How to Leverage Diverse Voices for Your Next Podcast Campaign

Identity and heritage months aren’t the only times that brands should connect with diverse communities or support BIPOC creators. And podcasts are the perfect way to do so—to both reach multicultural audiences and see results. While there is a significant lack of representation in other media, podcasting is home to a wide range of diverse perspectives.

Podcasts offer a wealth of diverse, culturally relevant stories and conversations all year round. And multicultural communities show higher creator engagement. 1 This makes podcasts the perfect medium for brands looking to expand their investments in multicultural content. For more on the diverse voices in the SiriusXM Podcast Network, and how to leverage them in your next multicultural marketing campaign, dive into our playbook.

Massive reach and relevance

BIPOC creators play a significant role in diversifying the podcast landscape, leading discussions across many genres and driving growth in multicultural podcast consumption. The majority of Black Americans (63%) are monthly podcast listeners, and 60% of Hispanic Americans are listening monthly. 2 And multicultural icons like Kid Fury and Crissle, Trymaine Lee, and Stephanie Soo are raking in the accolades for their podcasts, with repeated recognition from top institutions like Adweek, the Webbys, the NAACP, and more.

Drawn to familiar voices

With the unique ability to tackle topics that are often complex and specific to their lived experiences, diverse podcasters appeal to multicultural listeners. From conversations around social justice and identity politics to pop culture commentary, BIPOC-hosted podcasts both educate and foster a sense of belonging and community among listeners. No wonder one in two Black listeners say most or all of the podcasts they listen to are Black-hosted, 3 41% of Latino listeners tune in to Latino-hosted podcasts weekly​, 4 and half of AAPI listeners listeners say the podcasts they listen to are a reflection of their identity. 5

This affinity doesn’t stop with the content. Advertisers who invest in BIPOC-hosted podcasts see great campaign results among multicultural listeners. They are more likely to purchase, recommend, and gather information around products they hear advertised on those shows.

Stand for sonic diversity

The voice of the podcaster isn’t the only one that matters. Brands can also see significant results when ads are voiced by diverse talent. In fact, 68% of Black podcast listeners want brands to collaborate with diverse content creators and experts in the podcast space, 6 and almost half of Latino podcast listeners say it’s important that the podcasts they listen to are hosted by Latinos. 7

Fortunately, Studio Resonate, our in-house audio creative agency, has no shortage of BIPOC voice-over talent, having set a benchmark of casting at least 50% through their Stand for Sonic Diversity. Our team of multicultural creative experts produce and modify ad scripts in a way that is authentic to the identity of the voiceover talent.

Cultivating trust 

Diverse podcast hosts have a knack for building a strong sense of trust that’s hard to come by in other media formats. And the type of representation in your ads matters. In fact, 83% of multicultural consumers show a stronger attachment to culture-specific ads. 8 This speaks to the special connection that diverse creators are able to forge with their audiences. It also explains why listeners continue to flock to hosts like Kid Fury and Crissle and Nikki and Brie Garcia in search of authentic conversations they can’t get anywhere else.

Speak their canguage

In an era where consumers seek brands that resonate with their values and identities, demonstrating inclusivity becomes a foundation of brand loyalty and trust. And one of the best ways to demonstrate inclusivity is by adopting the language with which listeners feel most comfortable.

Many Latino listeners, for instance, have made it known that they feel a stronger connection to brands that prioritize English and Spanish advertisements, with 51% saying they prefer to hear podcast ads in both English and Spanish. 9

Still unconvinced? Take it up with a financial services advisor who partnered with us, seeing a 51% lift in unaided recall and a +11pts lift in aided awareness driven by ads on Erazno y La Chokolata. 10

Invest in BIPOC creators at scale

The enduring impact of podcasts as a platform for amplifying BIPOC voices cannot be overstated. Our Diverse Creators collection is the most efficient way to activate a campaign across a wide range of BIPOC-hosted shows, while elevating diverse voices year-round. This targeting capability allows advertisers to tap into a curated network of diverse content in one easy buy. To zero in on a more specific creator segment, brands can also select from Black Creator and Hispanic Creator collections.

No matter your specific approach, SiriusXM Media has all the tools you need to tap into a wide range of diverse creators. Let’s chat.

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