It’s no secret that people are obsessed with podcasts. It’s now as common to discuss a popular podcast over dinner as it is to talk about the latest movies or books. Podcasts’ convenience, accessibility, and limitless topics make them easy to love.
But the beating heart of the medium is, of course, the creators. Whether investigative, instructive, or funny, popular podcast creators have garnered a cult-like following that has inspired devotion among their audiences. This human element is powerful, with some calling podcast creators the most influential influencers.
Given the power of the contemporary audio creator, brands have an opportunity to immerse in the 360-degree worlds they’ve created to move the needle on big KPIs.
The evolution of the podscape
The podcast landscape is vast and continues to grow, as illustrated by the complex audio LUMAscape charted by LUMA Partners. In fact, one-third of today’s podcast content was created in the last year. As a result, “the world of audio is becoming more difficult to navigate,” said Teresa Elliott, Chief Revenue Officer at ARM. “But with this growth, there are also incredible opportunities for brands if they can find them.”
In the early days of podcasting, the biggest names attracted the most ad spend. These shows delivered on reach and scale because they were at the top of the charts. At that time, there were few strategic considerations, with the main question being: Is the ad going to be host-read or dynamically inserted?
Today, exciting shifts in the podscape have largely been driven by the creators themselves. “Creators have influence that extends off the podcast platform,” Elliott explained. “They’re doing things that are exciting to them individually, like live events, social media campaigns, and more.”
The authenticity of audio has driven its growth and allows creators to expand their influence. In a long-format medium like podcasting, creators forge a very intimate connection with listeners. That intimacy generates trust that makes creators’ endorsements meaningful. In fact, 52% of listeners trust advertising more when it comes from the host of a podcast they like.
Activations with unlimited potential
“From Acast to Wondery—that’s nearly A to Z—our partners are talking about how they are audio-first but not audio-only, because audio creators deliver opportunities for brands beyond the podcast studio,” Elliott said.
With 56% of weekly podcast listeners following a favorite host on social media and 64% of listeners being cord-cutters, the growing number of potential activations allows brands to tap into the world of audio creators more completely for maximum scale and impact—even among hard-to-reach and ad-resistant audiences. These 360-degree audio campaigns remain grounded in audio, but they increase brand presence, awareness, and affinity by going “beyond on the mic.”
Video
Video podcasts and simulcasts on YouTube and other video platforms leverage the influence of audio while amplifying its power by integrating video. The impact of video podcasts is undeniable: More than 44 million users subscribe to the top YouTube shows alone, and 70% of viewers make purchases after seeing a brand on the platform.
With video’s enhanced storytelling opportunities, it can have a big impact for brands.
Social media activations
Superfans aren’t just listening to their favorite creators—they’re also engaging with creators on Instagram, TikTok, and more. With integrations such as social posts, brands can build more awareness and boost engagement by leveraging creators’ social presence alongside audio placements.
ARM has worked with brands to expand their footprint beyond audio alone. By integrating social strategies into its audio campaign, one of our brand partners increased its social impressions by 146% year over year and achieved a 1.84% engagement rate with Instagram stories.
Live events
Live events help brands deeply engage with enthusiasts, setting the stage for immersive, IRL connections. Take, for example, ARM client Betterhelp, which co-sponsored Audacy’s We Can Survive event aimed at raising mental health awareness. At the event, Betterhelp gave attendees one month of free therapy and displayed its branding on the main stage. The company was featured in affiliated social media posts and received press coverage for its participation in the event, which included musical performances, audience experiences, interviews, and more.
Product placement
By integrating video and social content into audio campaigns, brands have the opportunity to work with creators to feature their products or services in a natural way via product placement. Product placement allows brands to become part of the entertainment—rather than disrupt it.
Audio creators build communities. With product placement, brands can become more fully immersed in those communities, build awareness, nurture relationships, and improve cross-channel efforts.
In-studio branding
Studio branding provides another way for brands to seamlessly integrate into audio. Being at the center of the conversation doesn’t have to mean stealing the show. In-studio branding increases visibility, awareness, and affinity while opening doorways to greater engagement and differentiation.
A common practice in media like sports TV, wherein sponsors’ names are emblazoned on arenas and endzones, this type of branding involves display of logos, branded gear, and more in the recording studio. Clips of podcast recordings or image stills of the creators in their studios are then shared on socials. Video podcasts recorded in-studio also showcase the brand and offer even more visibility.
Why 360-degree?
A 360-degree audio advertising strategy offers brands a dynamic and immersive way to enhance their presence, awareness, and affinity. Reinforcing messaging with complementary extensions tailored to each creator’s audience makes for a comprehensive approach that delivers full-funnel campaign performance. “This isn’t a logo slap, because it’s backed by authenticity,” Elliott said. “Creators have a dedicated audience and they owe something to their fans—they want to make sure they are being genuine and truthful.”
As the audio landscape evolves, creators’ diversity and reach are greater than ever. While top-chart placements will always be impactful, the new era of audio advertising enables brands to dive deeper and select creators and formats that align with their values and objectives.
Dive into the new creator economy
Navigating the vast and complex terrain of today’s world of audio demands deep knowledge and creativity. The rewards are profound for brands that invest in strategic planning and authentic partnerships. By establishing a visible presence in a rapidly growing medium, ads do more than deliver a message—they put brands in the cultural conversation.
At ARM, coordinating campaigns that leverage all the power of audio and then some has delivered massive results for our partners. We can do the same for you.
