Reallocating Ad Dollars to Podcasts Can Deliver 41% Growth in Reach
By Edison Research
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We love a good case study, and if you are lucky enough to be attending SXSW this week, you can visit SkyBox to find a Nielsen representative and see a live demo of the software and data behind the case study below.
For the rest of us, let’s talk about a real-life example in NMI from a major pharmaceutical advertiser, and how integrating podcasts into their traditional media plan increased reach for no additional dollars. Using data from Nielsen Podcast Fusion powered by Edison Podcast Metrics, we analyzed a sample media plan for a leading pharmaceutical brand to demonstrate how moving small percentages of a budget can yield outsized results in audience reach. In the original buy targeting adults 18-54, 100% of the budget was allocated to traditional television, with 87% to broadcast and 13% to Cable. This achieved a reach of 39%.
By shifting only 5% of the total spend away from the usual go-to television outlets, and into podcasts, reach increased significantly. Reach among those ages 18-54 went from 39% in the old campaign to 55% in the new campaign, a lift of 41%. Note that this is shifting dollars, not adding dollars. The brand reached 26 million additional people without increasing the advertising budget.
Nielsen Media Impact’s Podcast Fusion is the first planning tool that helps users make smarter choices in multi-media campaigns and illustrates how a modest reallocation of the budget can fundamentally change the campaign’s efficiency.
Email us at info@edisonresearch.com for more information about a live demo at SXSW or a virtual demo anytime.
Tomorrow! The Infinite Dial 2026 from Edison Research with SiriusXM Media
The 28th year of Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial is being presented with support from SiriusXM Media tomorrow, March 12th at 2pm ET. It’s certainly not too late to register, and we hope you will join us.
The Infinite Dial is America’s longest-running survey of digital media consumer behavior, tracked annually since 1998. The study provides important benchmark measures for usage and behavior around streaming audio, podcasting, radio, smart audio, social media, and debuting this year, never-before-seen data on AI usage.
Findings will be unveiled by Megan Lazovick, Vice President of Edison Research at SSRS, alongside special guest, James Cridland, Editor of Podnews. With 35 years in the audio business, Cridland will offer unique analysis into the numbers and global context. Together, they will provide attendees with expert insights on the latest digital audio consumption trends and their implications for the industry.
Book an expert from Edison Research for your podcast, event, or other media outlet. Email us at info@edisonresearch.com.
