Podcasting’s Biggest Ad Opportunity Isn’t With Its Youngest Listeners.

While adults 55 and older are the most likely to say they’ve never listened to a podcast, podcasting has made significant gains with this demographic in recent years.

The latest Podcast Landscape data shows more 35- to 54-year-olds (37%) report listening to a podcast in the past month than 18- to 34-year-olds (35%). And the number of listeners 55 and older is on the rise, with nearly three in ten (28%) reporting they’ve listened to a podcast in the past month.

Advertisers have long targeted younger consumers, believing they are more likely to be persuaded to try their products than older demos who are thought to be locked into their purchase habits. But Signal Hill Insights President Paul Riismandel suggests that by focusing on the 18- to 34-year-old listeners, marketers may be missing out on an untapped podcast opportunity.

For the last year Signal Hill has been testing brand health measures for 10 top podcast advertisers as part of the quarterly Demos+ survey of monthly podcast consumers that conducts for Triton Digital. He says they discovered that podcast listeners in the 35- to 44-year-old demo have quietly become a source of real potential for brands. That is because they’re more likely to recall the ads they are hearing on podcasts.

Riismandel writes in a blog post that listeners in that age group were 41% more likely to recall an ad for a leading insurance company vs. the average listener. They were also 33% more likely to remember hearing ads for a national home improvement retailer, a major department store, and a big tech brand. And they were also 20% more likely to recall ads for a national wireless carrier than the typical podcast consumer. “This indicates that a 40-year-old listener seems to be paying more attention to podcast ads than a 24- or 54-year-old,” Riismandel says.

That attention may be driven by the economic realities of today. Younger listeners are often not in the same economic position to buy a home or start a family as in the past. That delay of activity until they are a bit older may be shifting how much attention they pay to the commercials they are hearing on podcasts.

“While establishing inroads with young adult consumers remains a priority, most brands should take a fresh look at podcast consumers in the new ‘age of acquisition’ of 35 to 44,” Riismandel says. In today’s economic environment, he says the data shows these are now prime years for buying homes, advancing careers, starting families, and locking in long-term financial security.

That focus clearly shows up in spending behavior. Podcast listeners 35-44 are the most active decision-makers for insurance, home improvement, and telecom services. Nearly one in five plan to buy life insurance in the next year, while 22% expect to purchase or switch home or auto insurance. Another 23% plan to change wireless providers — higher than any other age group in the monthly podcast audience. The “nesting” instinct is also evident, with 40% planning a home improvement project in the coming year, nearly matching the 45–54 cohort.

Health and fitness are also priorities. In the past month, 45% visited a gym, 55% worked out at home, and nearly seven in ten took supplements or vitamins.

The shift has implications beyond household spending. Podcast listeners 35-44 are 42% more likely to hold executive or C-suite roles and 47% more likely to be senior decision-makers at work. Riismandel says that may help explain why podcast campaigns from major B2B and e-commerce brands resonate so strongly with this group, which is 31% more likely to recall those advertisers’ messages.