Nielsen Issues Podcast Insights Q3 2018 Report

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, July 23, 2018

Nielsen

Nielsen has released its third quarter 2018 report, a "Marketer's Guide to Podcasting." This report offers insights regarding listening trends, while examining the correlation between podcast tune-in and category ad spend by focusing on the spending habits of podcast audiences. Podcasting continues to grow year after year, and with that comes increased investment from brands, both big and niche. This report includes insights from Nielsen's Homescan panel coupled with an online questionnaire of panelists who said they were a fan of podcasting.

Every month more advertisers are adding podcasting to their media plans. One notable segment turning its attention to podcasting is the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Previous reports from Nielsen have shown the podcast audience to be young, educated and affluent. The podcast listener also tends to spend more at the grocery store on a weekly basis. Advertisers target the podcast audience may find a greater ROI since this group tends to spend more.

The report also shows the top 50 products and amount purchased annually by podcast fans based on U.S. households. Additionally, it examines top genres of podcasts among avid fans based on U.S households. These genres include music, tv and movies, comedy, technology, hobbies, health and living, sports, kids and family, news and politics, science, religion and spirituality, society and culture, arts and business.

Key highlights include:

• Podcasting continues to grow in popularity year after year in the U.S. According to Nielsen's Fanlinks survey data, the medium saw a significant growth in engagement from 2016 to 2017. In the fall of 2016, 13 million homes identified as "avid fans" of podcasts, while by the fall of 2017, the number of homes that consider themselves "avid fans" soared to 16 million.
• More than 61% of American households have a fan of podcasts in the music genre. Thirty-seven million of these households identify as avid fans, while 24 million consider themselves casual fans. Avid fans of music podcasts are heavy buyers of beer, liquor, pet care, tea and baby food. TV and movie genre fans also mirror this trend and vary only in their heavy consumption of candy versus baby food.
• When it comes to tech podcasts, 46% of American households have fans of podcasts of the genre. Approximately 27 million households include an avid fan, while nearly 32 million of these households are casual fans. Tech podcast fans' consumptions of choice are liquor, baby food, tea, beer, and cookies.

Advertisers have an opportunity to connect listeners with their favorite brands in unique and creative ways through podcasts. But first they have to identify the podcast genres that are the best fit for their specific campaigns. The diversity of content that podcasts represent lets nearly everyone find a program they can connect with. Below are the top genres that resonate with podcast listeners:

Podcast fans are heavy grocery shoppers. On a weekly basis, podcast audiences spend more at the grocery store than the average American. In fact, according to the report American households purchase a whopping $10.8 billion of snacks annually. Also among the top five purchased categories are pet food ($8.8 billion), paper products ($8 billion), cheese, bread and baked goods ($7.9 billion), and carbonated beverages ($7.4 billion).

More than 61% of American households have a fan of podcasts in the music genre. Thirty-seven million of these households identify as avid fans, while 24 million consider themselves casual fans. Avid fans of music podcasts are heavy buyers of beer, liquor, pet care, tea and baby food. TV and movie genre fans also mirror this trend and vary only in their heavy consumption of candy versus baby food.

The Comedy genre is popular among 60 million American households. Thirty million of these households are avid fans of the genre. Avid fans of comedy podcasts are heavy purchasers of baby food, tea, pet care, beer and carbonated beverages.

When it comes to tech podcasts, 46% of American households have fans of podcasts of the genre. Approximately 27 million households include an avid fan, while nearly 32 million of these households are casual fans. Tech podcast fans' consumptions of choice are liquor, baby food, tea, beer and cookies.