The Marketing Architects – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Marketing Architects
Episode: The Effectiveness of Audio
Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Lynn Jasper (B), Angela Voss (A), Rob DeMars (C)

Overview

This episode of The Marketing Architects podcast explores the power and effectiveness of audio in marketing. Drawing on marketing, psychology, and economics research as well as deep experience in radio and audio advertising, the hosts discuss how audio shapes memory, emotion, and consumer action. They highlight the significance of investing in audio assets like sonic logos, podcasts, and interactive audio, outlining why brands that embrace distinctive audio strategies set themselves up for long-term success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Audio’s Proven Impact: Research Highlights

• Audio delivers standout ROI: Referencing Nielsen and Emarketer research, Lynn (B) shares that audio (especially radio and podcast ads) provides some of the best returns in media, with podcast ads boosting awareness, interest, and purchase intent.
  • “Nielsen finds radio delivers some of the best ROI in media. And paired with TV, that ROI can jump by 20%.” (B, 01:00)
• Podcasts excel at engagement: 70% ad recall, 22% immediate purchase action, and overall high audience receptiveness.
  • “Audiences actually like them. They tend to find them authentic, natural, and less intrusive than other ad formats.” (B, 01:55)
• Creative best practices: 30-second ads are best for recall, 15 seconds for reinforcement; music, brand mentions, and positive emotions improve results.

2. Roots in Radio: Lessons for Modern Audio

• Radio as both branding and performance: Rob (C) shares how their early days were spent innovating in direct-response radio, running massive tests and tracking systems.
  • “We became audio mad scientists really determined to prove it could do both.” (C, 03:15)
• Testing and optimizing: AB tests on voiceovers, sound effects, sonic priming (e.g., specific phone rings), and even cadence of phone number readings to maximize response.
• Cross-media insight: The best-performing radio ads often became top TV commercials, highlighting radio as a “pre-testing platform” that sharpens messaging fundamentals.
  • “90% of the time we could take those [radio ads] and they become the best performing television commercials.” (C, 05:18)

3. The Power of Distinctive Audio Assets

• Sonic branding varieties: Angela (A) outlines four main ways brands can use audio distinctively:
  • Sonic logo/mnemonic (“the logo for your ears”)
  • Verbal taglines (e.g., “Red Bull gives you wings”)
  • Consistent voice print (e.g., Geico gecko)
  • Distinct music or instrumentation (e.g., Limu Emu from Liberty Mutual)
    • “Repeated distinctive audio elements make the brand easier to recall in buying situations and strengthens those memory structures just like a visual logo would do.” (A, 00:00 and repeated at 14:27)

4. Audio’s Unique Psychological Leverage

• Memory and emotion: Audio “sneaks past defenses” and encodes deep memories—jingles and iconic sounds transport people to a time and place.
  • “Our ears never shut off, right? Even when you’re sleeping, your ears are busy bringing stuff into your brain. Audio is a way of really creating mental tattoos on their brain...” (C, 10:42)
• Focus groups vs. real world: A beauty cream campaign found the best-performing testimonial came from male voices (partners of users), a result that wouldn’t have passed a focus group.
  • “It was the guys in their life doing the testimonials... It absolutely launched the brand.” (C, 06:52)

5. Audio’s Underappreciation

• Perception gap: Audio/radio dubbed “the ugly sister” in media—underappreciated because it can’t be "hung on a wall," unlike TV or print ads.
  • “People… undervalue what they can’t see. You can’t hang a radio campaign on the wall of your office.” (C, 09:58)

6. Timeless Examples of Sonic Branding

• Memorable jingles:
  • KitKat: “Give me a break, give me a break…” (A, 15:22)
  • Folgers: “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.” (C, 15:38)
  • Tootsie Pop: “The crunch—the owl eating the Tootsie Pop.” (B, 16:02)
• Ritual & sound: Hosts note iconic jingles are often linked to consumer rituals, deepening their effect (C, 16:16).

