Insights: Podcast Ads are as Effective as TV Commercials

In the latest Westwood One blog post, the results from the first-ever podcast creative test are revealed showing that podcast ads are just as effective as TV commercials. Partnering with Advertising Benchmark Index (ABX), a creative testing service that evaluates every type of brand creative across all media, Westwood One tested five brands’ podcast ads, television ads, and online videos ads.

The testing revealed:

• On clear branding measures, all of the podcast ads tested were comparable to the television or online video ads that ran for the same brands. That means podcast advertising is a way for advertisers to make the same branding impact as they would with a TV ad, just in a less cluttered environment.
• Podcast ads are as effective at driving conversation and purchase as television ads. The top scorers for call to action metrics ‘talk’ and ‘purchase’ were both podcast ads, making podcast ads as effective as TV ads in driving action.
• Live reads are incredibly impactful, but they have to be done correctly and “make the brand the hero of the story.” Ads with clear branding benefits mentioned early on performed better than ads that listed conversational details first. The lesson for podcasters is that a clear focus in copy makes the ad resonate more with the consumer.