• by Ray Schultz , May 3, 2023

Far from being an annoyance, podcast advertising may be helping to drive sales, judging by a study from DISQO titled Proving the Power Of Podcast ads.   

Of the daily listeners surveyed, 45% say they pay more attention to podcast ads than to advertising in other channels. Overall, 33% pay notice to ads.. 

People in the 18-44 age group are most likely to notice ads in podcasts—49% do. And males show more interest—36%, compared to 30% of females. 

Overall, 33% give more notice to ads heard in podcasts than to ads in other media. And 33% of listeners like a brand more when it’s advertised within a podcast they enjoy or in one with a host they prefer. This goes for roughly 45% of daily listeners.

Of the consumers polled, 68% listen to podcasts, and 34% partake of them weekly or more.  

Consumers aged 65+ are least likely to listen—52% do not. Those in the 25-34 cohort are most likely—only 21% never listen.  

How do listeners feel about podcast ads? Overall, 15% say outright that they like them, and 50% that they don’t mind them. Another 35% dislike them.  

Persons with no college are more prone to liking podcast ads—19% do and 50% don’t mind them.  

In contrast, 13% of listeners with college+ like them, and 50% don’t mind the ads. But 36% dislike them.  

Roughly two-thirds search for podcasts by topic, and the remaining third seek content by host and topics.  

Of course, podcasts in general face competition for attention. Consumers engage in these activities while listening: 

• Doing household chores—30%
• Driving around—30% 
• Unwinding after a long day—24%
• Taking a walk—24% 
• Working—22%
• Eating a meal/lunchbreak—18%
• Getting ready for the day—17%
• Working out—17% 

“The intimate nature of podcasting offers marketers a unique avenue to drive attitudinal and behavioral lift for their brands,” concludes Patrick Egan, Director of Research and Insights, DISQO.   

DISQO surveyed 34,841 consumers in its audience from April 6-8, 2023.