Top Five Audio Insights Drove 2025 Blog Engagement

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, December 15, 2025 | 2:45pm CT

Pierre Bouvard

As 2025 draws to a close, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group is looking back at the blog posts that generated the strongest reader engagement this year, highlighting five audio-related insights that resonated most with advertisers, agencies, and marketers.

The fifth most-read post focused on the cost of ineffective creative, drawing on research from System1 and marketing effectiveness leaders Adam Morgan, Jon Evans, and Peter Field. The analysis found that dull or uninteresting advertising requires between two and 2.6 times more media spending to deliver the same impact as engaging creative, underscoring the financial penalty brands face when creative execution falls short.

Ranking fourth was a long-running study of podcast advertising sentiment conducted with Advertiser Perceptions. Updated annually since 2015, the June 2025 edition showed advertiser and agency podcast usage and spending intentions reaching an eleven-year high, reflecting continued momentum for the medium among buyers.

The third most popular post challenged widely held assumptions about AM/FM radio. Drawing on data from Nielsen, LeadsRx, and Edison Research, the analysis addressed eight common misconceptions about radio audiences and performance, contrasting prevailing industry beliefs with measured audience behavior and outcomes.

Second on the list was the release of the Creative Best Practices Handbook. Compiled from years of audio ad testing conducted with firms including ABX, Veritonic, and System1, the handbook consolidated creative and effectiveness learnings into a practical guide aimed at improving audio advertising performance.

The most-read blog post of the year examined podcast consumption habits amid the rise of video. Based on findings from the Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights Podcast Download - Fall 2025 Report, the post showed that audio remains the dominant mode of podcast consumption, with 92% of respondents saying they primarily "listen" to podcasts despite increased video availability.

The blog is authored by Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group.