Advertisers choose ads you can hear

The tool was created by Holosonic Research Labs and is being used in-store to target regular shoppers. The low-level speakers broadcast a message directly to people in certain aisles or areas of a store. CourtTV recently used the tool in the mystery aisles of a bookstores, targeting consumers looking for a good mystery.

Why audio-only advertising?

According to experts, there is too much clutter in many stores already. By targeting the ears instead of the eyes of consumers, marketers have a better chance at intriguing a consumer into buying something new. This form of micro-targeting - choosing specific consumers in specific areas of a store - is better than the traditional targeting of just getting a consumer into a store. For example the CourtTV ad mentioned above. CourtTV is a staple for mystery enthusiasts, by targeting people in the mystery aisle in a bookstore they are more likely to get a response than randomly targeting consumers as they walk in the door or by simply using signage.

The audio-only devices are currently being used throughout Europe and are now being tested in the United States.

Tags: advertising, advertising trends