Music in radio advertising: Effects on radio spokesperson credibility and advertising effectiveness

Abstract

The widespread use of music in advertising derives from the belief among advertisers that music confers a significant commercial advantage; music has also aroused interest among researchers trying to determine its potential to add value and enhance advertising effectiveness. So, this article analyses the influence of music and congruency with the radio advertising message on spokesperson’s credibility and advertising effectiveness. We designed radio programs in which an ad hoc radio spot was inserted into a commercial block (no music/music) and tested them on a sample of 987 radio listeners. The results show the potential of music in terms of advertising effectiveness and credibility and show the need for planning to go beyond its function as to avoid silence or attract attention and to ensure its consistency with the ad message.