Radio, Streaming, and Podcasting Form Triple Treat For Brands

In today’s digital age, brands leveraging a cross-platform audio approach – radio, streaming, and podcasts – are seeing enhanced campaign performance, improved marketing funnel metrics, and superior business outcomes, according to new data.

The findings were revealed by Audacy Chief Marketing Officer Paul Suchman, continuing off of Nielsen Audio research showing radio reaches 91% of Americans monthly. The amalgamation of over-the-air radio with streaming and podcasts amplifies appeal, especially to highly engaged and conversion-ready audiences.

The effectiveness of cross-platform audio strategies is evidenced by substantial increases in purchase behavior, with listeners of cross-platform audio being twice as likely to buy products after encountering audio advertisements. This trend is further supported by the Audacy X-Platform Audio Survey conducted by Suzy Insights in June 2023.

Audiences that heard an audio ad across all three platforms were almost twice as likely to make a purchase based on that ad.

The profile of the cross-platform listener is evolving, marked by a 66% growth over two years. These listeners are likely to hold a college degree and have a household income of more than $100,000.

Radio’s trust factor also plays a significant role, with audiences that combine AM/FM, streaming, and podcast listening 25% more trusting of the personalities they hear, 17% more likely to wait through ad breaks, and 24% more likely to enjoy audio advertisements than the average consumer.

Cross-platform audio advertising’s success extends across various brand sectors, including automotive and sports betting. Suchman again highlighted Hyundai’s year-long, cross-platform audio campaign with Audacy. Leveraging AM/FM, 29 podcast hosts, and a focused digital campaign, the car manufacturers saw a 7.4-point increase in purchase intent and a 10.4-point rise in brand favorability.

As for a similar campaign for a popular sportsbook, that led to a 7% rise in brand awareness and a 14% lift in intent to use the betting brand in question.

With cross-platform listeners demonstrating a 29% higher purchase intent compared to their single-channel counterparts, radio remains a valuable marketing tool, made only more powerful when accompanied by other sonic media.