iHM, WPP Launch 'Project Listen' To Raise Audio Creativity

iHeartMedia and WPP, the creative transformation company, today announced the launch of Project Listen to develop next-generation insights, planning and creative capabilities in audio.

The two companies will help brands better engage with consumers and win across all audio platforms: broadcast radio, digital streaming, podcasts, smart speakers and live events.

Consumer listening is at an all-time high, according to new iHeartMedia research. The study shows consumers say they are listening to audio content for an average of 17 hours a week, with millennials and younger generations listening the most. This ramp up in listening is the direct result of the rapid growth of digital streaming, podcasts, smart speakers and airpods, on top of the massive and consistent scale of broadcast radio.

The new partnership comprises:

• Creative Audio Studio – Audio will be pushed higher on the agendas of creatives and media strategists with the launch of a new studio at GroupM’s headquarters at 3 World Trade Center in New York. Clients and creatives from across WPP will experiment with modern audio marketing programs, working with creative producers in a series of pilots.
• Empowering Planning – iHeartMedia’s Smart Audio Insights and audience tools will be integrated with GroupM’s proprietary data and insights tools to uncover new insights and support novel measurement approaches, all of which will be shared in quarterly intelligence reports for clients and the market. A new audio certification program for planners at GroupM’s agencies will roll out later in 2019.
• Raising Audio IQ – A new Project Listenmonthly podcast is launching in Cannes with plans for 18 episodes through 2020. Lessons from the client pilots and research will be shared to help inspire more advertisers to embrace audio’s new capabilities.

Project Listen is intended to raise the bar in audio creativity and media strategy through shared learning about what works in the evolving audio landscape. The partners will help marketers to mine audio data for insights and to deploy them across a cohesive planning framework, from creative strategy to media planning and implementation.

“At iHeartMedia, we understand the unparalleled power of audio and its ability to engage and make brands part of the daily conversation, with consumers of all ages, at a massive scale,” said Bob Pittman, Chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc. “Project Listen is about tapping into the scale of audio and moving from the traditionally transactional radio business to the future of audio advertising where insights and ideas lead the way to growth for brands. Simply put, audio is the biggest greenfield for growth in media today, and we could not be more excited to partner with the talented teams across WPP to develop the tools and skillsets needed to unlock that growth.”