A new study commissioned by the Guardian found podcast advertising raises positive perceptions of brands and encourages listeners to take buying action
The nationwide study found podcast advertising commands the highest levels of attention of any media channel, with 65% of listeners having paid attention to podcast adverts – more than adverts on TV at 39% and adverts on the radio at 38%.
These high levels of attention translate into greater likelihood to buy the product or service being advertised. For example, 51% of weekly users of each channel said podcast adverts made them want to buy something from the brand versus 38% for radio.
The research findings are in line with results seen by brands advertising with the Guardian including retailer Ocado, who are the sponsors for hit podcast show Comfort Eating.
After advertising with the Guardian, Ocado saw an uplift in new customers, with 25% saying they’d listened to the podcast. They also saw a 62% increase in positive customer brand perception and 89% new unique visitors to their website.
Podcasts are also now reaching younger and more diverse audiences, many of whom are parents – 26% of weekly podcast listeners are now coming from non-white backgrounds and the average listener age is younger at 37, compared to 40 in previous Guardian research in 2020.
Podcasts have shown the most growth of any media, helping them to become more mainstream – 41% of podcast listeners are listening to podcasts more than they were 12 months ago, increasing to 53% for the Guardian audience.
Commenting on the research, Imogen Fox, director of advertising at Guardian News & Media said: “This study gives us a deeper understanding of the relative effectiveness of podcast advertising versus other media formats – like radio. It’s really interesting to see the boost that podcasts provide when the various formats are working together.
“The fact that podcasts are commanding higher levels of attention and increase the effectiveness of other formats means they should be an essential addition to any media plan.”
Claire Blunt, chief advertising officer and CEO, International at Guardian News & Media added: “Guardian podcasts have been seeing massive growth, with global monthly listens to Guardian podcasts increasing by over 60% since the start of the pandemic.
“The Guardian offers a unique combination of quality, trust and a devoted listening audience that we have built a real connection with. All of this means that we can deliver impressive results for brands.”
See the full report from the Guardian’s research here.
