Click here to view an 11-minute video of the key findings.

Click here to download a PDF of the slides.

The lines of media are blurring. Advertiser and media sellers must ensure their creative works both for the ear and for the eye. Podcasts, born as an audio platform, now integrate video. AM/FM radio ads now sync to in-dash visuals in vehicles. Nielsen reports half the time, TV ads are heard, not seen.

A major study by Quantilope reveals Quu in-dash visual ads on vehicle screens drive significant awareness, consideration, and purchase intent.

A new study from System1, the global leader in creative effectiveness, and major out-of-home media company JCDecaux reveals creative best practices for billboard advertising that the AM/FM radio industry can utilize to improve visual ad impact.

Key findings:

• Quu visual AM/FM radio ads on auto dashboards increase purchase intent by +89%
• You’ve got two seconds so brand fast: Visual logos placed at top of the frame deliver 4X higher brand recognition
• Beware the cost of dull: Failure to engage emotionally is the cost of creative mediocrity
• Be consistent with a brand’s colors, logos, slogans, and fonts that appear in other advertising
• Keep it short: The fewer the words, the greater the brand recognition
• Create happiness: Ads that create positive emotions with happiness, surprise, or humor generate much stronger memorability, brand association, store visits, and website visits

Quu study: Quu in-dash visuals increase purchase intent by +89%

Market researcher Quantilope conducted a major brand effect study of 1,219 listeners across 75 AM/FM radio markets. The research examined visual ad campaigns from six national brands across retail (convenience), consumer packaged goods (CPG), insurance, financial services, retail (automotive aftermarket) and quick service restaurant (QSR).

Brand equity measures were compared among those exposed to the in-dash visuals and those not exposed. The difference represents the “lift” in awareness, consideration, and purchase intent generated by the in-car visual ads.

Most consumers have vehicles that can display words associated with an advertiser:

Visual Quu example only; not a study participant.

Other vehicles can expose consumers to in-dash visual ads with both words and images such as the Blue Otter sunglasses logo below:

Visual Quu example only; not a study participant.

The Quantilope study revealed that when listening to AM/FM radio in the car, 83% pay attention to visuals on the screen. Those exposed to the Quu in-dash visuals generated substantial brand equity growth up and down the purchase funnel.

System1 and JCDecaux study: The AM/FM radio industry can utilize creative best practices for billboard advertising to increase impact of in-dash visual ads

The Science of Being Remembered: The Complete Guide to Out-Of-Home Creative Effectiveness offers AM/FM radio advertisers and sellers best practices to ensure visual ads resonate and create sales effect.

You’ve got two seconds so brand fast: Visual logos placed at top of the frame deliver 4X higher brand recognition

The first two seconds of “eyes-on” to a visual ad determine campaign success. Visual ads achieving two-second brand recognition show +54% higher advertising recall.

Fast branding is crucial as System1/JCDecaux reveal that 50% of global out-of-home ads generate zero brand recognition. System1’s testing reveals it is misguided to think people “will stop to read complex messages or decode subtle brand references.”

Beware the cost of dull: Failure to engage emotionally is the cost of creative mediocrity

Emotional connection with out-of-home visual ads is the strongest predictor of effectiveness. Advertisers have to spend twice as much on dull ads compared to interesting ads to achieve the same impact.

Be consistent with a brand’s colors, logos, slogans, and fonts that appear in other advertising

Cross-channel consistency delivers a +30% lift in advertising recall. However, System1/JCDecaux advise not overdoing it: “Overloading creative with multiple brand elements can actually impede recognition.” Remember, top-of-frame brand placement shows four times higher brand recognition than bottom-of-the-frame brand placement.

Keep it short: The fewer the words, the greater the brand recognition

More messages and words lead to lower brand recognition and lower advertising recall. System1/JCDecaux conclude: “Additional words increase the dullness score. Simplicity drives real-world attention and commercial outcomes.” Visual ads with one message outperform two-message ads by 2X and three-message ads by 4X.

The “keep it short” creative best practice applies to both to audio scripts and visual ads. Leading AM/FM radio effectiveness researcher Jason Brownlee found for every ten words cut from an AM/FM radio script, standout score grew along with increased visitation to an advertiser’s website.

Create happiness: Ads that create positive emotions with happiness, surprise, or humor generate much stronger memorability, brand association, store visits, and website visits

System1 creative testing scores ads with one to five stars based on the degree of positive emotion. Visual ads that score three or four stars on positive emotion generate much stronger business outcomes:

How to create ads with strong positive emotion? System1 reports characters with vitality increase recognition threefold. If an advertiser has a famous brand character strongly associated with the brand, utilize that for powerful recognition.

System1/JCDecaux four visual creative imperatives:

1. “Embrace the two second reality: Design for immediate recognition rather than fighting for extended attention. Place branding strategically for maximum impact.
2. Prioritize emotional engagement over message delivery: The key to commercial effectiveness is emotional connection. Create work that entertains and engages rather than simply informing.
3. Focus on simplicity and impact: More messages lead to less recall. More brand assets don’t equal better recognition. Strategic consistency outperforms tactical repetition.
4. Invest in quality: The financial implications of mediocre creative are measurable and significant. The difference between average and excellent creative execution isn’t just awards, it’s demonstrable business growth.”

Key findings:

• Quu visual AM/FM radio ads on auto dashboards increase purchase intent by +89%
• You’ve got two seconds so brand fast: Visual logos placed at top of the frame deliver 4X higher brand recognition
• Beware the cost of dull: Failure to engage emotionally is the cost of creative mediocrity
• Be consistent with a brand’s colors, logos, slogans, and fonts that appear in other advertising
• Keep it short: The fewer the words, the greater the brand recognition
• Create happiness: Ads that create positive emotions with happiness, surprise, or humor generate much stronger memorability, brand association, store visits, and website visits

Click here to view an 11-minute video of the key findings.

Pierre Bouvard is Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group^®.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodo