Understanding the stages of audio consumption can help us appreciate the benefits it brings to consumers. One of our most powerful senses must be the ability to hear. To consume sound and audio. But what really happens in the brain when we hear sound? How does that influence our behaviours, the decisions we make, and eventually our lives? Let us delve into the five stages of audio consumption and explore the advantages they offer.

Listening/hearing. The first stage is using our hearing ability to consume sound/audio/messages. This stage is the first connection with a message and leads immediately to the second stage. Think of the last radio commercial or song you heard…

Understanding. When hearing a message, we need to understand what we are listening to. We need to understand the lingo and terms of the message heard. By understanding the message, our minds start with the third stage of audio consumption, which is remembering.

This process is where theatre of the mind plays an important role. One message to a thousand consumers leads to a thousand different images created. We picture the product or catch phrase of an advertisement, song, or a story in our minds, and this helps us to remember it.

The fourth stage is evaluating. Sound/audio will be stored in our minds with either an image or sound, or even an era or event, which we link to it. Our minds constantly evaluate messages and place them into categories of importance or relevance.

And finally, but most importantly, the final stage of audio consumption is feedback. Feedback means that you succeeded in getting people to talk about your business/product or service or refer to your business or to the message that was communicated to them/or heard by them. This is where word of mouth starts.

We could say that radio advertising (by consumption of the audio) is the original word of mouth. It’s a controlled message that enters the consumers mind (ears) on a platform that is not difficult to consume, but rather part of our daily lives. Listening to the radio is part of our habits and our behaviours. Hearing different messages on the radio takes us through all the stages of audio consumption, which will influence how we will remember things and how we will spread the word.

However, what benefits do the five stages of audio consumption have on consumers?

They provide opportunities for discovery, access, engagement, interaction, and curation, enabling individuals to personalize their audio consumption experience. These benefits include expanded knowledge and exposure to new content, enhanced convenience and accessibility, improved well-being through engagement and interaction, and the ability to curate a personalized audio library. And, finally, they become walking and talking advertisements of the messages that were advertised or communicated to them.

As audio consumption continues to evolve, understanding the five stages and their associated benefits is crucial for both consumers and content creators. By embracing these stages, consumers can make the most of their audio experiences, while content creators can better cater to their audience's needs. The way to a man’s heart is not really through his tummy… it’s through the ear! What we hear, determines what we see, what we decide, where we buy and what we talk about.

And this is why radio advertising will always be one of the most powerful ways to reach an audience. You control the message. They just need to hear it!

Anchen Lintvelt is the Sales and Marketing Manager for OFM, the sound of your life!