7. Standout Modern Sonic Branding

• Little Caesars: “Pizza! Pizza!”—a simple, lasting sonic pattern tied to a two-for-one offer, revived after decades (A, 17:31).
• Netflix: “Da dum”—that unmistakable intro sound primes viewers for streaming (C, 18:51).
  • “When I hear that Netflix, it’s just so good… It's like ringing a dinner bell.” (C, 18:51)
• Apple: “Sosumi” alert sound (B, 20:35), marimba ringtone, and power-on sound—all examples of clever and consistent audio branding.
  • Fun background: 'Sosumi' was a legal pun during Apple’s battle with The Beatles’ Apple Corp.

8. Podcasts & Interactive Audio: New Frontiers

• Podcast advertising: Hosts and niche targeting provide authenticity and precise audience alignment, but measurement and brand control remain challenges.
  • “Podcast allow for interest-based targeting which is interesting... Fewer distractions than most digital feeds, potentially even TV.” (A, 21:55)
• Interactive audio & smart speakers: Rob recounts an AI-powered drive-thru experience and advocates for brand-consistent voices and sonic cues in such interfaces.
  • “Brands are needing to have some really interesting conversations around what their voice is going to sound like in these spaces.” (C, 23:45)

9. Future of Audio Advertising

• Growth nuances: Overall audio ad spend is flat; traditional AM/FM is down but offset by digital and podcasts.
• Greater integration: “Smarter reach engine,” digital touchpoints across commutes and workouts, with more dynamic, AI-driven, and shoppable audio.
  • “I think sonic branding is kind of table stakes for scaled advertisers. It’s just such an untapped opportunity with a channel with so much reach.” (A, 26:06)
• Speculations:
  • Conversational UI/UX and wearable audio interfaces could shift how brands interact and advertise (C, 27:26).
  • Hyper-personalization and AI-generated content, with a continued value for authentic human voices (B, 28:17).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We became audio mad scientists really determined to prove it could do both [branding and performance].” (C, 03:15)
• “The best performing radio creatives, 90% of the time… become the best performing television commercials.” (C, 05:18)
• “Our ears never shut off, right? Even when you’re sleeping, your ears are busy bringing stuff into your brain.” (C, 10:42)
• “Repeated distinctive audio elements make the brand easier to recall… just like a visual logo would do. And so, for a brand that does any marketing, why would you turn those things down?” (A, 00:00, repeated at 14:27)
• “Audio is a way of really creating mental tattoos… on the brain.” (C, 10:42)
• “I can literally smell this jingle... The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.” (C, 15:38)
• “I literally start to salivate when I hear this audio mnemonic… Netflix. When I hear that, you get excited.” (C, 18:51)
• Fun: Neither Rob nor Lynn realized “Pizza! Pizza!” referred to Little Caesars’ two-pizza deals until the moment of discussion (C, 17:54).
• “Audio will be the cream filling in the Twinkie of the marketing ecosystem.” (C, 27:26)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:55: Opening and research highlights
• 03:07–04:59: History in radio; early audio experiments
• 05:11–06:30: Lessons from radio, transfer to TV
• 06:52–08:12: Beauty campaign anecdote & radio's flexibility
• 10:42–11:46: Why sound is powerful (memory + emotion)
• 11:46–14:27: How brands can use distinctive audio assets
• 15:16–16:38: Favorite childhood jingles and ritual connections
• 17:01–18:15: Modern brand sonic branding (Little Caesars, Netflix, Apple)
• 21:55–23:26: Podcasts as ad channels
• 23:45–25:54: Interactive audio and sonic branding opportunity
• 26:06–29:49: Predictions for the future of audio advertising
• 29:56–31:13: Fun wrap-up: Which celebrity would narrate your life?

Tone & Style

Throughout, the hosts maintain a friendly, humorous, and insightful tone, peppered with anecdotes, playful banter, and direct challenges to industry assumptions. Their passion for audio is evident—and infectious.

Conclusion

Key Takeaway:
Audio, though often overshadowed by visual media, is a critical yet underexploited channel for branding, performance, and long-term memory building. The hosts encourage brands to embrace distinctive audio assets and anticipate a future where sound—and branded sound in particular—will be central to marketing strategies.