How brands can tailor their audio ads to target “co-listeners”

Not everyone listens to their music or podcasts with noise-canceling headphones on the subway to block out the sound of the mariachi band in their car. Many people enjoy audio together, aka “co-listen.”

It is “pretty pervasive” these days, according to Jon Gibs, global director and principal data scientist for Spotify Advertising, which recently teamed up with Magna’s Media Trials research unit to conduct a study called “The Togetherness Effect: Why Brands Should Be Paying Attention to Co-Listening.”

About three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they co-listen to digital audio at least once a week. A majority of adult Gen Zers (86%) said the same. The study also found that co-listeners generally tend to be in a positive mood, and that those good vibes can carry over into their perceptions of certain ads if they’re well-targeted.

Methodology: The companies tapped a panel of digital audio listeners—about half co-listeners and half solo listeners—and played them either a test or control ad at random as they were listening to about 30 minutes of digital audio. Then, respondents were asked to complete a survey about their co-listening behaviors, ad opinions, and other brand metrics.

Ad impact: Co-listeners were exposed to “storytelling” and “product-focused” ads. The storytelling ads performed better, the study found, as they over-indexed compared to product ads when respondents were asked if the ad caught their attention, was something they were open to, and improved their perception of the brand.

Targeting: The study found that these are the most common types of moments for co-listening: relaxing, hanging out with friends, cooking, entertaining kids, and doing yoga.