How Streaming Audio Advertising Supports Upper-Funnel Growth

We won’t tell you that upper-funnel growth is the only priority in your marketing campaigns, but it’s certainly foundational. Without awareness and consideration, there’s no middle- or bottom-funnel growth. Yet protecting upper-funnel investment can be challenging when budgets tighten and attention is fragmented across platforms. 

This is where streaming audio shines. While streaming audio certainly delivers full-funnel results, it’s especially powerful for brands focused on upper-funnel impact. This channel reaches consumers during real-life moments when screens aren’t the main event—from commutes, to errands, to workouts. It’s measurable, targetable, and effective across the funnel—especially when creative and context align.

Thanks to our advanced solutions and top networks, we have a track record of boosting upper-funnel growth. Here’s how to get started. 

Why streaming audio advertising plays a critical role in upper-funnel strategies

Between work, school, and family obligations, consumers don’t always get to choose how they spend their days. But they do choose what they listen to. For most daily streaming audio listeners, selecting music is as much an act of setting intentions as it is entertainment. Do your listeners want to lock in at work or relax at the end of the day? Are they getting energized for a workout? Do they want to get creative in the kitchen for dinner? This listener engagement creates powerful, contextual moments for brands to meet audiences when they’re present and intentional. 

Streaming audio delivers more than sound, it offers context-rich engagement. Contextual solutions like mood and activity targeting enable brands to align messaging with what listeners are doing and how they’re feeling—all in real time. When the environment and messaging fits, your ad feels less like an interruption and more like a helpful content break where listeners can discover new brands and products. And remember, streaming audio offers fewer ad breaks than other media. Additionally, Pandora listeners are known for their ad receptivity, with audio ads on the platform driving a +8% lift in ad awareness and a +5% lift in message association. 1

The advantage of streaming audio in reducing waste across the funnel

Every channel has waste. It could be impressions that hit the wrong person at the wrong time, or a message underperforming while also creating ad or screen fatigue. Streaming audio helps reduce that waste by equipping brands with everything they need, from advanced targeting, to high engagement, to creative flexibility.

Precise audience targeting

Our streaming audio platforms are known for their logged-in audience, offering advertisers key insights into who listeners are, from their demographics, to location, to listening habits. All of our data is verified, and on Pandora, we have the richest dataset in audio, equipped with over two decades' worth of logged-in user data. 

Additionally, we support advanced targeting that goes beyond basic demographics. With contextual targeting, you can reach listeners based on real-time moods and activities. For starters, activity targeting is designed to reach listeners based on what they’re doing in the exact moment, from cooking, to hosting, to exercising. It comes as no surprise that nearly 60% of our listeners say that music is a companion to their daily activities. 2 Mood targeting is another beneficial way to set the right tone for your ad. For instance, if your target listener is feeling celebratory or happy, you might align with them with an ad that features a high-energy voiceover and beats. 

Delivering ads when listeners are most engaged

Audio reaches audiences during screen-free moments, especially when they’re feeling screen fatigue or if they’re multitasking. This means less competition and clutter for your message. Streaming audio reaches a listener base that is more than tuned in but engaged. Over seven in 10 Pandora listeners (74%) are listening to the platform weekly and each month, they’re thumbing 277M songs. 3 

This kind of engaged and consistent listening creates dependable opportunities for brands to build awareness through reach and frequency.

Tailoring message relevance by funnel

Streaming audio performs best when the message matches campaign intent. For upper-funnel campaigns, your creative should prioritize your brand story and establish an emotional connection. What pain point are you solving? What do you stand for? To pull this off, prioritize differentiation instead of explaining every detail of your brand or product. Use sonic branding or creative assets to drive recall and boost your chances of being remembered.

Earning higher completion rates compared to radio

Streaming audio also reduces waste by increasing the odds that your ad is actually heard. The SiriusXM Streaming Network has a mute rate of less than 1%. 4And ad completion is strong, too. Pandora video ads see an 87% completion rate, and SoundCloud video ads see an 89% completion rate. 3

How upper-funnel advertising strategies benefit from audio-first reach

Upper-funnel campaigns work best when they win attention early and build positive associations over time. Here are the best practices to adopt for your upper-funnel strategy. 

Establish emotional connections early on

An effective audio ad creates a real human feeling. Streaming audio storytelling can combine a narrative, the right music bed, and a clear voice to create a memorable impression. When your storytelling is strong, you can evoke trust and recall by engaging the listener’s imagination.

Integrate audio into daily routines

The upper funnel is all about showing up repeatedly in the moments when people are open to discovering something new. Luckily, streaming audio is present throughout daily routines and activities. Over seven in 10 streaming audio listeners (71%) tune in while cleaning or doing chores, 61% listen while relaxing, and 57% tune in while cooking. 5 These are natural moments for brand discovery, particularly for brands that want to become a familiar part of someone’s day.

Sonic identities get brands remembered

A jingle works almost like a logo for the ears. It gives listeners an easy way to instantly recognize a brand. Whether you opt for a jingle, sonic logo, or music, these are all elements of an audio branding strategy and support brand recognition and memory, especially when they are used consistently across channels and over time. The goal is simple: Make it easier for someone to recognize your brand the next time they hear it.

Win over consumers with trusted platforms

Trust builds faster when audiences already have an established relationship with the platform. You’re in the right place with Pandora,  where one in five listeners has been listening for 16 years or longer, 5and 63% of the audience has been using the platform for at least a decade. 6  This data matters for upper-funnel goals because long-term platform loyalty can translate into ad receptivity, attentive listening, and more credible brand exposure.

How we drove upper-funnel growth for a soft drink advertiser

Upper-funnel outcomes show up in brand awareness, ad recall, and favorability. In a past case study, we teamed up with a soft drink advertiser, and the results are a clear example of how streaming audio can move those metrics. The brand came to us to boost brand awareness, favorability, and message association. We targeted streaming audio listeners 18 and up across the SiriusXM Streaming Network, using solutions like mobile audio and Streaming Everywhere. 

The overall results were worthy of a toast: 7

• +3 pt lift in brand awareness 

• +3 pt lift in ad recall 

• +5 pt lift in favorability 

• +5 pt lift in brand attributes 

The results were especially impressive among listeners between the ages of 18 and 34: 7

• +10 pt lift in brand awareness 

• +11 pt lift in ad recall 

• +7 pt lift in favorability 

• +9 pt lift in brand attributes 

Turn upper-funnel reach into sustainable growth with SiriusXM Media

Streaming audio drives discovery, awareness, and recall, giving advertisers the key advantages for better and more effective campaigns. If your brand is looking for efficient upper-funnel reach beyond crowded visual channels, streaming audio is a strong place to start.

Let’s talk.

More streaming audio advertising opportunities