Audio Content, Screenless Devices Provide Important Opportunities For Marketers

Last month at the IAB Podcast Upfront, Podcastone and Edison Research released study results noting podcast super listeners have a favorable view of ads. In fact, 60% of those listening to at least five hours of podcasts a week said they appreciate the support offered by advertising brands.

Today, IAB published a whitepaper called “Recommendations for Marketers in a Screenless World,” outlining where digital audio is headed in the future and how marketers can tailor their audio-first planning to meet a new, growing audience.

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According to the paper, over half of Americans report listening to a podcast, with 86 million podcasts listeners counted in the U.S. in 2019. That number is expected to jump to 132 million in 2022.

Supply is increasing with that growing audience. Globally, close to 1 million podcasts are currently in circulation, with an average of 575 new podcasts launched every day.

Recently brands like Architectural Digest and Thrillist have launched their first podcasts, with Thrillist parent-company Group Nine entering into an exclusive podcast deal with iHeartMedia, all creating new opportunities for publishers and advertisers.

Other outlets have created their own Alexa skills to connect with consumers, including The AtlanticOutside, The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.

The white paper addresses marketing across various platforms, including smart speakers, in-car dashboards, smart TVs, connected devices/IoT, gaming consoles, desktop and laptop computers and mobile devices.

“The rapid adoption of connected devices has reached a critical scale, so marketers need to activate audio within these increasingly important touchpoints,” the paper states. It adds that 40% of consumers feel smart speaker ads are less intrusive and more engaging than ads found on other platforms.

Benefits of audio-first for marketers include the opportunity to uniquely connect with listeners through voice-enabled ads that encourage a two-way conversation and the ability to align a brand’s message and product with listener choices across stations, genres, artists, playlists and shows.

“Digital audio is in the midst of a rebirth, with more consumers listening to more audio in varied environments on a diverse array of devices. Growth projections indicate this will continue for the foreseeable future,” the paper states.

The white paper is available now.

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