iHeartMedia & WPP Launch ‘Project Listen’
• iHeartMedia and London-based WPP today announced the launch of Project Listen to develop next-generation insights, planning and creative capabilities in audio. The two companies will work together to help brands better engage with consumers and win across all audio platforms — broadcast radio, digital streaming, podcasts, smart speakers and live events. According to new iHeartMedia research, consumer listening is at an all-time high — averaging 17 hours a week, with millennials and younger generations listening the most. This increase 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.
Project Listen was formally announced Monday during the 2019 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity during a special live podcast at the WPP Beach. The podcast featured Brad Hiranaga, Chief Brand Officer, General Mills; Bob Pittman, Chairman & CEO of iHeartMedia, Inc.; Tim Castree, CEO, GroupM North America; Leslie Simms, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy U.S.; Ryan Seacrest, host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Live With Kelly and Ryan and American Idol; and host Will Pearson from the hit podcast, Part Time Genius.
The new partnership comprises: 1) 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 New York. Clients and creatives from across WPP will experiment with modern audio marketing programs, working with creative producers in a series of pilots; 2) 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, and 3) Raising Audio IQ— a new Project Listen monthly 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.
“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 Pittman. “Project Listenis 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 green field 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.”
