: Amazon internal data, US, Nov–Dec 2023. Results are representative of a single advertiser/campaign and not indicative of future performance.