To see where marketers and advertisers perceive various channels’ effectiveness at different stages of the marketing funnel, Advertiser Perceptions surveyed 255 marketers and agencies during Q3 2021 with a look at the media types that advertisers and agencies feel best deliver on campaign objectives along the purchase journey.

Each respondent was 100% involved in media brand selection decisions and have a minimum annual ad spend of $1 million (a slim majority reported having more than $25 million in annual ad spend).

Digital Video = Success

For each of the 4 campaign goals/objectives listed, respondents were asked to list at least one, but no more than 3, media types that are best at delivering on the objective. The results show that while TV still has a place in today’s media mix, digital media is taking over – with digital video, in particular, catapulting to the top.

Brand Awareness

For the top-funnel goal of improving brand awareness, television has taken a backseat. Instead, the top response was digital video, as cited by 51% of respondents, ahead of television (43%). This 43% for television is a significant decline from the survey a year ago. Previous research found a growing number of marketers who believe that linear television advertising is less effective than it used to be.

Following digital video and television for the upper-funnel goal of improving brand awareness are paid social media (36%), digital audio/radio (33%), podcasts (29%), and display (28%). Compared to the previous survey, digital audio/radio has experienced a significant lift, overtaking podcasts.

Brand Preference/Favorability

As for the other upper-funnel goal listed of improving brand preference/favorability, advertisers again pointed to digital video (48%), with a significant rise from the prior survey which edged out paid social (47%).

The third spot was reserved for podcasts (35%), its top ranking across the four stages analyzed. In fact, Podcasts ended up ahead of television (34%), with digital audio/radio (27%) and display (20%).

Consideration/Buying Intention

With lower-funnel goals, it’s still digital video that comes out on top, cited by 44% of respondents as being among their top three for improving consideration/buying intention. Digital video again had a significant increase from the prior survey.

Following digital video was paid search (39%) and paid social (35%), with social reportedly having overtaken search in global ad spend last year.

Podcasts (29%) took the fourth position in this lower-funnel goal, ahead of display (27%) and e-commerce/sponsored shopping links (26%).

Increasing Sales

As for the lower-funnel goal of increasing sales, paid search is the winner. Cited by half (50%) of respondents as a top three media type for this objective, paid search was well beyond the competitors. Those were paid social (39%) and e-commerce/sponsored shopping links (38%).

Further down the listwere digital video (27%), television (26%), and podcasts (25%). Although this was the lowest rank for podcasts, the results indicate that the 25% of respondents including podcasts in their top three was a significant 7% point improvement from the previous survey.

Other Findings:

• Some 54% of respondents expect their digital/streaming audio ad spend to increase in 2022, as do 53% with respect to their podcast advertising spend.
• Podcast ad budgets are most apt to come from overall digital budgets or from digital audio budgets.
• Pre-produced audio/radio spots and host-read ads are perceived to be equally effective for brand advertising goals, while host read ads are perceived to be the most effective for performance advertising goals.
• Topical interests (52%) are the most important audience targeting attribute for podcast ad campaigns, ahead of age (37%), and income (35%).
• Attribution is the biggest challenge for podcast advertising, followed by detailed campaign measurement and reporting, and scale.

Need assistance evaluating your marketing strategy? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.

BersonDeanStevens has been a recognized brand strategy and marketing leader for over 25 years, including over a decade in marketing automation. We work in partnership with you to differentiate your brand and achieve your business goals. Client list.