Nielsen Releases Third Installment of Podcasting Today

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, May 10, 2022 | 5:06pm CT

Nielsen

Nielsen has released the third installment of its Podcasting Today report. The latest edition highlights the significant growth in podcast audiences and content, and how brands and advertisers can utilize the medium to amplify reach and ROI. The report revealed that the number of podcast titles and episodes have increased by nearly 200% each over the last two years to 2 million and 92 million, respectively, while over 50% of daily podcast consumers listen more often and to more titles.

The report also found that podcast listeners are more likely to plan a major purchase within 12 months -- such as new technology, home entertainment, or a vehicle -- and 88% of these consumers are willing to consider a new brand, making podcast advertisements a useful tool for marketers looking to drive upper-funnel engagement.

Nielsen Podcast Ad Effectiveness insights found that podcast ads drive an aided brand recall rate of 71%, while 56% of podcast listeners say they pay more attention to ads read by the host(s).

Here are more Podcasting Today Report highlights:

• Nielsen data revealed that podcast audiences are resuming pre-Covid activities more quickly than the total population, and in turn, are among consumers who show the most readiness to spend.

• With a "ready to go" and "ready to spend" attitude observed in podcast listeners, podcast advertising packs a big ROI. Nielsen data showed that podcast ads drive 14 points in brand awareness and 7 points in information seeking, metrics that bode well for marketers whose top objective is building brand awareness and new customer acquisition.

• Overall, data showed that podcast advertising drives an aided brand recall rate of 71%. According to more than 600 Nielsen podcast ad effectiveness studies, auto ads were most impactful among listeners, leading in unaided recall, affinity, information seeking, recommendations and sharing. Specifically, auto ads generate an unaided recall rate of 53%, the highest across seven different categories. Auto ads also raise brand affinity by 7 points and raise the listeners' likelihood to seek more information by 8 points.

"Nielsen's unique suite of podcasting solutions enable brands and marketers to understand the behaviors of podcast listeners, which leads to reaching the right consumers and driving ROI," said Nielsen VP, Brand Impact Solutions Arica McKinnon. "The Podcasting Today report reveals the massive growth observed in podcast consumers and content, and the impact Nielsen's podcasting solutions could have on brand awareness, audience reach, and overall engagement."