BT makes waves with podcast audio ads and CTA cards
In an increasingly digital world, staying connected is critical. Whether that means streaming your favorite podcast while cooking dinner or clocking in at your home office, fast, reliable broadband technology makes it possible.
As a pioneering brand that speaks to heavy broadband users like gamers and entertainment enthusiasts, global telecommunications company BT was eager to leverage Spotify's newest ad format, call-to-action (CTA) cards. Call-to-action cards make podcast ads interactive for the first time, transforming the format from something that can only be heard, into an experience that you can also see — and, most importantly, click.
The media mix:
Brand vertical: Tech/Telco
Objective: Brand Attribution, Message Association, Consideration
Target audience: Gamers, Entertainment Enthusiasts
Targeting used: Age, Interest/ Behaviour
Market: UK
Flight length: April–June 2022
Format: Podcast Media
The Brief:
The global broadband service market is expected to be worth $419 billion by the end of 2022, with a 9.6% annual growth rate.1 Facing such a saturated space, it was important for BT to get innovative with their advertising approach.
The leading telecommunications brand wanted to showcase their Hybrid Broadband product, which combines fixed-line broadband with a mobile internet backup to create one of the most reliable and advanced offerings on the market. Since digital audio tends to be a popular medium among tech-savvy listeners, BT viewed podcast advertising as an opportunity to connect with their target audience during meaningful and memorable moments.
The Solution:
Having worked with Spotify on other creative telco advertising campaigns in the past, BT already knew the ins and outs of engaging with their target audience. BT was selective about where their message would be heard, knowing that 53% of podcast Super Listeners say their opinion of a company is more positive when it's on a podcast they regularly listen to, up from 49% last year.2
Research suggests3 that host-read ads lead to a greater emotional connection with listeners, which means they're often ideal for introducing a new brand or product for the first time. With this in mind, BT partnered with some of Spotify's most popular podcasts, pushing out host-read ads on top titles including Brydon & and JaackMaate's Happy Hour. The brand also deployed voice-talent ads created by Spotify's in-house production team via the Spotify Audience Network, our audio-first advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with listeners using audience-based targeting tools, to reach listeners at scale.
Leveraging Spotify's brand-new CTA card format allowed listeners to easily click through to the Hybrid Broadband product page directly from the ad.
Hear the spot for yourself.
🎧 Listen to the pre-roll podcast ad read by the host of JackMaate's Happy Hour.
The Impact:
The effort drove impressive results, especially from ads on Spotify Original podcasts like Brydon & and Who We Be TALKS. Listeners overall were more likely to recognize BT's "unbreakable WiFi" offering, and consider the brand's Hybrid Broadband for themselves. Success was measured in percentage points (pts) by comparing a group of listeners who were exposed to the campaign, against a control group who were not.
- +19
(pts) lift in agreement that BT Broadband offers "unbreakable WiFi" among Brydon & listeners
- +21
(pts) lift in consideration of BT Hybrid Broadband among Wrighty's House listeners
- +15
(pts) lift in association between BT Hybrid Broadband and “reliable WiFi in every room” among Who We Be TALKS listeners
The Takeaway:
Spotify's CTA cards can be an effective tool when your goal is to get listeners to visit a product page or learn more about a new offering. Paired with compelling messaging, this feature can help give your brand's message a much-needed boost.
Feeling inspired?
SOURCES:
- "Broadband Services Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Broadband Connection (Fiber Optic, Wireless, Satellite, Cable, DSL), By End User (Business, Household), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 - 2030," Grand View Research. 2020.
- "Super listeners 2021," Edison Research, Feb. 2021. https://www.edisonresearch.com/super-listeners-2021-from-edison-research-and-ad-results-media/
- Custom Nielsen Ad Format study commissioned by Spotify. Survey conducted from November 20 - December 9, 2020. Sample of 5,999 respondents age 18+ who are podcast listeners and Spotify users.