Study: Podcast Listeners Have Few Concerns Over Brand Safety

For the ninth edition of the Podcast Download series, Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights retained MARU/Matchbox to conduct an in-depth study of 603 weekly podcast listeners in October. The Fall 2022 Report highlights trends from prior studies and examines new topics such as co-listening among parents with children and listener perceptions of brand safety and content appropriateness.

This week's Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog post focuses on one of the key areas of the deck -- podcast advertising.

Among podcast listeners, brand safety is less of a concern compared to other media: 73% of weekly podcast listeners have no problem listening to podcasts with language or content that might be considered unsuitable or objectionable. As such, advertisers can feel safer about listeners' approving the content of their ads.

Other Takeaways:

• Podcast listeners don't mind listening to ads to support their favorite podcasts: Podcast listeners are uniquely receptive to ads. The average number of ads weekly podcast listeners think is appropriate has remained stable since July 2017.
• Podcast listeners prefer fun host-read ads over pre-produced ads and love when hosts have fun with the creative: Given a choice between different types of podcast ads, the top choice by far for weekly podcast listeners is host-read ads (48%).
• Podcast listeners prefer funny and entertaining ads but say they currently hear more ads that communicate dry features/benefits: The top two types of podcast ads weekly podcast listeners are interested in are funny ads (74%) and entertaining ads (72%). However, the top type of podcast ads weekly podcast listeners say they actually hear are ads that communicate features/benefits of products/services (83%).
• Podcast ads drive listener action: 76% of total weekly podcast listeners and 85% of heavy podcast listeners (6+ hours per week) have taken any action after hearing a product or service advertised in a podcast.