Why a radio channel ran a TV ad urging people to listen on Amazon Alexa
Global radio brand Heart recently teamed up with Amazon to drive a major behavioral change in the British public, urging them to engage with radio on their home assistants using voice tech. The Drum touches down with Samantha Codrington, director of brand marketing at Global, to learn about the step change in approach.
On Monday September 5, Heart launched the campaign on TV alongside activity on audio, outdoor and social including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The ad – featuring presenters Amanda Holden and Jamie Theakston – urged viewers to say, “Alexa, play Heart.” The bombastic ad is scored by Lizzo song About Damn Time.
Speaking to The Drum, Samantha Codrington, director of brand marketing at Global, said: “The brief was simple – to grow awareness that you can listen to Heart on an Alexa. We’re trying to encourage a new habit, in a new place, with new tech. Radio is dead easy to listen to on Alexa devices, but not everyone knows that.”
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A secondary objective is to push the brand’s personality with the multi-format campaign, but TV sits at the front. “TV is one of the best platforms to reach Heart listeners – we know they watch linear TV, so it’s the perfect place to reach them with something visually emotive and entertaining.”
TV’s reach will help the brand form the new campaign, but it will not work alone. It will work in tandem with BVOD, YouTube, social, outdoor, on-air (radio) and online. “We’re doing this because we understand that our efforts will have exponential reach by using multiple platforms.”
The uplift of the campaign will be fairly easy to measure. By the end of its run, Global will know how many people engaged with the voice skill. From that, the business will be able to work out the return on investment and see how many new listeners stick with the habit. Rajar data and additional brand lift studies will follow to determine whether the approach and the direct voice CTA are worth sticking with.
Codrington added: “Radio listening on smart speakers is experiencing phenomenal growth, so it’s a platform we can’t ignore. Now is the right time to land this message with a big brand campaign to supercharge that growth and engage with potential new listeners too.”
Adam & Eve/DDB created the campaign, produced by Rogue Films. Media planning was led by PHD.