Podcasting is rapidly gaining popularity as a powerful medium for information, entertainment, and storytelling. The unique ability to increase viewership and reach specific target groups provides advertisers with a valuable opportunity to connect with their audience on a deeper level and convey their desired message more effectively. But what is the best communication strategy for podcasting, and how does the effectiveness of this advertising format differentiate from other forms of advertising? Based on extensive research on advertising in podcasts conducted in collaboration with . This insight reveals the impact of podcasting and how to optimize it within your brand and campaign strategy. In short, it serves as a practical guide for any advertiser looking for innovative ways to effectively communicate their message.
High acceptance of podcast advertising
The popularity of podcasts is reflected in the steadily increasing proportion of Dutch people who listen to podcasts. Currently, 56% of the Dutch population say they (occasionally) listen to podcasts1. This makes advertising on podcasts an interesting addition to your media mix. The strength of this medium is further strengthened by the fact that the Dutch are most receptive to advertising on podcasts compared to other online channels. The Media Reactions 20232 study by Kantar revealed that advertising on podcasts is considered the largest AdEquity channel among online channels.
Also, people are more receptive to podcast ads than TV commercials. Advertising equity measures how receptive consumers are to advertising messages across different media channels. In particular, the 16-29 age group is particularly open to advertising in and around podcasts.
Figure 1: Receptive age groups
Receptivity stems from, among other things, a deliberate choice to listen to a particular podcast, and podcasts are more actively consumed compared to, for example, radio. The same media response research shows that media that align well with specific interest areas achieve higher scores in terms of ad receptivity. Purposeful content selection ultimately leads to higher ratings on your podcast. This greatly contributes to communication efficiency.2.
Strong reliability and likability
Various Podcast Impact studies conducted by Kantar's MeMo² in collaboration with Tony Media also found that ads within podcasts are rated more positively than other forms of branded content. Hosted reading materials (advertisements delivered in the same style as the respective podcast and delivered audibly by the podcast creator) are generally rated as a better fit for your brand and podcast. It is also considered more palatable than other forms of branded content. What really sets these podcast ads apart from other forms of branded content is their ability to convey their message in a more authentic way. Podcast ad content is almost twice as likely to be perceived as trustworthy compared to other forms of branded content.
Figure 2 Comparison of Podcast Ads Benchmark and Branded Content Benchmark (Index)
This is consistent with the insights from the Media Reactions 2023 study mentioned above. Podcast advertising is considered the most reliable of all online channels. It turns out that ad credibility has a big impact on the effectiveness of ads on podcasts.
Additionally, podcast ads stand out in terms of likability. While podcast ads are generally perceived to be more likable than other forms of branded content, podcast ads read by hosts within Tony Media podcasts are, on average, even more likable than ads in other podcasts. It is considered expensive.1.
Figure 3: Tony Media performance compared to branded content benchmarks
The strong 'entertainment value' of the Tony Media campaign's creative concept, combined with strong alignment with both advertisers and podcast content, contributes to podcast advertising being perceived as above-average preference. It is thought that
Effects of podcast advertising
It's clear from various Podcast Impact studies conducted by Kantar's company, MeMo², in collaboration with Tonny Media, that host reads on podcasts influence both brand goals and purchase metrics. These studies compared the brand KPI scores of podcast listeners who were exposed to podcast ads to those who were not exposed to the respective ads. Research shows that podcast advertising is highly effective at increasing both ad and brand awareness, as well as offer awareness.1.
Figure 4: Tony Media Podcast Ad Lifting Effect
Additionally, podcast ads read by hosts can influence your brand's image. Listeners who are exposed to advertising within a podcast will associate the brand with the intended image value more strongly than listeners who are not exposed. While large-scale paid media campaigns typically don't allow for dramatic changes in image, podcast advertising can sometimes accomplish this in just a few episodes.
Additionally, these podcast ads primarily influence the final purchase decision. Though considerations are slightly elevated, podcasts can specifically convert (existing) considerations into preferences and drive store visits and purchases. Efficient use of advertising within podcasts is critical for advertisers. The same campaign effectiveness study shows that the effects occur after 3 to 4 episodes and increase with each episode.1 Within this range, advertisers can repeatedly and consistently get their message across to loyal listeners, leading to increased brand metrics while avoiding ad fatigue.
podcast tactics
What are the most effective communication strategies for brands when advertising through podcasts?
Podcast advertising is ideal for enhancing your funnel position from awareness to consideration to preference, influencing your brand image. Since most communication strategies are based on his AIDA model, goals derived from this model can be compared.
Advertising on podcasts is an ideal addition to your media mix. Note This is the goal because the greatest improvement within the funnel is achieved in awareness.
Podcast advertising also interest Although the objective is to consider raising awareness, the impact is not as strong as raising awareness. The advice is to complement podcast advertising with other means in your interest-oriented communication strategy to further drive consideration. For example, this can be accomplished by incorporating social content into your podcast's Instagram/TikTok channel.
for a focused purpose desire and action, podcast ads fit well into the media mix and significantly increase preference and purchase. Therefore, podcast advertising is an ideal tool to persuade people who are already considering your brand to prioritize or purchase your brand.
How can you effectively harness the power of podcast advertising?
An important nuance when evaluating the effectiveness of advertising on podcasts is reach. Although this medium continues to grow, it is important to recognize the difference in purpose from mass media communications. On the flip side, advertising on podcasts has unique benefits. For example, radio may be more cost-effective to reach large audiences. However, the reach of his podcast among listeners can be tailored to a more targeted audience, making the impact of advertising within this group much greater. Additionally, advertising on podcasts enjoys higher consumer acceptance and credibility compared to other forms of branded content. This is consistent with podcast ads being more likable and trustworthy.
The aforementioned characteristics also mean that a large number of episodes is not required to achieve the desired effect among the target audience. All these aspects present valuable opportunities for advertisers to connect with their target audience and strategically position their brands effectively and efficiently.
1 The podcast advertising insights were developed in collaboration with Tonny Media (Suus Veenhof, Titus van Dijk) and MeMo², a Kantar company (Sjoerd Reus, Lara Middelkoop, Estefania Parra Salazar, Coen Kempen). The results cover the effectiveness of his nine campaigns with a variety of national and international brands across a variety of industries, deployed on Tony Media titles. We compared it to other branded content and podcast ads on various platforms. This study focuses on podcast publishing in the Netherlands.
This result was achieved using the award-winning cross-media THX. Kantar's platform with his MeMo². Within THX. Platform, campaign contacts from 50,000 users are passively recorded. The platform allows you to visualize her KPI increases for different campaigns by comparing her KPI scores for podcast listeners who were exposed to podcast ads and those who were not exposed to the respective ads. Additionally, we now have visibility into how your podcast ads are performing against key creative elements that influence effectiveness. Questions regarding this white paper should be directed to his MeMo² at Kantar at info@memo2.nl.
2 Kanter Media Reaction 2023.
