What You Thought You Knew About Consumers' Media Consumption

When it comes to the best media channels to connect with consumers, it’s gotta be CTV and social media…right? Wrong. And the sad truth is, far too many brands think this is the case—that’s why we only see 9% of media budgets spent on audio, even though it accounts for 31% of consumers’ media time.  

It’s a classic case of misinformation, and we’re here with the facts to help you get your campaigns back on track. We have the data to prove that audio is the best place to connect with consumers (and place your media dollars), and we shared it all in our latest webinar, 4 Things You Thought You Knew About Your Consumers’ Media Consumption.

Here’s a little preview of what our experts, Sophie Anderson, Associate Director, Podcast Sales Marketing; Casey Fandacone, Manager, Sales Marketing; and Lynae Chambers, Enterprise Account Director, covered:

• Contrary to popular belief, CTV does not offer an addressable or consistent audience.

• When it comes to fostering trust, social media isn’t that great—in fact, it often has the opposite effect on consumers.

• Consumers are hungry for content—but the content discovery process available through CTV is leaving them unsatisfied.

• Neither social nor CTV have the power to help you reach audiences at scale the way audio does.

Now that we’ve piqued your interest, check out the full recording below.

If you’re looking for more of a quick-hits recap, we’ve got that too. Take a listen to some of the key call-outs from our conversation below.

Audio is a constant companion.

Highlight: “I really like being able to just put down my screen for a minute and kind of dive into my stories whenever and wherever… whether I'm commuting, walking the dog, folding laundry, shopping. I really love the fact that audio is that constant companion, and you can just take it anywhere.” - Lynae Chambers

Audiences are growing skeptical of social media.

Highlight: “Despite what you may think about social media being a powerful space for cultivating trust, research shows that audiences have actually grown quite skeptical of social media, saying it's not a trusted source of news and information. It's hard for them to tell what's real and what's fake, and they're afraid that brands that are advertising on social media might be scams just due to the oversaturation of advertisers in the space.” - Sophie Anderson

Podcast hosts are the best friends you’ve never met.

Highlight: “First and foremost, it's that loyalty and the bonding that people have with their [favorite] podcast hosts. I personally believe that it is really unlike any other medium. My husband actually said this about a couple of years ago about his favorite podcast host, and I think it rings true for probably many of us—he said that your podcast favorite podcast host is really your best friend that you just have never met.” - Lynae Chambers

CTV content wars are leaving consumers confused.

Highlight: “We all know we're really living in the midst of a TV content war—there's so many services and features and subscription tiers constantly evolving. And we're finding that it's leaving consumers very confused.” - Casey Fandacone

Audio audiences won’t pull a disappearing act.

Highlight: “This audience isn't going to pull that disappearing act after one show ends, because most of them are longtime podcast listeners who have a routine that includes several titles that they never miss. And then on the Pandora side, nearly half [of our listeners] have been listening to the platform for over ten years, so they're really not going anywhere.” - Sophie Anderson

Seeing is believing, but hearing is feeling.

Highlight: “They say that seeing is believing, but hearing is really all about feeling. And that rings true when you think about our relationship to our cars and our emotional connection to them. It's not just driven by what we see, but it's driven by what we hear. You think about the sound of an engine revving up or the sound of a car door closing, or even that key beep after you lock it. There's so many different ways in which you can use sound to portray various automotive attributes, whether that's power, safety, or luxury. You can use voiceovers, music, or sound effects in all kinds of ways. And what that does is impact our physiology. It shapes our perception. It creates memories. And ultimately, sound does influence our behavior. So I think there's a lot of opportunity and a lot of white space specifically for automotive brands to really tap into some of these key attributes.” - Lynae Chambers

Loyal to the content, not the platform.

Highlight: “Four in 10 listeners are willing to cancel their subscription once they finish their show or series. So there's loyalty to the content that's being served, but not the platform that's actually housing the content.” - Casey Fandacone

Music discovery is a journey.

Highlight: “Music discovery is way more than just pressing play on what to watch next and finishing the series and then canceling your subscription. It's a constantly evolving journey that is really personal to each and every listener.” - Casey Fandacone

They’re not engaged in the ads on social or CTV.

Highlight: “Many of those people tuning in to see TV shows or using social channels are not really very engaged with the content—or they're maybe not even the people that you think they are. On the TV side, a lot of users admit to using someone else's account and password sharing, which makes the audience demos unclear and makes it hard for brands to understand who their message is actually reaching. Meanwhile, on social, users are increasingly ignoring ads because they're really not finding them to be super relevant, or because they're finding them to be interruptive to the experience of trying to stay connected with friends.” - Sophie Anderson

Podcasts generate attention.

Highlight: “In comparison, podcasts specifically generate really, really high attention metrics—58% of listeners that we polled in our own user study said that they pay attention to podcast ads, versus just 28% for social and 25% for TV ads.” - Sophie Anderson

So now you know—if your media plan prioritizes CTV or social over audio, you’re probably not meeting your consumers where they are. Ready to move toward a stronger strategy? Let’s talk.