Study: Podcast Listeners Show Stronger Response To Audio-Led Ads.

Podcast listeners may be especially receptive to audio-led advertising — and that advantage appears to follow them even when they leave the podcast feed. New research from Consumable and Edison Research unveiled Wednesday at the IAB Podcast Upfront finds monthly podcast consumers outperformed the broader population across every ad-response metric measured. They were more likely to like the advertising and say it held their attention, while the tested brand recorded a larger increase in favorability among podcast listeners.

The study found 77% of monthly podcast consumers liked the ad they received vs. 67% of the total sample, while 71% said it held their attention vs. 62% overall. And brand favorability increased seven points among podcast consumers vs. a four-point lift across all respondents.

“Podcast consumers are where this really shines,” Consumable Chief Strategy Officer Jared Lapin said.

The research was designed to examine what happens when audio advertising adds a visual component as the lines between audio and video continue to blur. Edison and Consumable tested an advertisement for a well-known home security brand among 2,158 U.S. adults. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of three versions — audio-only, audio accompanied by a static image, or audio accompanied by video. 

The audio was identical in all three versions, allowing researchers to examine what adding a visual layer did without changing the underlying message. Across the sample, the results showed strong response to the audio-led creative. Two-thirds (67%) liked the ad, 78% found it easy to understand, 69% called it informative, and 62% said it held their attention.

The campaign also produced a sizable change in unaided brand awareness. Before seeing the ad, 39% of respondents independently named the tested home security company when asked to list companies in the category. After exposure, that increased to 68% — a 29-point lift.

Favorability also moved higher. The brand began with 66% favorability and finished at 70%, a four-point increase for a company researchers described as already well known and popular. 

When researchers separated monthly podcast consumers from the overall sample, the results improved across each of the measures presented. The share liking the ads climbed from 67% overall to 77% among podcast consumers, while the percentage saying the ads held their attention increased from 62% to 71%. Brand favorability rose seven points among podcast consumers, three points more than the four-point lift recorded across the total sample.

“Mobile audio works,” Edison VP Megan Lazovick said. “But they work even better among audiences that are primed for audio, audiences such as podcast consumers.”

Visuals Can Give Audio A Boost

The study also found that putting visuals around an audio-led message can help audiences process it. Among respondents who received either the audio-plus-image or audio-plus-video treatment, 64% said the audio and visuals worked well together. Two-thirds said the visuals made the message easier to understand.

“While audio really is the star, if you choose to add visuals, then the audiences will respond well,” Lazovick said. But she also emphasized that the findings don’t suggest the screen replaces the sound. “Audio is the important driver of the message, but adding that visual layer, if it fits well with the audio, can potentially help the clarity of the message,” Lazovick said.

The research also suggests podcast listeners’ receptivity to such advertising extends beyond the time they spend listening to podcasts. According to findings from the study, 93% of monthly podcast consumers see or hear advertising across mobile apps vs. 83% of the total sample. And 68% of monthly podcast consumers find reward-based mobile advertising acceptable, vs. 60% overall.

That supports Consumable’s argument that advertisers can think of podcast consumers as an addressable audience beyond individual shows and podcast apps.

“Today, most podcast advertising still lives within the feed itself,” Lapin said. “If a listener isn’t actively in an episode, the brand can’t reach them.” But he argued that listeners don’t stop being podcast consumers when an episode ends. “The opportunity to engage with podcast listeners really is everywhere,” Lapin said.

The newly released findings represent the first phase of a broader research effort. Consumable and Edison next plan qualitative interviews examining the creative and format implications of audio and visual-audio advertising, followed by another quantitative study comparing audio and visual-audio with other advertising formats.