Podcasting Poised To Benefit As Consumers Turn To Influencers.

With host-read ads a big part of why marketers come to podcasts, new research shows the industry is well positioned to take advantage of changing consumer attitudes. The newly released 2025 Global Consumer Trends report from WARC finds that nearly half (47%) of social media users have made purchases based on influencer endorsements in the past year.

“Consumer attention is increasingly shifting to non-traditional information sources for news and information. Independent voices such as social media influencers and content creators, which are viewed as more authentic and transparent, are gaining traction,” says WARC. It says marketers can respond by leveraging individual voices and exploring partnerships with individual creators to tap into their reach and reputation. WARC says brands should also balance paid and earned media and take a proactive approach to brand safety ensuring alignment with brand values.

“Consumers are going to creators to discover information about brands. The difference now is that they are moving from passive discovery to really immersing themselves in an entirely new shopping experience, which encompasses video,” Google VP Sapna Chadha agrees.

The research, based on GWI surveys across 54 markets along with WARC’s own research, focuses on a handful of trends that influence brand selection: The widening cost-of-living gap; increasing trust in individual creators; AI assistants disrupting the purchase journey; consumers’ proactive approach to health; and the rise of alternative social activities.

Other trends noted in the WARC report:

• The humanization of AI: 24% of consumers are happy to have AI agents do their shopping for them. The proliferation of AI agents is expected to disrupt how customers engage with brands. Unlike chatbots, agents can autonomously make decisions and carry out tasks on behalf of users. “Soon, consumers will not even need to go to an AI platform to do what they do today,” says Debra Aho Williamson, Founder and Chief Analyst, Sonata Insights. “Instead, they will have an AI agent perform a task on their behalf, and the results will be delivered to them.”

• A proactive approach to health: 77% of consumers are concerned about the associated health risks of ultra-processed foods. “Growing health consciousness and advancements in health tracking are empowering consumers to take more control over their health,” WARC says. “There is a growing focus on preventative healthcare and healthy aging.”

• Rewriting the rules of social connection: Half of Gen Z (51%) and millennials (50%) play board games at least once a month. “Younger consumers are rethinking the way they spend time together,” WARC says. “As people seek more meaningful ways to connect with each other, interest-led activities and hobbies are gaining popularity, leading to a boom in interest-based social clubs, both online (e.g., Letterboxd, Strava) and offline. The cost of going out is a major factor driving this trend forward, and it is likely to continue being a concern as tariffs increase living costs.”

The widening wealth gap, the report says, is already playing a major role as more than half (55%) of low-income consumers say they’d rather pay less for a cheaper own-brand product than pay more for a brand they know. Tariffs are likely to accelerate this trend. 

“Amidst persisting economic uncertainty and the unpredictability around U.S. trade tariffs, consumers are becoming more intentional in their spending and taking greater control over different aspects of their lives, particularly in the way they consume information, manage their wellbeing, and connect with others,” says Stephanie Siew, Senior Research Executive at WARC.

The firm says marketers can respond by re-examining target audiences and adjusting pricing strategies to align with changes in demand. Additionally, marketers can re-evaluate value drivers for different segments and tailor communications and product offerings accordingly.

Individual creators are growing in prominence.