Audio was upfront at this year’s Masters of Marketing Conference in Orlando, Florida, in the United States, held Oct. 25-28. The U.S. Association of National Advertisers organizes the annual event, nicknamed ‘the Super Bowl of Marketing,’ and it attracts chief marketing officers from some of the country’s biggest brands.
Sponsorships from companies such as Audacy, iHeartMedia, and the Radio Advertising Bureau ensured audio was front and center for the thousands of marketers. The RAB set up a podcast studio at the entrance to the ballroom, encouraging CMOs to get an idea of what it’s like to be on-air. According to ANA, it was the first time many had heard their own voices through headphones.
Key takeaways for the 2,000 delegates included that AM/FM radio is one of most effective forms of media, advertising builds brands best when it is entertaining, popular and memorable — a performance instead of a pitch, and that emotion-based storytelling is the most powerful form of creative content.