by DM
•
23 September 2022
Podcast listeners are resuming pre-COVID activities: During a pandemic that drove millions indoors, and in front of screens, a funny thing happened with podcasts: audience engagement increased. This increased engagement is noteworthy for several reasons: Many consider audio an in-car medium, yet at-home podcast listening has increased. Media choice is more rampant than ever. A wider audience presents advertisers with greater reach opportunities through a medium that delivers higher brand recall than other forms of advertising. Now, as many consumers are resuming some, if not all, of their pre-pandemic behaviors, podcast advertisements represent a bright option for brands looking to increase their visibility and drive upper-funnel engagement. In fact, Nielsen’s ongoing consumer sentiment study found in March 2022 that podcast listeners are more likely than the general population to resume some of their pre-pandemic activities, including shopping for groceries at physical stores, shopping for non-grocery items at physical stores and dining out at restaurants.