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Study: Air Personalities Drive Advertising Effectiveness


Westwood One
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

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