Study Finds Host Reads Boost Brand Impact

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, September 21, 2026 | 2:14pm CT

Cumulus Media and Westwood One

A new global advertising study finds creator-led ads, including radio and podcast host reads, can produce greater brand impact, particularly when advertisers identify themselves early and use entertaining, emotion-driven creative.

The findings come from "The Creator Effectiveness Playbook: How to Build Your Brand with Creators," a study from WPP Media, creative testing firm System1 and TikTok. The research is examined by Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard in a new blog post.

The study measured responses to 1,217 paid ads among 182,500 TikTok users across eight global markets and connected those results to in-market brand lift data. The campaigns represented $71 million in media spending and generated 23.6 billion impressions.

According to the research, creator ads -- which Bouvard compares to radio and podcast host reads -- generate greater brand memory lift, combining brand awareness and ad recall. Two factors emerged as particularly important: mentioning the advertiser within the first two seconds and creating strong positive emotion through entertaining content.

For video podcasts and other audio accompanied by video, System1 recommends both saying and displaying the brand within the first two seconds. The study found this "say it and show it" approach generated seven times greater brand recognition compared with ads containing no brand cues during the opening two seconds.

Bouvard says the findings have implications for AM/FM radio talent endorsements as well. Jacobs Media's Techsurvey research has found DJs and hosts are among the primary reasons consumers listen to AM/FM radio, while a MARU/Matchbox study found listeners develop long-term relationships with personalities who make them laugh, think and feel connected to their communities.

The analysis also points to the cost of advertising that fails to engage consumers. Research based on the IPA Effectiveness Databank found advertisers can require two to 2.6 times more media spending for dull ads to achieve comparable business results to more interesting creative. Interesting ads generated 6.1 times more share growth than dull, rational ads.

Humor was another significant factor. System1 testing found the funniest ads generated an average 3.4-star emotional response compared with 2.2 stars for the most serious ads. The funniest creative also produced five times the long-term market share growth of the least funny advertising.

The findings suggest audience size is not necessarily the deciding factor in whether host-read advertising builds brand memory. WPP Media and System1 examined creators ranging from micro influencers with 10,000 to 100,000 followers to celebrities with more than one million. Across all four audience-size categories, the most entertaining ads produced strong levels of brand memory.

Bouvard's takeaway for audio advertisers is to combine "salesmanship and showmanship": identify the brand early and often while giving personalities room to make the message entertaining, memorable and emotionally engaging.

Read the complete Audio Active Group blog here.