Page 41 - Adnews Magazine January 2022

“A key audio trend I noticed this year was the acceleration of female voices, particularly in podcasting,” ARN’s Joyce says.
“If you look at the recent Australian podcast awards, many of the recognised talent, both behind and in front of the mics, were female. This stood out for me because radio (as the dominant audio channel) has traditionally been the domain of alpha male characters.
“Even the queen of radio, Jackie O, with 22 years of radio experience, much of it as part of the #1 breakfast show, received an ACRA ‘Best on Air Talent’ for the first time this year. It’s surprising only because it’s unusual that the spotlight seems to be on women right now, even though they’ve long held a place in the industry.”
Henrik Isaksson echoes this, saying the ability for podcasts to give all people a platform is what drives much of its appeal and will con- tinue to do so in the new year. This is particularly so in social media, which has been increasingly fighting for consumers of audio over the past two years.
During the 2020 lockdowns, Clubhouse popularised audio-only social media as the platform skyrocketed with high-profile users includ- ing Drake and Oprah Winfrey joining the app.
Since Clubhouse’s growth, other social media players began rolling out audio-only features on their apps, including Twitter, Facebook Rooms, Reddit and even Spotify.
“Audio social emerged at a period of historic and unprecedented restrictions — lockdowns, curfews, and closures — but also at a time of highly unusual access where we were expected to be on endless video calls for both work and leisure,” says Bethanie Blanchard, Carat Melbourne head of strategy.
“We still craved that connection with others, but had become tired of screens. Audio social allowed the intimacy of a Zoom call with friends, without worrying what you looked like, how tidy your house might be, or what your partner or roommates might be doing.”
Blanchard says while visual-based social media will always be dom- inant, the rise of platforms such as TikTok and Instragram Reels demon- strate the populatiry, and centrality, of audio to social.
“When it comes to new platforms, it is always useful to think in terms of ‘and’ rather than ‘or’,” she says.
“We know over 25% of media consumption is done with audio, and
yet it accounts for less than 10% of all advertising revenue.” NOVA Entertainment CEO Peter Charlton
“Audio elements are an impor- tant addition to social in a way they haven’t been previously.
“The smartest marketers capi- talise on any new platform or trend through a deep understand- ing of people, why those people are using that platform, and how their brand can add something of value within it, rather than being the disruption of it.
“Knowing what your brand sounds like is going to be increas- ingly important whether you are using audio-only platforms or not. Many brands I work with are cur- rently working through their audio identity and this includes everything from sonic branding — a melody or jingle — through to a particular style of voice. Building these distinctive assets is as vital as any fonts, colours or logo designs in 2022.”
Kandiese Villella, Reprise Digital national head of social media, also sees screen fatigue as a reason for the rise of audio. She says audio platforms give all audi- ences an equal voice without being judged by their social profile, while also providing more diverse and inclusive conversations.
“The world of visual based social media has always been scripted before publishing, while the move
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