• by Colin Kirkland , Yesterday

As the podcasting market continues to grow along consumers’ desire for episodic content, a new study shows that consumers view their favorite episodic content creators as if they were their friend, trusting their brand recommendations just as much, if not more. 

On Wednesday Oct. 14, Amazon-owned media studio Wondery, in partnership with research firm SmithGeiger, released “Brand Building in the Creator Age,” a study that examines potential brand opportunities stemming from the relationship between consumers and creators.

According to the study, creators – “hosts of episodic programming built around their voice and point of view” – have become major brand drivers, even compared to traditional entertainment formats.  

“Consumers seek connection over persuasion,” the study states, adding that nine in 10 fans report looking forward to new creator segments as much as their favorite TV show, with 71% of fans trusting their favorite creator over social media influencers. 

Out of 3,000 U.S. creator fans ranging from 18-64, 85% view their favorite creators as if they were a friend, with 81% of those fans reporting that they trust creators at least as much as their close friends.  

If the connection between a creator and their fan is long-term and feels authentic, the study argues that brands have an opportunity outside of the social media influencer ecosystem to target engaged audiences. 

Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents felt more confident buying a product a host recommends, with 71% saying a product’s consistent presence across multiple episodes shows a genuine endorsement, while 50% assume a creator doesn’t like a brand when the brand is only mentioned once on their show. 

Almost 70% of fans say a multi-episode partnership makes the product feel more premium and are more likely to try it than if it was mentioned in only one episode of a creator’s show. 

The study argues that clips from podcast episodes or online series also pose an opportunity for brands. Not only were they almost twice as effective as word-of-mouth in attracting new viewers to a show, but 95% of existing fans took action after seeing a clip. 

“This kind of shoulder content enables brands to create longer-term campaigns that not only span online shows and podcasts, but also content beyond the core programs,” the study says. 

“Their audiences don't just watch or listen — they lean in, they believe, and they act,” says Angie More, Amazon’s head of creator ad partnerships. “That kind of connection used to be reserved for a best friend's recommendation over coffee, or the watercooler conversation with co-workers.”

A meta-analysis of campaigns measured by Nielsen and commissioned by Wondery found that ads rated high on authenticity delivered 148% higher lifts in brand familiarity and 51% higher lifts in purchase intent compared to those that were not.

Podcasts and episodic online content are more popular now than ever before. Over the past year, Meta, TikTok and YouTube have rolled out features to incentivize creators and brands to develop and share long-form, episodic series. 

Specifically, soap opera-style microdramas have become a hit on TikTok, generating $1.3 billion in the U.S. last year via direct payments from viewers, according to a Business Insider report.

The podcast market, by contrast, is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of almost 20% between now and 2030 in the U.S. alone.