CHICAGO – Smart speakers have a central role in connected homes, letting people use voice commands to control smart appliances, TVs, lighting, video doorbells and security systems. Smart speakers also provide a way for marketers to reach consumers who use the devices to listen to streaming music and podcasts, and to interact directly with brands that have created voice-enabled apps.
Audio streaming has “a key role, that role that continues to accelerate as folks use the audio devices differently and more consistently,” David Oliveira, vice president of vertical partnerships at TransUnion, said in this interview with Beet.TV. Connected devices “include smart speakers … that are playing an increasing role in the connected home and that advertisers are greatly interested in.”
Almost half (47%) of consumers have three to six connected devices in their homes, while 32% have seven or more, TransUnion found in a survey. The popularity of the devices is opening a channel for marketers to target households with data-driven strategies.
Source: “Media Consumption Behaviors Continue to Evolve” by TransUnion
“We need to understand those devices, and from an identity perspective, how those are woven into the home — with the ultimate goal of reaching those consumers with more audience-based advertising opportunities,” Oliveira said.
Audio streaming has cemented its place in people’s listening habits, whether they’re at home or commuting to and from work, which traditionally had been key dayparts for terrestrial radio. However, streaming gives marketers more effective targeting with consumer data from third-party data vendors.
“The audio component is a key component, but that fits into an overall comprehensive view,” Oliveira said. Tru Optik is “playing a leadership role, especially in the audio landscape, and they can help connect audio into the connected home.”
As more consumers buy smart speakers to control their connected devices and services from every room in the house, TransUnion sees an opportunity for marketers to improve the effectiveness of their data-driven campaigns.
“The connected consumer changes the landscape and changes the needs of partners across the ecosystem,” Oliveira said. “We want to play a key role in helping provide that accurate, comprehensive view.”
The coming year will bring more shifts in media consumption, with many consumers sticking with the digital platforms they got to know better during pandemic lockdowns.
“We’re still spending time at home, and the behavior changes that are already now ingrained will continue. The number of audio-based smart devices is only going to increase,” Oliveira said. Greater scale “will drive more innovation in the ad ecosystem, especially as it relates to audience-based targeting and measurement.”
You are watching “Advertisers: Turn Up the Volume on Streaming Audio,” a Beet.TV leadership series presented by TruOptik, a TransUnion company. For more videos, please visit this page.
