• by Ray Schultz , February 7, 2023

North American consumers are buying based on what they hear in podcasts, according to new research from Acast. 

Of those polled, 95% of U.S. podcast listeners have taken action in response to podcast advertising, and that rises to 97% for frequent listeners. 

In Canada, 85% of listeners  have taken action, along with 91% of frequent listeners.

Podcast fans feel a kinship with their favorite podcasters, and are willing to listen to advertising to support them—82% in the U.S. feel that way and 66% in Canada. 

Moreover, of those who feel that podcasters are like friends, 77% in the U.S. and 55% in Canada are willing to listen to ads all the time. 

Moreover, 82% of US and 67% of Canadians follow a podcaster on social media.

In other recent research, Acast found that 65% of U.S. marketers expect to increase their spend on podcasts, including 83% of those that have purchased podcast ads. 

“The podcast advertising industry is continuing to experience growth as media buyers better recognize the effectiveness of the medium for their brand message,” states Heather Gordon, Acast managing director, Canada.

Gordon adds, “Understanding the unique relationship between podcast audiences and the content they consume through research and insights like this is vital to the success of advertisers in the space.” 

‍Acast, working with Attest, surveyed 1200 podcast listeners, split evenly between the U.S. and Canada, in December 2022.