Study: Air Personalities Drive Advertising Effectiveness

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, November 20, 2023 | 11:20am CT

Westwood One

It is commonly accepted wisdom that talent reads by podcast hosts or AM/FM personalities drive brand impact and sales effect. Now, a new study from System1, a creative effectiveness measurement firm, uncovers how talent-reads impact a brand's market share and short-term sales effect. The findings are highlighted in this week's Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog.

• Host-voiced ads tested among the podcast audience generate an additional star rating versus the general population

• Among the podcast audience, the host-read ad generates a happiness score 2X greater than that of the general population

• System1 short-term sales effect spike rating grows 16% to 18% among podcast listeners exposed to the host-read ad versus the general population

• Dentsu: Audio ads outperform video for attention and brand recall, according to Lumen study

• MAGNA/Vox Media: Podcasters are more influential than social media influencers

• Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2023: Personalities outpace music as the main reason for listening to AM/FM radio

• MARU/Matchbox: Listeners feel connected to their favorite AM/FM radio DJs, personalities, and shows

• Extraordinary levels of audio attentiveness combined with host engagement means the lowest degree of audio ad avoidance